Images from NASA show the revival of Tulare Lake after months of relentless rainfall in Central California.

Tulare County in California is the third largest agricultural producer in the state and now many of its farms are underwater.

Tulare Lake's rebirth will reshape life in the San Joaquin Valley for years to come. But longtime residents remain committed to the region and its remarkable seasonal rhythms.

Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, was last full in 1878. Recent storms have flooded thousands of acres of farmland in the area.

“Mother Nature at work,” said Margaret Figueroa, sitting beside decades-old sepia photos of the lake hung on the brewery’s exposed brick walls. “This is the nature of this place.” ...

Tulare Lake as seen from an earth-orbiting satellite on Feb. 1, 2023, left, and on April 30, 2023, showing the increased flooding of the formerly dry lakebed from winter storms and spring snowmelt ...

Tulare Lake was once the largest lake West of the Mississippi before farmers in the 1920s diverted the rivers that filled it to nourish crops. But after a winter of heavy rain and flooding in the ...

The partially refilled Tulare Lake is so large, with so much water spread over so much land, that it’s changing nearby weather.

Tulare Lake as seen from an earth-orbiting satellite on Feb. 1, 2023, left, and on April 30, 2023, showing the increased flooding of the formerly dry lakebed from winter storms and spring snowmelt ...

Southbound 6th Avenue as it disappears beneath the widespread flooding Tuesday, April 25, 2023 south of the City of Corcoran where flooding is re-creating the old Tulare Lake.