As drought fades, California’s vast ‘inland sea’ roars back to life

An Amtrak train heads east toward downtown Sacramento over the Yolo Bypass, west of Sacramento. The bypass protects Sacramento and other riverside communities from flooding.

Downtown can be seen from the bank of the Yolo Bypass west of the Sacramento. Heavy rain has led to flood water filling the Yolo Bypass with water from the Sacramento, Feather and American rivers, poured through low spots in the levees known as weirs.

Interstate 80 looking east into downtown Sacramento from the Yolo Bypass, west of Sacramento. The bypass, usually covered with farm fields and wetlands, is filled with water from the Sacramento, Feather and American rivers.

California Department of Water Resources workers close up the Sacramento Weir, a low point in the levees that pours river water from the Sacramento and American rivers into a flood plain known as the Yolo Bypass, west of Sacramento.

Interstate 80 looking east into downtown Sacramento from the Yolo Bypass, a flood plain that filled with water after heavy storms arrived this month.

The Yolo Bypass, a designated flood plain, protects Sacramento and other riverside communities from flooding.

The Sacramento River flows under the Tower Bridge on the western border of Sacramento. The Sacramento River would overflow if not for the flood plain known as the Yolo Bypass near this bridge.

The Yolo Bypass has been full of flood waters in recent weeks. Normally, the flooded area in the plain is covered with farmland and wetlands. Heavy rain this month has led to flood waters spilling into the wide bypass, which can carry five times the flow of the narrow Sacramento River.