  DWR Begins Required Flood Control Releases from Lake Oroville Ahead of forecasted storms arriving this weekend, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has increased water releases to the Feather River from the Oroville-Thermalito Complex to maintain flood protection for downstream communities. With runoff into Lake Oroville projected to range between 50,000 to 120,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) by early next week, DWR will also start using Oroville Dam’s main spillway on Feb. 3 for additional flood control releases. Between October and April, DWR is required to operate Lake Oroville for flood control under federal Water Control Manual Guidelines set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These federal regulations establish a set storage space that is reserved to capture inflows from rain and future snowmelt, while protecting downstream communities from damaging flood events through coordinated releases. To maintain this storage space, DWR must increase releases from Lake Oroville. While weather conditions have largely remained dry in the southern part of California this water year, northern California received a series of atmospheric river-driven storms in late November and December to boost reservoir storage at Lake Oroville. Between Nov. 19 and Dec. 31, Lake Oroville’s elevation rose approximately 64 feet. Releases to the Feather River are coordinated closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other downstream water operators. Feather River recreation users are advised to remain alert as river flows are expected to be swift and cold and may change based on projected weather forecasts. The information below reflects current reservoir level estimates. Forecasts can change quickly and may affect the estimates provided.
The Lake Oroville reservoir is the largest storage facility in the State Water Project, providing flood protection while supporting environmental and water delivery needs to 27 million Californians. DWR continues to monitor lake levels, weather forecasts, and mountain snow levels to optimize water storage while allowing for carryover storage into next year. An update on planned Feather River releases will be provided Monday, Feb. 3.  Brad Freeman Trail Improvements DWR is nearing completion on a project to improve a 1.5-mile section of the Brad Freeman Trail between Cherokee Road and the Highway 70 Garden Drive overpass. DWR crews are currently installing a 4-foot-wide decomposed granite path alongside an 8-foot-wide asphalt path, which offers an improved recreation experience for trail users. The Brad Freeman Trail between Cherokee Road and Garden Drive may be closed intermittently during work, which is weather dependent and subject to change. DWR also previously installed accessible gates at trail entrance points, which restrict vehicles while still providing access for equestrians, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Project improvements were supported by a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant through the National Park Service, with remaining funding for the $700,000 project provided by DWR. Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee The Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee (ORAC) will hold a meeting on Friday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Southside Oroville Community Center located at 2959 Lower Wyandotte Road, Oroville, CA, 95966. ORAC was established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to review and provide recreation plan recommendations for Oroville Facilities owned by DWR. The 13-member committee is made up of representatives from state and local government, recreation groups, and business and community organizations.  Vegetation Management Activities DWR has entered the final phase of its fuel load reduction efforts at Loafer Creek under a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Over the next several months, hand crews and heavy equipment operators will be working in the area to complete this critical wildfire prevention project. Phases I and II of the project, covering DWR property along Oro Dam Blvd. East and the Bidwell Canyon/Kelly Ridge area near the Lake Oroville Visitor Center, are now complete. In 2023, DWR secured $900,000 in HMGP funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support hazardous fuels reduction across 220 acres in the Lake Oroville area. Additionally, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office crew is conducting post-burn cleanup efforts in the Loafer Creek area following CAL FIRE’s prescribed burn in October 2024. CAL FIRE hand crews and heavy equipment operators are also assisting as resources allow. These efforts focus on reducing wildfire risk by thinning vegetation through hand and mechanical methods, accompanied by chipping and pile burning. As vegetation management continues, some trails within the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area may be intermittently closed. Trail users should use caution in active work areas and follow all posted signage. DWR’s Fuel Load Management Plan is dedicated to reducing wildfire risk, enhancing public safety, and improving forest health around Lake Oroville. Vegetation management in this critical area remains a top priority for DWR and its partners, including CAL FIRE, the Butte County Fire Department, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, the CA Conservation Corps (CCC), CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), CA State Parks, local tribes, and the Butte County Fire Safe Council.  Oroville Recreation
DWR, State Parks, and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open trails and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi), is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center. Staffed by knowledgeable guides, the Lake Oroville Visitor Center features interpretive displays on Oroville Dam, area geology, wildlife and habitat, hydroelectric power, and cultural and historical artifacts. View videos in the theater about the construction of Oroville Dam, walk or hike along nearby trails, and visit the 47-foot-tall observation tower that provides unsurpassed panoramic views of surrounding areas. Free guided tours for school and community groups are available by reservation. Parking and admission to the Visitor Center are free. Lake Oroville is one of the State Water Project’s premier recreational destinations and one of California’s best fishing spots. The lake provides both warm-water and cold-water fisheries, with excellent bass fishing opportunities during the fall and winter months. Be sure to check CDFW fishing regulations before fishing. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services including a convenience store, gas, boat rentals, and more. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Jan. 20, 2025 are:
Current Lake OperationsLake Oroville is at 840 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.58 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 75 percent of its total capacity and 126 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 1,050 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 4,950 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 6,000 cfs downstream. Total Feather River releases will increase to 12,000 cfs on Saturday with flows increased to 2,000 cfs through the City of Oroville and Outlet releases at 10,000 cfs. DWR continues to assess Feather River releases daily. The public can track precipitation, snow, reservoir levels, and more at the California Data Exchange Center. The Lake Oroville gage station is identified as “ORO.” All data as of midnight 1/30/2025. ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected].
