  Flood Control Releases from Lake Oroville Continue The Department of Water Resources (DWR) continues federally required flood control releases from Lake Oroville to maintain flood protection for downstream communities. Water is being released through the Hyatt Powerplant for energy production and from Oroville Dam’s main spillway. With lessening storms and reduced inflows into Lake Oroville, DWR has decreased total Feather River flood control releases to 17,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Releases are subject to change based on ongoing weather conditions. Between October and June, 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 is required to release water from Lake Oroville. 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: 857 feet elevation Current Storage Capacity: 82 percent Total Releases to the Feather River: 17,000 cfs; decreasing to 15,000 cfs on Feb. 17 and 14,000 cfs on Feb. 18 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.  Brood Ponds Support Native Wildlife Within the Oroville-Thermalito Complex, DWR maintains several areas that preserve and enhance wildlife habitat. Encompassed within the Thermalito Afterbay’s 17 miles of shoreline and 4,300 surface acres of water are numerous brood ponds that provide prime habitat and breeding areas for waterfowl and giant garter snakes, a protected species. While water levels at the Afterbay may fluctuate based on agriculture and hydropower operations, DWR ensures brood pond habitats remain stable. A flap gate outlet system permits water to flow into brood pond areas, raising water levels while preventing water from being released and maintaining a stable elevation for waterfowl nests and giant garter snakes. These measures ensure these species continue to thrive, upholding DWR’s commitment to protect, restore, and enhance the natural and human environments.  Fishing at Lake Oroville 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. To improve fish habitats at Lake Oroville and the Thermalito Afterbay, DWR works with members of the California Conservation Corps (CCC) to bundle recycled Christmas trees and anchor them in various locations around the lakebed. Anchoring the trees allows them to remain submerged, providing juvenile fish safe refuge, and improving fisheries and recreational fishing opportunities. Installation of the Christmas tree habitats will occur in the coming weeks.  Driftwood Abatement at Lake Oroville With a significant increase in runoff into Lake Oroville from recent storm systems, DWR’s civil maintenance crews have been patrolling the branches of Lake Oroville to capture floating woody debris before it reaches the main body of the lake. Higher inflows wash woody debris into the reservoir, which can impact water infrastructure and present a hazard to boaters. Over the next few months, DWR crews will be collecting, containing, and pulling larger pieces of wood out of the lake and away from shoreline areas using boom lines. DWR crews spent a significant amount of time collecting woody debris in Lake Oroville in 2023 and 2024 following heavy storms and high reservoir levels with over 19,000 cubic yards of woody vegetation collected. Floating debris removal ensures continued infrastructure operations and the safety of the recreating public on Lake Oroville. However, boaters and other water recreationists should take precautions when operating watercraft on Lake Oroville and should remain alert for floating debris.  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. DWR, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (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. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Jan. 29, 2025 are: Fall-run Chinook salmon: 23 Steelhead: 63 Ahead of anticipated increased river flows at the fish monitoring station, monitoring equipment has been removed, which will impact count estimates. To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org. Current Lake Operations Lake Oroville is at 857 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.8 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 82 percent of its total capacity and 131 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 7,000 cfs through the City of Oroville with 10,000 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 17,000 cfs downstream. Total Feather River releases will decrease to 15,000 cfs on Feb. 17 and 14,000 cfs on Feb. 18, with flows from the Outlet remaining 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 2/13/2025. ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected].
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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 Monday, Feb. 3 with water also being released through the Hyatt Powerplant for energy production. Total Feather River flood control releases remain at 35,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) with a planned reduction to 30,000 cfs on Sunday. Releases are subject to change based on ongoing weather conditions. Between October and June, 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 is releasing water from Lake Oroville. 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. 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. Inflows into Lake Oroville continue to exceed flood releases with water storage increasing in the reservoir. DWR continues to monitor lake levels, weather forecasts, and mountain snow levels to optimize water storage while allowing for carryover storage into next year.  Driftwood Abatement at Lake Oroville With a significant increase in runoff into Lake Oroville from recent storm systems, DWR’s civil maintenance crews have been patrolling the branches of Lake Oroville to capture floating woody debris before it reaches the main body of the lake. