“Mom, my boots are waterproof so no mud will seep through,” my son said from the back seat of the car.
“My shoes are full of holes,” Dad offered.
“I know of some great, cheap shoes from Costco. We’ll get you some tomorrow,” I said, trying to console.
“A lot of good that does me now,” said Dad.
“I know, we can burn your shoes in a fire pit,” my son cheered along side his little brother.
“Maybe we can find a fire pit at the bottom of the lake,” said my younger son.
“I’m going to look for pennies. Legendary pennies worth millions of dollars that will pay for my college education,” said the oldest.
“Yeah, yeah,” little brother said. “A million dollars!”
“Maybe we should look for shoes, too,” I said.
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Just outside of Sacramento, California, Folsom Lake is more mud than water. Boats no longer dock in the marina now.
I see boats on them thar hills. They once made quite a picturesque scene here on the docks where the geese swam and floated by. Geese rule these parts now and will roam wherever they please. Thank you very much.
What does a lake that is at 17% capacity look like? This was our first glimpse of it.
I know. Gasp. Yes, this used to be water. Or was that just a dream?
People and cars fill the lake now.
And porta-potties. Now more than ever, Folsom Lake is a popular place to visit. It’s an event.
It’s not just the mind-blowing desolation or perhaps the prospect of walking inside a lake. Perhaps that’s as close to walking on water as we can ever experience.
As it turns out, what was submerged under water is now exposed.
Tree stumps:
Tires:
My family inside a tire inside a lake:
My son surfing on rusty remnants:
Buoys stripped of their purpose. With water, this would float to the top.
This lake is also filled with history.
The biggest fascination for the masses is the resurfacing of “The Ruins,” a Gold Rush Ghost Town. That town was Mormon Island. In 1955, the town flooded after Folsom Dam was built. Here is what’s left.
A docent in Little House on the Prairie attire hurried by us on her way to the airport. She mentioned she’d be back next weekend to give “tours” and answer any questions. A little digging of my own revealed that this bustling Gold Rush town once supported more than 2,500 residents, a school, a winery, a dairy, four hotels, and seven saloons.
Perhaps this was one such saloon.
The rest of the town is still submerged, somewhere out there.
Had we uncovered any legendary pennies, they would have remained at the lake bed to preserve this historical site.
Rusty nails, debris, shells of broken bottles are collected and stacked as treasures.
The concrete covers what was once a well.
We left with plenty of mud on our shoes and our socks and
…with a lot of luck…and a lot of hope…
for the water’s return…because hope is a good thing.
On January 17, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought State of Emergency in California.
************************************
Related Video:
Drought Exposes Ghost Gold Rush Town in Dry Lake Bed – Folsom
Related Article:
Governor Brown Declares Drought State of Emergency
AmyReeseWrites 
Can I ask what State this is in! Eerie stuff!
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California! I’ll add that in my post. Thanks. You have to see it to believe it!
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All those cars and the portaloos! Just weird!
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I know. Strange, right? Portaloos! I like that better than port-a-potties. It is a kind of surreal experience, Jim. Kind of scary.
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Great post Bumble. Huell Howzer’s passing left a void, but you filled it. Now, how ’bout filling that lake again?
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Thanks, Stephen. I had to look up Huell Howzer. Yes! This is Gold Rush country. I hope so. I think it will take a miracle and a lots and lots of rain!! Fingers crossed.
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Oh my goodness! Both fascinating and sad at the same time. Do they expect the water levels to return? Some of it looks like it could be on another planet, some strange discovery of civilizations from the past.
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It is kind of a strange, mystical feeling digging up the past. Fascinating but so so sad and scary. They just declared a state of emergency. Not sure why it was in the eleventh hour, probably because water is such a political issue, too.
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Agreed- fascinating and sad. I like that you are drawing us into the human story behind climate change, into our conscience and hearts. Powerful stuff!
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Thank you so much, Brenda. There’s nothing like experiencing it first-hand.
