 Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee The Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee (ORAC) will hold a meeting on Friday, Nov. 1 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 the Department of Water Resources (DWR). The 13-member committee is made up of representatives from State and local government, recreation groups, and business and community organizations.  Flood Preparedness Week After two consecutive years with major flood events across the state, DWR is using California Flood Preparedness Week, which runs from Oct. 19 through Oct. 26, to encourage all Californians to prepare for flood season. With California just experiencing one of the hottest summers on record, it might be hard to think about dangerous, extreme flooding. But a warmer atmosphere can also hold more moisture, increasing the power of atmospheric river storms that hit the state and cause widespread flooding. Research increasingly shows that California’s climate will become hotter and drier, but the precipitation the state does receive will arrive in more powerful storms that can lead to bigger and more frequent flood flows. More than seven million California residents are at risk of flooding, and many don’t realize it. Flooding can occur throughout the state, from rural to urban areas, in valley and desert communities, in mountain regions, and along the coast. Communities that are downslope of recent wildfires are also especially prone to flash floods and debris slides, with landscapes impacted by wildfires taking up to five years to recover. To prepare for flooding, all Californians should follow three basic steps:
For information on obtaining flood insurance, visit https://www.floodsmart.gov/ For information on how you can prepare your household for flood emergencies, visit https://www.ready.gov/kit  Vegetation Management Activities This week, CAL FIRE, the California Conservation Corps (CCC), the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and Butte County Sheriff’s Office crews successfully conducted a 160-acre prescribed burning throughout Loafer Creek Recreation Area and along Highway162 (Oro Quincy Highway). The controlled burn is part of an ongoing Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) aimed at reducing hazardous fuels to protect local communities, infrastructure, and natural resources. Fuel reduction activities such as thinning and chipping are expected to continue for several weeks. Crews have been working onsite for the past two months preparing for the burn. During this period, vegetation and trees were trimmed and scattered across the units to create a low intensity burn environment and fire control lines were set up to divide the burn area into smaller, manageable sections, minimizing risk to nearby residents and infrastructure. Vegetation management activities will require the intermittent closure of several trails within the Loafer Creek Recreation Area. Trail users should be cautious when entering work areas and obey all posted trail signage. In 2023, DWR was awarded Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds totaling $900,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to complete a 220-acre hazardous fuels reduction project in the Lake Oroville area. Fuel reduction locations include DWR property along Oro Dam Blvd. East, the Bidwell Canyon/Kelly Ridge area, and the Loafer Creek State Recreation Area. This multi-year project is reducing hazardous fuels and the risk of catastrophic wildfire by thinning vegetation using hand and mechanical methods, accompanied by chipping. By proactively reducing ground fuels, thinning overgrown vegetation, and removing dead and dying vegetation, firefighters have a better chance at suppressing a wildfire. DWR’s Fuel Load Management Plan works to reduce wildfire risk, increase public safety, and enhance forest health around the Lake Oroville area. Ongoing vegetation management of this critical area remains a high priority for DWR and its partners at CAL FIRE, Butte County Fire Department, Butte County Sheriff’s Office, the CCC, State Parks, and the Butte County Fire Safe Council.  Oroville Recreation DWR, State Parks, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (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. 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. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Afterbay, and the Feather River offer additional excellent fishing opportunities for Chinook salmon and steelhead. Be sure to check CDFW fishing regulations before you go out 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. 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. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1 are:
Current Lake Operations Lake Oroville is at 766 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.75 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 51 percent of its total capacity and 95 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 1,650 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 2,450 cfs downstream. Total Feather River releases will be reduced to 1,750 cfs the week of Oct. 28. 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 10/24/2024. California Department of Water Resources
715 P Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Call our general information line at 916-820-8142 or email us at [email protected]
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 Vegetation Management Activities The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has resumed vegetation management activities at Loafer Creek within the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area. CAL FIRE, the California Conservation Corps (CCC), the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and Butte County Sheriff’s Office crews are removing ladder fuels and preparing units throughout Loafer Creek and along HWY 162 (Oro Quincy Highway) for prescribed burning that is anticipated Wednesday, Oct. 23 through Friday, Oct. 25 depending on weather conditions. Vegetation management activities will require the intermittent closure of several trails within the Loafer Creek Recreation Area. Trail users should be cautious when entering work areas and obey all posted trail signage. Smoke from prescribed burning activities will be visible in the Oroville area. In 2023, DWR was awarded Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds totaling $900,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to complete a 220-acre hazardous fuels reduction project in the Lake Oroville area. Fuel reduction locations include DWR property along Oro Dam Blvd. East, the Bidwell Canyon/Kelly Ridge area, and the Loafer Creek State Recreation Area. This multi-year project is reducing hazardous fuels and the risk of catastrophic wildfire by thinning vegetation using hand and mechanical methods, accompanied by chipping. By proactively reducing ground fuels, thinning overgrown vegetation, and removing dead and dying vegetation, firefighters have a better chance at suppressing a wildfire. DWR’s Fuel Load Management Plan works to reduce wildfire risk, increase public safety, and enhance forest health around the Lake Oroville area. Ongoing vegetation management of this critical area remains a high priority for DWR and its partners at CAL FIRE, Butte County Fire Department, Butte County Sheriff’s Office, the CCC, State Parks, and the Butte County Fire Safe Council.  Brad Freeman Trail Improvements DWR is making progress 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. This week DWR crews began paving work to construct an 8-foot-wide asphalt path. Paving activities are expected to last through Oct. 24 with the work schedule subject to change based on material and crew availability. The Brad Freeman Trail between Cherokee Road and Garden Drive will remain closed during paving work. Additional planned trail upgrades include a 4-foot-wide decomposed granite path for pedestrians and the replacement of existing entrance bollards with wider, accessible box gates. The improvement project is 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. Project work is being constructed in phases with completion possible this year depending on weather conditions.  Oroville Wildlife Area The 11,800-acre Oroville Wildlife Area (OWA) is a forested upland and riparian habitat along the Feather River and around the Thermalito Afterbay. Managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in partnership with DWR, the OWA allows for additional outdoor recreation activities such as hunting, river- and pond-oriented fishing and boating, and wildlife observation and photography. Several trails cross throughout the OWA, providing opportunities for hiking and biking. The Feather River runs through the center of the OWA and several locations provide unpaved boat ramp access that accommodate both car-top and trailer launching. The OWA also provides anglers with walk-in access to 10 miles of the Feather River, one of the best steelhead fishing rivers in the state. Steelhead are a top-tier sportfish with steelhead season in full swing right now. Savvy anglers are fishing roe and egg-fly patterns in the riffles below spawning Chinook salmon. The OWA is a “Type C” wildlife area (hunting pass not required) and is open for hunting seven days a week with entry hours limited from 1.5 hours before sunrise to one hour after sunset. No rifles or pistols may be used or possessed on the wildlife area except at the designated shooting range (Rabe Rd. Shooting Range off Larkin Rd.; open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset). Lead ammunition cannot be used while hunting in California.  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. 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. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Afterbay, and the Feather River offer additional excellent fishing opportunities for Chinook salmon and steelhead. Be sure to check CDFW fishing regulations before you go out 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. 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. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1 are:
Current Lake Operations Lake Oroville is at 769 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.78 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 52 percent of its total capacity and 96 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 1,650 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 2,450 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 10/17/2024. California Department of Water Resources
715 P Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Call our general information line at 916-820-8142 or email us at [email protected]   Brad Freeman Trail Improvements The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is making progress 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. Starting Tuesday, October 15, DWR crews will begin paving work to construct an 8-foot-wide asphalt path. Paving activities are expected to last for two weeks with the work schedule subject to change based on material and crew availability. The Brad Freeman Trail between Cherokee Road and Garden Drive will remain closed during paving work. Additional planned trail upgrades include a 4-foot-wide decomposed granite path for pedestrians and the replacement of existing entrance bollards with wider, accessible box gates. The improvement project is 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. Project work is being constructed in phases with completion possible this year depending on weather conditions.  Oroville Wildlife Area The 11,800-acre Oroville Wildlife Area (OWA) is a forested upland and riparian habitat along the Feather River and around the Thermalito Afterbay. Managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) in partnership with DWR, the OWA allows for additional outdoor recreation activities such as hunting, river- and pond-oriented fishing and boating, and wildlife observation and photography. Several trails cross throughout the OWA, providing opportunities for hiking and biking. Other trails within the OWA are not officially designated and none are ADA accessible. The Feather River runs through the center of the OWA and several locations provide unpaved boat ramp access. Both car-top and trailer launching occur at many of these ramps. A restroom is available at the day use/camping area adjacent to the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet area. The OWA is a “Type C” wildlife area (hunting pass not required) and is open for hunting seven days a week with entry hours limited from 1.5 hours before sunrise to one hour after sunset. No rifles or pistols may be used or possessed on the wildlife area except at the designated shooting range (Rabe Rd. Shooting Range off Larkin Rd.; open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset). Lead ammunition cannot be used while hunting in California.  