It's been a curious few years in California, with record droughts leaving cracked earth and water restrictions across the state.

But now, residents living near Mountain Meadows Reservoir, also known as Walker Lake, have reported something truly astounding - the lake has disappeared entirely.

The Sacramento Bee reports the artificial lake, which was used by Pacific Gas & Electric Company for hydroelectric power, was flat and shallow, but showed no signs of drying so suddenly.

Only the night before, locals had been fishing on it, and said there was weeks of water left in the lake which would have allowed for the safe transfer of its fish population.

“This makes me feel like [Pacific Gas and Electric] didn’t want to do a fish rescue and that it was easier to open that sucker up Saturday night,” said one resident, who suspects the company may have opened the dam without notice.

A company spokesperson blamed years of drought and a possible blockage in the dam.

The lake has run dry before, but never so quickly.

The Mountain Meadows Conservancy is currently investigating the incident.