Many campers, residents and workers in the Paradise Road stretch of the Santa Ynez Valley are buzzing over the new flow of water in the Santa Ynez River.
Several crossings are closed to people and vehicles, as the river comes alive with more than eight days of rain this month.
The river feeds Cachuma Lake, the area's main water source, which is still over 100 feet below the spill level at Bradbury dam.
Water officials this week say the area's hills need just about 4 inches of rain soon to be saturated.
Then, noticeable runoff can begin, and the river will roar into the lake for the first time in years.
