Lake Oroville Water Operations
​The Department of Water Resources (DWR) continues to make releases from Lake Oroville using the main spillway at Oroville Dam. Ongoing releases ensure continued storage space in Lake Oroville for spring runoff from snowmelt and are closely coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and downstream water operators.
Total releases to the Feather River amount to 9,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) with 2,200 cfs being routed down the low-flow channel which flows through the City of Oroville. An additional 6,800 cfs is being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet, located 5 miles downstream from Oroville. DWR continues to closely monitor lake levels and will adjust releases accordingly to optimize operations for water storage and environmental protection while allowing for carryover storage into next year.  
Driftwood and other floating debris on Lake Oroville are expected due to continued water inflows from tributaries and a high lake level, in combination with past wildfires impacting the watershed. Since January, State officials and marina partners have been collecting, containing, and pulling pieces of wood out of the lake and away from boat launch ramps using boom lines. However, boaters, water skiers, and other water recreationists should take precautions when operating boats on Lake Oroville and should remain alert for floating debris.
Since Dec. 1, Lake Oroville’s storage has increased approximately 230 feet and gained over 2.44 million acre-feet of water. Lake Oroville is currently at 96 percent capacity and is expected to reach full capacity in June. The Lake Oroville reservoir is the largest storage facility in the State Water Project (SWP) and supports environmental and water delivery needs to 27 million Californians and reduces flood risks to downstream communities.

STATE WATER PROJECT ADAPTS TO CLIMATE CHANGE
​As California experiences more extreme swings between wet and dry periods, DWR continues to deploy innovative forecasting and water management strategies for the State Water Project (SWP) to adapt to California’s changing climate.
The SWP delivers an average of 2.4 million acre-feet of water to more than 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland while providing multiple benefits, such as flood control, hydropower generation, fish and wildlife protections, drinking water quality, and recreational opportunities. Releases from Lake Oroville, the largest SWP reservoir, also keep salt water from intruding into the Delta and contaminating drinking water or water used to irrigate crops.
The SWP diverts and stores surplus water during wet periods and distributes water to 29 water contractors – all public agencies that have contracts for water that is distributed to farms, homes, and industry. Annual water supply deliveries depend on rainfall runoff, snowpack, existing water in storage facilities, Delta pumping capacity, and environmental regulations.
The State Water Project is required to follow more than one regulation when releasing water from SWP reservoirs, such as Lake Oroville. Releases from Lake Oroville meet requirements set forth by the State Water Resources Control Board, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and National Marine Fisheries Service. The SWP release decisions are also coordinated with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation which operates the Central Valley Project, since many requirements must be jointly met by the two projects.
DWR continues to explore several improvements to existing SWP infrastructure that can improve water supply reliability, water quality, water temperature control, and increased electricity integration of water supply infrastructure. Read more about DWR’s strategy for adapting to climate change.

FEATHER FALLS
​A popular excursion at Lake Oroville during high-water level periods is to take a boat trip to the upper end of the Middle Fork Arm to view Feather Falls, a Yosemite-style waterfall of exquisite beauty. Along the way, there are many smaller waterfalls to see including some that tumble directly into Lake Oroville such as Bean Creek and Frey Creek. Bring a picnic lunch, a camera, and don’t forget your fishing pole. There are unlimited bass fishing opportunities along the route and trout fishing can also be good where the cold mountain streams enter the lake.

WALK INTO WELLNESS
​Join the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) for a series of guided, meditative walks around the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area that promote health and wellness. These free walks focus on calming reflections and enlightening exercises while immersed in the beauty of nature. Sturdy shoes and a water bottle are recommended for participants. Wellness walks are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the following dates and locations:

• Saturday, May 27: Lake Oroville Visitor Center (917 Kelly Ridge Road, Oroville); meet at gravel lot near the Visitor Center gate
• Saturday, June 10: Loafer Creek; meet at the Loafer Creek Day Use Area
• Sunday, July 16: Bidwell Canyon; meet at the Toll House Museum

OROVILLE RECREATION 
The Lake Oroville Visitor Center is open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Visitor Center offers numerous educational exhibits, a theater featuring videos about the building of Oroville Dam, and a 47-foot-tall observation tower providing unsurpassed panoramic views.
DWR, State Parks, and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open boat ramps, and their permitted uses is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Visitor Center. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services such as a shuttle and boat rentals.