Water Control Manual Update Informational Meeting The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Sacramento District will host a public meeting on October 15 to share information regarding water control manual updates for New Bullards Bar and Oroville Dams. The meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Sutter County Veterans Memorial Building at 1425 Veterans Memorial Circle in Yuba City. USACE will present information on its water control manual update process, purpose and need, key issues, and the process timeline. Following the presentation, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding the update process. Comment cards will also be available to submit questions or comments. Water Control Manuals are the operational procedures that guide storm-season operations to ensure dam owners comply with federal rules related to flood management for the protection of downstream communities. Updates to the Water Control Manuals for Oroville and New Bullards Bar are being considered to reflect recent improvements to forecasting and coordinated operations between the two reservoirs.  Oroville Recreation 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. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Afterbay, and the Feather River offer additional excellent fishing opportunities for Chinook salmon and steelhead. 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, the Lake Oroville Visitor Center, and the Oroville Area Chamber of Commerce 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. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Sept. 28 are:
Current Lake Operations Lake Oroville is at 772 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.81 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 53 percent of its total capacity and 97 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 2,200 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 3,000 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 10/10/2024. California Department of Water Resources
715 P Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Call our general information line at 916-820-8142 or email us at [email protected]  Water Control Manual Update Informational Meeting The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Sacramento District will host a public meeting on October 15 to share information regarding water control manual updates for New Bullards Bar and Oroville Dams. The meeting will be held from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the Sutter County Veterans Memorial Building at 1425 Veterans Memorial Circle in Yuba City. USACE will present information on the water control manual update process, purpose and need, key issues, and the process timeline. Following the presentation, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding the update process. Comment cards will also be available to submit questions or comments. Water Control Manuals are the operational procedures that guide storm-season operations to ensure dam owners comply with federal rules related to flood management for the protection of downstream communities. Updates to the Water Control Manuals for Oroville and New Bullards Bar are being considered to reflect recent improvements to forecasting and coordinated operations between the two reservoirs.  California Prepares for Extreme Weather Swings The Department of Water Resources (DWR) previewed the new Water Year which started October 1 by highlighting preparations for more extreme weather events this season following a record hot summer across much of California and a looming La Niña pattern. Over the past decade, climate extremes have posed significant challenges to water managers, especially the extreme hot and dry conditions that frequently persist well past summer months and into the fall. California is seeing that right now with above-average temperatures forecast into October and no rain in the current forecast. At the same time, the water that California does receive will arrive from more powerful storms, and hotter temperatures will mean less winter precipitation falls as snow and more will arrive as rain, increasing flood risk. While Lake Oroville, the State Water Project’s largest reservoir, is currently 98 percent of average, the latest outlook from NOAA’s Climate Predication Center shows a 71 percent chance of La Niña conditions emerging this fall. While seven of the 10 La Niña events this century resulted in dry years, research also suggests that even as the climate grows hotter and drier overall, the precipitation that California does receive will arrive in stronger storms, increasing the risk of flooding. More information about new Water Year preparations is available in DWR’s press release.  Oroville Salmon Festival DWR had a great time supporting the City of Oroville’s Salmon Festival celebrating the migration of native Chinook salmon in the Feather River. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our educational booth and took a free tour of the Feather River Fish Hatchery. DWR staff estimated that approximately 600 children and adults participated in DWR-led tours of the Hatchery, where Chinook salmon and steelhead are raised to improve fisheries populations throughout the state. DWR also partnered with the Oroville State Theater to showcase videos about efforts to support vital salmon habitat restoration, fisheries health, and population growth. To learn more about what DWR is doing year-round to support Feather River fish populations, visit our Storymap webpage.  Oroville Recreation 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. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Afterbay, and the Feather River offer additional excellent fishing opportunities for Chinook salmon and steelhead. 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, State Parks, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (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. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Sept. 19 are:
Current Lake Operations Lake Oroville is at 777 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.86 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 54 percent of its total capacity and 98 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 4,200 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 5,000 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 10/3/2024. California Department of Water Resources
715 P Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Call our general information line at 916-820-8142 or email us at [email protected] |
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