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I have to agree with Vanessa. I was filled with awe reading this, but also felt a tinge of sadness at the same time. California is so dry, and each time I go back I notice how much drier it becomes. Some of the places I frequented as a child don’t look the same anymore.
Really interesting read!
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So sad, Jen. It was so shocking to see it. I had seen pictures of it before going, and was still so shocked being there. California seems to be a lot drier with each passing year. I’ve lived here all of my life, mostly, and remember having winters. The weather here has been beautiful like spring. It’s easily to be oblivious to the water crisis. But seeing Folsom Lake kind of changed all that. We need some of your Oregon rain. Send it down please. Thanks!
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I agree with Jen and Tonic… interesting but a twinge of sadness.Great post Amy
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I am very sad, too. I’d rather the ruins stay in the water! It’s like this “fun” event, but make no mistake about it, people are worried about the low levels. It hasn’t been this bad since the seventies. Thanks!
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The ruins are fascinating and sort of sad too to think there was a town there once with all those people in it. Great pics.
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It is sad. All of this is really sad to me. I guess that’s history for you though. The ruins are pretty cool, but now I’d like them back under water. Thanks, J.D.
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You can get anything at Costco! Even a free lunch. But I hate going in there. I’ll go in for a few dry goods and end up spending $350 on crap I didn’t know I needed. In vast quantities, no less.
Good thing we’ve blasted a gigantic hole in the ozone layer, otherwise we would have these interesting weather conditions. The Ruins look like the London Wall. Except not as ancient.
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Beware of Costco. It’s true you end up buying stuff you don’t need and don’t even want by the time you get home. It’s those samples!! Have you noticed they never as good as when they are int the store? Secretly, I still like Costco. I just try not to go too often just buying the stuff I like there.
Let’s hope this isn’t just the beginning of worse things to come or if this becomes the new normal. I suppose it already is. Who am I fooling? People are doing rain dances around here. Rain already! The ruins are interesting because they are “Ruins” but really don’t look like too much. Still a slice of history. Just the thought of it, I think…
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The last time I was in Costco I walked out with a giant plastic jar full of dark chocolate covered almonds. For cheap! It was one of my happiest moments ever, and that includes the birth of both daughters AND my wedding day.
I’ve been reading about your water woes. Here on the Right Coast we have sub-zero chill factors and SNOW. It’ll be like this for the next 10 days. Australia is in the middle of a crippling heatwave. What’s up?
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Ha ha! I love their nuts. They have so many varieties, but I’ve never had the dark chocolate covered almonds. Yum! How did I miss those. That’s pretty high on your list! I will be looking for those next time. I like a lot of their snake items and you can’t find them anywhere else, at least I don’t think you can.
Are we the Left Coast or the Wrong Coast? Wow that’s crazy!! We have it so good with this weather, but now we’re in a drought and if things don’t improve, the summer could be wicked. And produce will go up big time! Yeah, what’s up? Couldn’t be that global warming trend, could it?
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You MUST try the dark chocolate almonds. Years ago, after I finished off my very first giant plastic tub of them, I walked across the street to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Avenue and lit a votive candle in thanks.
With those dried out lakes, it doesn’t look like you have it THAT good!
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I am SOLD on the almonds! It isn’t that good. Next come the earthquakes! Knock on wood, I hope NOT. But we are so due, they say.
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It’s hard to believe that that last picture is what it was like before. Fascinating, eerie, and (as everyone else noted) sad. Thanks for sharing this. Is there hope for the Lake’s return?
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I know. It’s amazing, isn’t it? It’s really a beautiful lake “reservoir.” I used to think of it as a little ocean since I’m inland. I used to pretend that when I drove past it. Not right now, Michelle! It’s very sad and eerie as you say. They have emergency drought conditions in place, but really we need a lot of rain. We also rely on snow pack and right now the mountains are brown! We need some of your Canadian snow.
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We should figure out a way to airlift our snow to your lake.