CURRENT LAKE OPERATIONS
​Lake Oroville is at 891 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.4 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 96 percent of its total capacity and 122 percent of the historical average.
The Feather River releases are at 9,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Flows through the City of Oroville are 2,200 cfs with 6,800 cfs released from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet (Outlet) for a total of 9,000 cfs downstream of the Outlet. DWR continues to assess releases to the Feather River 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 5/25/2023.

Lake Oroville Water Releases Continue
​The Department of Water Resources (DWR) continues to make releases from Lake Oroville using the main spillway at Oroville Dam. Ongoing releases ensure continued storage space in Lake Oroville for spring runoff from snowmelt and are closely coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and downstream water operators.
Total releases to the Feather River amount to 13,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) with 5,650 cfs being routed down the low-flow channel which flows through the City of Oroville. An additional 7,350 cfs is being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet, located 5 miles downstream from Oroville. DWR continues to closely monitor lake levels and will adjust releases accordingly to optimize operations for water storage and environmental protection while allowing for carryover storage into next year.  
Driftwood and other floating debris at the state recreation area are expected due to continued water inflows from tributaries and a high lake level, in combination with past wildfires impacting the watershed. Since January, State officials and marina partners have been collecting, containing, and pulling pieces of wood out of the lake and away from boat launch ramps using boom lines.  However, boaters, water skiers, and other water recreationists should take precautions when operating boats on Lake Oroville and should remain alert for floating debris.
Since Dec. 1, Lake Oroville’s storage has increased approximately 230 feet and gained over 2.4 million acre-feet of water. Lake Oroville is currently at 96 percent capacity and is expected to reach full capacity this spring. The Lake Oroville reservoir is the largest storage facility in the State Water Project (SWP) and supports environmental and water delivery needs to 27 million Californians and reduces flood risks to downstream communities.

WALK INTO WELLNESS
​Join the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) for a series of guided, meditative walks around the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area that promote health and wellness. These free walks focus on calming reflections and enlightening exercises while immersed in the beauty of nature. Sturdy shoes and a water bottle are recommended for participants. Wellness walks are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the following dates and locations:

• Saturday, May 27: Lake Oroville Visitor Center (917 Kelly Ridge Road, Oroville); meet at gravel lot near the Visitor Center gate
• Saturday, June 10: Loafer Creek; meet at the Loafer Creek Day Use Area
• Sunday, July 16: Bidwell Canyon; meet at the Toll House Museum

HOURS EXTENDED FOR SPILLWAY DAY-USE AREA
As the summer months approach and daylight hours linger, the Spillway Boat Ramp and Day Use Area is now open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. All vehicles and trailers are subject to inspection by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for security purposes. There are five other boat ramps at Lake Oroville that are open 24 hours a day and do not entail CHP inspections: Bidwell Canyon, Loafer Point, Loafer Creek, Lime Saddle and Enterprise.

WATER SAFETY MONTH
​The State Water Project’s (SWP) reservoirs located throughout California will welcome the upcoming summer months with high water levels. Heavy storms this past winter will also bring fast flows and cold temperatures to rivers and streams as mountain snow melts. When recreating at SWP facilities, you should always keep water safety a top priority and stay alert for cold, fast, and fluctuating water conditions.
As part of Water Safety Month, keep these water safety tips in mind to have a fun and safe summer:

• Wear a life jacket
• Swim in safe or designated areas only and near a lifeguard
• Swim with a buddy
• Be aware of drop-offs into deep water
• Watch for hidden debris and slippery rocks
• Look before you leap or dive
• Check for algal bloom updates
• Know your GPS location

Lake Oroville, the SWP’s largest reservoir, has more than 167 miles of shoreline and is a perfect location for boating, fishing, skiing, wakeboarding, swimming or paddleboarding. Those seeking to spend more than a day relaxing on the lake can rent houseboats from local marinas, stay at one of three campgrounds at the lake, or reserve floating campsites through the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks).

