Lake Oroville Community Update - February 3

Flood Control Releases from Lake Oroville Ongoing
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) continues federally required flood control releases from Lake Oroville to maintain flood protection for downstream communities. Flood releases using Oroville Dam’s main spillway began this morning at 10 a.m. with water also being released through the Hyatt Powerplant for energy production. Total Feather River flood control releases are currently at 35,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). 

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 has increased releases from Lake Oroville.

Over the weekend, storm impacts and runoff into Lake Oroville were less than initially projected on forecasts and weather models. DWR currently plans to maintain flood releases this week at 35,000 cfs with releases subject to change with ongoing wet weather.

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.
 

• Current Oroville Reservoir Level: 846 feet elevation
  
• Current Storage Capacity: 78 percent
  
• Total Releases to the Feather River: 35,000 cfs
  

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. Some water released from Lake Oroville is distributed locally for agriculture benefits, while the remaining Feather River releases flow south through the State Water Project system to reduce salinity effects in the Delta, provide irrigation for crops in the Central Valley, and eventually make their way to southern California. DWR continues to monitor lake levels, weather forecasts, and mountain snow levels to optimize water storage while allowing for carryover storage into next year. 

All data as of midnight 2/2/2025.
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