A prehistoric lake that disappeared from California’s Death Valley thousands of years ago has briefly returned, following an extraordinary run of rainfall that has flooded one of the driest places on Earth.
Recent storms have filled parts of Badwater Basin—North America’s lowest point at 282 feet below sea level—with standing water, effectively reviving what is known as Lake Manly, the National Park Service confirmed this month.
The shallow body of water now covering the salt flats sits atop a landscape that was once home to a vast Ice Age lake stretching nearly 160 kilometres and plunging hundreds of feet deep more than 100,000 years ago.
That ancient lake vanished as global climates warmed, leaving behind the stark desert basin synonymous with extreme heat and aridity. However, an unusual sequence of powerful storms has temporarily reversed that history.
Between September and December, Death Valley recorded 2.41 inches of rain—far exceeding its typical annual total—with November alone setting a monthly record at 1.76 inches.
Park officials said the recent rainfall was enough to refill sections of the ancient lakebed, though the current incarnation of Lake Manly is far smaller and shallower than past reappearances. The basin last filled in 2023 after Hurricane Hilary delivered more than two inches of rain, followed by an atmospheric river in early 2024 that deepened the water sufficiently for visitors to kayak.
Despite its limited depth, the lake’s return has drawn increased attention from tourists. Staff at a nearby hotel reported a noticeable rise in business since the water reappeared, describing the lake less as a traditional body of water and more as a sprawling, still floodplain—an uncommon and fleeting sight in one of the world’s harshest desert environments.