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I wish. If we could just shift everything around. Everything is so severe everywhere. We need a balance. It seems like things are just getting more severe.
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That’s sad but also fascinating (I know I mirrored Vanessa’s comment, but it’s true). But what a perfect place to visit with kids. That might even spark interest in my eye-rolling oldest. Thanks for letting us share in your adventure. Very cool (but still, very sad).
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It is fascinating. Let’s face, how often do you get to see the bottom of a lake. But oh, very worrisome and sad! The kids loved it but there was a lot of walking involved because it’s so big. We definitely need a change in our beautiful weather. I read in the paper today that people are doing rain dances. Now we have a state of emergency, so people are waking up. I think they waited far too long to declare one.
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It’s just down right scary that this might be our future all over the place. Interesting digging up history, but sometimes it’s best not to disturb the ghosts. Wonderful post Amy.
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It is definitely scary, Jackie. Like you, I prefer that the ghosts stay under water! At one point, they were looking for a plane in the lake. I don’t think they found it. Thanks!
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Hopefully, with so many people seeing the lake, someone will find new ways to get California the water it needs.
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Someone, Guap! If anything, it does make people aware how bad things are.
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Mouth agape, heart and mind full. Great post, pix and food for thought. WOW.
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Thanks, Brenda. It’s so shocking to see. How did this happen? It seemed to happen really quickly. We can’t wait until it’s too late.
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Striking photos! Thank you for sharing. You had me at the Shawshank quote 🙂
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Thank you. I love that quote. It’s one of my all time favorites and movie, too. It has stuck with me!
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The emptiness speaks loudly. I hope the lake can be beautiful again one day.
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Thanks, Pixie Girl. Doesn’t it though? I guess that’s why I wanted the photos to dominate this post. Words can’t really express this sad emptiness. Thanks, me too! Thanks for stopping by. I plan to read your blog soon! – Amy
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Anytime, Amy 😉 I’ve embarked on a project to catch up with most blogs I’m following, but seem to be failing 24 hours in… but I promise to be around more.
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Wow – great photos. It really does tell the story. I have always wondered what you would find in an empty lake. I used to hunt for ‘treasures’ as a little girl wherever I went and this kind of thing would fascinate me!
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Thanks, Daile. It was pretty cool although the drought situation makes it sad and scary. Hopefully, these little treasures will be submerged in water soon. My kids had a great time getting muddy!
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17%, whoa. Interesting to see what a lake looks like under all the water, but so sad. Great post, Amy.
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It was pretty scary and strange! Thank you.
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Amazing, Amy! You can tell how high the wayer used to be by the rope on that buoy. It’s so sad that the water is gone and – yes it should be a state of emergency! 🙂
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Thanks, Dianne. We keep hoping for rain, but all we have is balmy temperatures. There seems no end to it. I guess there are worse to complain about it. I just hope it rains really soon.
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This blows me away, Amy! Seriously amazing.
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Isn’t it something?! It was really shocking to be there and imagine the water that wasn’t! Crazy, crazy!
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This is fascinating. I had not heard of this. What a shame about the drought but what an archaelogical find! Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you and thanks for reading. It was really fascinating and sad, too. It was so shocking that the water is so low. But I suppose we shall enjoy the history while we have it. Hopefully, it will be back under water soon.
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What an interesting place to look around. Is this a rare occurrence or does it get this low very often. I can imagine the boat owners aren’t that pleased at the current state of things.
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It hasn’t been this low since the 1970’s! So we are in a drought for sure. It’s fascinating to see history, but it can go back under water now. It’s hasn’t rained in more than 45 days and we have record highs (almost 80 degrees F). So…let the rain come down.
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Hope and water are always a good pair : ) Great photos!
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Like peanut butter and chocolate! Definitely. Thanks, Molly. – Amy
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The hope your work inspires lives on in my memories now.
Thank you.
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Oh, I’m so pleased to hear that. After I went there I thought people need to see this! Thank you.
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