OROVILLE RECREATION 
DWR, State Parks, and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. Paved trails at the Lake Oroville Visitor Center, Spillway Day Use Area, and at the North Forebay Day Use Area offer accessible trails with only slight elevation changes. Other trails, such as the Brad Freeman Trail near Oroville Dam, offer steep elevation changes to challenge hikers and mountain bikers. The Saddle Dam Trailhead has facilities for equestrians including a large parking area to accommodate horse trailers, water troughs, and hitching posts, and easy access to trails designated for hikers and horses.
An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open boat ramps, and their permitted uses is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Visitor Center. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services such as a shuttle and boat rentals.
The Lake Oroville Visitor Center is open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Visitor Center offers numerous educational exhibits, a theater featuring videos about the building of Oroville Dam, and a 47-foot-tall observation tower providing unsurpassed panoramic views.

CURRENT LAKE OPERATIONS
​Lake Oroville is at 890 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.38 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 96 percent of its total capacity and 122 percent of the historical average.
The Feather River releases are at 13,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Flows through the City of Oroville are 5,650 cfs with 7,350 cfs released from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet (Outlet) for a total of 13,000 cfs downstream of the Outlet. DWR continues to assess releases to the Feather River 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 5/18/2023.

Lake Oroville Water Releases Continue
​The Department of Water Resources (DWR) continues to make releases from Lake Oroville using the main spillway at Oroville Dam. Ongoing releases ensure continued storage space in Lake Oroville for spring runoff from snowmelt and are closely coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and downstream water operators.
Total releases to the Feather River amount to 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) with 650 cfs being routed down the low-flow channel which flows through the City of Oroville. An additional 9,350 cfs is being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet, located 5 miles downstream from Oroville. Water releases are scheduled to increase to 15,000 cfs on Sunday, May 14. DWR continues to closely monitor lake levels and will adjust releases accordingly to optimize operations for water storage and environmental protection while allowing for carryover storage into next year.  
Since Dec. 1, Lake Oroville’s storage has increased approximately 230 feet and gained over 2.3 million acre-feet of water. Lake Oroville is currently at 95 percent capacity and is expected to reach full capacity this spring. The Lake Oroville reservoir is the largest storage facility in the State Water Project (SWP) and supports environmental and water delivery needs to 27 million Californians and reduces flood risks to downstream communities.

HOURS EXTENDED FOR SPILLWAY DAY-USE AREA
​As the summer months approach and daylight hours linger, the Spillway Boat Ramp and Day Use Area is now open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. All vehicles and trailers are subject to inspection by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for security purposes. There are five other boat ramps at Lake Oroville that are open 24 hours/day and do not entail CHP inspections: Bidwell Canyon, Loafer Point, Loafer Creek, Lime Saddle and Enterprise.

Lake Oroville Water Releases Continue
​The Department of Water Resources (DWR) continues to make releases from Lake Oroville using the main spillway at Oroville Dam. Ongoing releases ensure continued storage space in Lake Oroville for spring runoff from snowmelt and are closely coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and downstream water operators.
Total releases to the Feather River amount to 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) with 2,200 cfs being routed down the low-flow channel which flows through the City of Oroville. An additional 7,800 cfs is being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet, located 5 miles downstream from Oroville. Water releases from Lake Oroville are schedule to be further reduced to 7,000 cfs on Friday, May 5. DWR continues to closely monitor lake levels and will adjust releases accordingly to optimize operations for water storage and environmental protection while allowing for carryover storage into next year.  
Since Dec. 1, Lake Oroville’s storage has increased more than 220 feet and gained over 2.2 million acre-feet of water. Lake Oroville is currently at 92 percent capacity and is expected to reach full capacity this spring. The Lake Oroville reservoir is the largest storage facility in the State Water Project (SWP) and supports environmental and water delivery needs to 27 million Californians and reduces flood risks to downstream communities.