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 Snow Goose Festival Celebrate one of the greatest migratory bird pathways in the world at the Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway happening Jan. 23 to Jan. 26. The festival hosts a variety of activities throughout the four-day event, including guided field trips to view the waterfowl, raptors, and Snow Geese that migrate through the Northern Sacramento Valley during the winter months. DWR’s Lake Oroville Visitor Center Guides will host a free educational booth featuring kids’ activities between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 and Sunday, Jan. 26 at the Patrick Ranch Museum in Durham. Join festival attendees with visits to the Thermalito Forebay and Afterbay, and Oroville Wildlife Area offering possible sightings of rough-legged hawk, ferruginous hawk, merlin, bald eagle, golden eagle, red-tailed hawk, burrowing owl, ducks, grebes, and other deep-water birds. Check out the Snow Goose Festival website for more details about activities, an avian art exhibit, and guided field trips during the four-day event.  Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey Environmental scientists from DWR and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) participated in the National Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey in early January. This nationwide effort, coordinated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, aims to determine bald eagle distribution and identify areas of important winter habitats. This year’s official count was 39 bald eagles for the Lake Oroville Winter Roost and 12 at the Thermalito Complex. Lake Oroville and the Sacramento Valley area provide an ideal habitat for bald eagles. Fish and waterfowl are the eagle’s main food source during this time of the year, and large water bodies like Lake Oroville provide a wide variety of fish while the nearby wetlands and flooded rice fields provide an abundant supply of waterfowl for eagle foraging. The many trees and snags (tall dead trees) near water areas provide prime roosting locations for the bald eagles that migrate to and through the area during the winter months. Learn more about DWR’s bald eagle survey and the local agriculture fields that support their habitat in this California Rice Commission video.  Feather River Fish Hatchery Fish Planting CDFW released approximately 777,500 fingerling-size fall-run Chinook salmon into the Feather River at the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet boat ramp on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The fall-run Chinook salmon were reared at the Feather River Fish Hatchery, which supports Central Valley Chinook salmon and steelhead populations. In addition, CDFW is continuing to plant Central Valley steelhead at sites along the Feather and Sacramento rivers. Approximately 540,200 yearling-size steelhead were raised in 2024 for release in local waterways between Jan. 10 and Jan. 30.
Steelhead spawning operations are ongoing at the Hatchery and will continue through mid-February. These fish enter the Hatchery via the fish ladder that leads up from the Feather River Fish Barrier Dam and can be seen at the viewing windows and facility. Once the spawned fish eggs have hatched, the juvenile fish will be reared at the hatchery for a full year and then released next winter into the Feather River. Like the salmon that populate the Feather River, steelhead trout migrate from the river to the ocean, returning to the river as adults to spawn. Unlike salmon, they can spawn several times during their lifetime. The name “steelhead” comes from their appearance, a more streamlined shape than Chinook salmon with a silvery or brassy color as an adult. The Feather River Fish Hatchery is a California State Water Project (SWP) facility built in the late 1960s by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to mitigate impacts on fish migration resulting from the construction of Oroville Dam. DWR owns and maintains the facility and provides funding to CDFW to perform spawning, rearing, and stocking operations.  Photo Feature DWR’s photography team captured a full moon rising above Oroville Dam’s crest on Jan. 13, 2025.  Oroville Recreation
DWR, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open trails and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi), is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center. Staffed by knowledgeable guides, the Lake Oroville Visitor Center features interpretive displays on Oroville Dam, area geology, wildlife and habitat, hydroelectric power, and cultural and historical artifacts. View videos in the theater about the construction of Oroville Dam, walk or hike along nearby trails, and visit the 47-foot-tall observation tower that provides unsurpassed panoramic views of surrounding areas. Free guided tours for school and community groups are available by reservation. Parking and admission to the Visitor Center are free. Lake Oroville is one of the State Water Project’s premier recreational destinations and one of California’s best fishing spots. The lake provides both warm-water and cold-water fisheries, with excellent bass fishing opportunities during the fall and winter months. Be sure to check CDFW fishing regulations before fishing. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services including a convenience store, gas, boat rentals, and more. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Jan. 20, 2025 are:
Current Lake OperationsLake Oroville is at 838 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.55 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 75 percent of its total capacity and 128 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 1,100 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 1,750 cfs downstream. DWR continues to assess Feather River releases daily. The public can track precipitation, snow, reservoir levels, and more at the California Data Exchange Center. The Lake Oroville gage station is identified as “ORO.” All data as of midnight 1/23/2025. ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected].  Feather River Hatchery Steelhead Planting The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has begun planting Central Valley steelhead raised at the Feather River Fish Hatchery at sites along the Feather and Sacramento rivers. A total of 540,222 yearling-size steelhead were raised in 2024 for release in local waterways between Jan. 10 and Jan. 30.
Steelhead spawning operations are also underway at the Hatchery and will continue through early February. These fish enter the Hatchery via the fish ladder that leads up from the Feather River Fish Barrier Dam and can be seen at the viewing windows and facility. Once the spawned fish eggs have hatched, the juvenile fish will be reared at the hatchery for a full year and then released next winter into the Feather River. Like the salmon that populate the Feather River, steelhead trout migrate from the river to the ocean, returning to the river as adults to spawn. Unlike salmon, they can spawn several times during their lifetime. The name “steelhead” comes from their appearance, a more streamlined shape than Chinook salmon with a silvery or brassy color as an adult. The Feather River Fish Hatchery is a California State Water Project (SWP) facility built in the late 1960s by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to mitigate impacts on fish migration resulting from the construction of Oroville Dam. DWR owns and maintains the facility and provides funding to CDFW to perform spawning, rearing, and stocking operations.  Snow Goose Festival Celebrate one of the greatest migratory bird pathways in the world at the Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway happening Jan. 23 to Jan. 26. The festival hosts a variety of activities throughout the four-day event, including guided field trips to view the waterfowl, raptors, and Snow Geese that migrate through the Northern Sacramento Valley during the winter months. DWR’s Lake Oroville Visitor Center Guides will host a free educational booth featuring kids’ activities between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 and Sunday, Jan. 26 at the Patrick Ranch Museum in Durham. Join festival attendees with visits to the Thermalito Forebay and Afterbay, and Oroville Wildlife Area offering possible sightings of rough-legged hawk, ferruginous hawk, merlin, bald eagle, golden eagle, red-tailed hawk, burrowing owl, ducks, grebes, and other deep-water birds. Check out the Snow Goose Festival website for more details about activities, an avian art exhibit, and guided field trips during the four-day event.  Floating Classroom Program Highlights Chinook Salmon Lifecycle During the autumn months, the Feather River in Oroville is home to adult Chinook salmon that have returned to their natural spawning grounds to complete their lifecycle and start the next generation. This infusion of thousands of salmon offers a prime opportunity for public education, with classes held on the river instead of within the four walls of a school. Through the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Feather River Floating Classroom Program, people of all ages are learning about the salmon lifecycle and critical ongoing conservation efforts and research in the Feather River. Developed by environmental scientists within DWR’s Division of Integrated Science and Engineering (DISE), the Feather River Floating Classroom Program has held various forms over the last decade. For many years public tours were offered solely during the City of Oroville’s Salmon Festival, celebrating the return of Chinook salmon. With the program’s growing popularity, DWR is now supporting dozens of free tours for local schools and public members during the fall spawning season. “The floating classroom program is so important because it gives people an opportunity to have a connection to their local environment,” said Michelle Pepping, environmental scientist with DISE. “We’re building that bridge from the environment directly to the community and sharing information about the salmon’s life history and the work DWR does on the river to benefit salmon.” The 2024 fall-run spawning season marked the first year in which DWR sponsored dozens of free tours to local schools and members of the public, with support from the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Thermalito Union Elementary School District. While the Feather River Floating Classroom program has concluded for the season, DWR’s efforts continue year-round to study salmon and enhance the Feather River habitat and help Chinook Salmon populations thrive. The Feather River Floating Classroom program will resume with the return of fall-run Chinook salmon. Read more about the Feather River Floating Classroom program on DWR’s website and watch our YouTube video.  Oroville Recreation
Staffed by knowledgeable guides, the Lake Oroville Visitor Center features interpretive displays on Oroville Dam, area geology, wildlife and habitat, hydroelectric power, and cultural and historical artifacts. View videos in the theater about the construction of Oroville Dam, walk or hike along nearby trails, and visit the 47-foot-tall observation tower that provides unsurpassed panoramic views of surrounding areas. Free guided tours for school and community groups are available by reservation. Parking and admission to the Visitor Center are free. Lake Oroville is one of the State Water Project’s premier recreational destinations and one of California’s best fishing spots. The lake provides both warm-water and cold-water fisheries, with excellent bass fishing opportunities during the fall and winter months. Be sure to check California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) fishing regulations before fishing. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services including a convenience store, gas, boat rentals, and more. DWR, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open trails and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi), is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Jan. 14, 2025 are:
Current Lake OperationsLake Oroville is at 835 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.52 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 74 percent of its total capacity and 129 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 1,100 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 1,750 cfs downstream. DWR continues to assess Feather River releases daily. The public can track precipitation, snow, reservoir levels, and more at the California Data Exchange Center. The Lake Oroville gage station is identified as “ORO.” All data as of midnight 1/16/2025. ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected].  Floating Classroom Program Highlights Chinook Salmon Life Cycle During the autumn months, the Feather River in Oroville is home to adult Chinook salmon that have returned to their natural spawning grounds to complete their lifecycle and start the next generation. This infusion of thousands of salmon offers a prime opportunity for public education, with classes held on the river instead of within the four walls of a school. Through the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Feather River Floating Classroom Program, people of all ages are learning about the salmon lifecycle and critical ongoing conservation efforts and research in the Feather River. Developed by environmental scientists within DWR’s Division of Integrated Science and Engineering (DISE), the Feather River Floating Classroom Program has held various forms over the last decade. For many years public tours were offered solely during the City of Oroville’s Salmon Festival, celebrating the return of Chinook salmon. With the program’s growing popularity, DWR is now supporting dozens of free tours for local schools and public members during the fall spawning season. “The floating classroom program is so important because it gives people an opportunity to have a connection to their local environment,” said Michelle Pepping, environmental scientist with DISE. “We’re building that bridge from the environment directly to the community and sharing information about the salmon’s life history and the work DWR does on the river to benefit salmon.” The 2024 fall-run spawning season marked the first year in which DWR sponsored dozens of free tours to local schools and members of the public, with support from the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Thermalito Union Elementary School District. While the Feather River Floating Classroom program has concluded for the season, DWR’s efforts continue year-round to study salmon and enhance the Feather River habitat and help Chinook Salmon populations thrive. The Feather River Floating Classroom program will resume with the return of fall-run Chinook salmon. Read more about the Feather River Floating Classroom program on DWR’s website and watch our YouTube video.  First Snow Survey of the Season DWR conducted the first snow survey of the season on Jan. 2 at Phillips Station. The manual survey recorded 24 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 9 inches, which is 91 percent of average for this location. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. In the Feather River basin, snowpack is 131 percent of average as of Jan. 1. Recent years in California have been marked by extremely hot and dry conditions broken up by periods of intense rain and snow. So far, this water year has been no different. A record-breaking hot and dry summer continued well into the fall, but a powerful atmospheric river in November broke several rainfall records in Northern California. A series of storms in late December provided another boost. “While our snowpack looks good now, we have a long way until April when our water supply picture will be more complete,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Extreme shifts between dry and wet conditions are continuing this winter and if the past several years are any indication, anything could happen between now and April and we need to be prepared.” More information about the first snow survey of 2025 can be found in DWR’s press release.  Oroville Recreation
Staffed by knowledgeable guides, the Lake Oroville Visitor Center features interpretive displays on Oroville Dam, area geology, wildlife and habitat, hydroelectric power, and cultural and historical artifacts. View videos in the theater about the construction of Oroville Dam, walk or hike along nearby trails, and visit the 47-foot-tall observation tower that provides unsurpassed panoramic views of surrounding areas. Free guided tours for school and community groups are available by reservation. Parking and admission to the Visitor Center are free. Lake Oroville is one of the State Water Project’s premier recreational destinations and one of California’s best fishing spots. The lake provides both warm-water and cold-water fisheries, with excellent bass fishing opportunities during the fall and winter months. Be sure to check California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) fishing regulations before fishing. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services including a convenience store, gas, boat rentals, and more. DWR, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open trails and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi), is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1, 2024 and Dec. 31, 2024 are:
Current Lake OperationsLake Oroville is at 830 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.46 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 72 percent of its total capacity and 129 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 1,100 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 1,750 cfs downstream. DWR continues to assess Feather River releases daily. The public can track precipitation, snow, reservoir levels, and more at the California Data Exchange Center. The Lake Oroville gage station is identified as “ORO.” All data as of midnight 1/9/2025. ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected]. |
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