FINAL SNOW SURVEY CONDUCTED
​DWR conducted the fifth snow survey of the season at Phillips Station this week. The manual survey recorded 59 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 30 inches, which is 241 percent of average for this location on May 1. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water still contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply run-off forecast. DWR’s electronic readings from 130 snow sensors placed throughout the state indicate the statewide snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 49.2 inches, or 254 percent of average for this date.
Snow surveys like the one at Phillips Station are critical to planning for impacts of the coming snowmelt runoff on communities. DWR uses the most updated technology to gather data from snow surveys, a network of 130 remote snow sensors, and airborne snow observatory data to gather information on current real-world conditions to create the most accurate snowmelt runoff forecasts possible. These runoff forecasts allow reservoir operators to plan for anticipated inflows and water managers downstream of reservoirs to plan and prepare for flood risks.
Read more about the latest snow survey in DWR’s press release.

BLUE GREEN ALGAE MONITORING
​DWR’s environmental scientists began monitoring for blue-green algae and their toxins last week within the Oroville-Thermalito Complex and the upper Feather River lakes. Monitoring occurs during the summer months with water samples taken at various locations regularly, which are sent to a lab for toxin analysis. There are currently no harmful algal bloom (HAB) advisories for Lake Oroville, Upper Feather River lakes, the Thermalito Forebay, or the Thermalito Afterbay.
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) is a natural component of ecosystems. Under certain conditions, including warmer temperatures and increased nutrient loads, algae can grow rapidly causing “blooms.” Algal blooms sometimes produce toxins that can be harmful to people and animals. Algal blooms can make the water appear green, blue, or brown in color. Seeing colors, mats, foam, scum, or paint-like streaks in the water may indicate a bloom is present. Keep animals and children away from the water when a suspected bloom is present and report blooms immediately to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board.
If elevated levels of cyanobacteria toxins are found while testing, DWR staff will work with California’s Regional Water Quality Control Board and recreation area managers to notify the public and post advisory signs at affected waterbodies. To learn more about HABs, or to report a HAB visit the Water Board’s website.

OROVILLE RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee (ORAC) will hold a public meeting on Friday, May 5 starting 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 recommendations regarding the Department of Water Resources (DWR) recreation plan for the Oroville Facilities. The 13-member committee is made up of representatives from state and local government, recreation groups, and business and community organizations. To obtain a summary of the meeting, send a request to [email protected].

FEATHER FIESTA DAYS
​For more than 70 years, Feather Fiesta Days has been Oroville’s premier hometown celebration with two weekends filled with activities. Festivities began last weekend with the main activities, including a parade and Gold Rush car show, scheduled for this Saturday, May 6. Stop by DWR’s booth in downtown Oroville on May 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to learn about recreation opportunities around Lake Oroville. Activities for kids include making a sailboat and water safety handouts.
Learn more about Feather Fiesta Days activities on the Oroville Chamber of Commerce website.

OROVILLE RECREATION 
The Lake Oroville Visitor Center is open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Visitor Center offers numerous educational exhibits, a theater featuring videos about the building of Oroville Dam, and a 47-foot-tall observation tower providing unsurpassed panoramic views.
DWR, State Parks, and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open boat ramps, and their permitted uses is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Visitor Center. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services such as a shuttle and boat rentals.

CURRENT LAKE OPERATIONS
​Lake Oroville is at 882 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.26 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 92 percent of its total capacity and 119 percent of the historical average.
The Feather River releases are at 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Flows through the City of Oroville are 2,200 cfs with 7,800 cfs released from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet (Outlet) for a total of 10,000 cfs downstream of the Outlet. Water releases from Lake Oroville are schedule to be further reduced to 7,000 cfs on Friday, May 5. DWR continues to assess releases to the Feather River 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 5/3/2023.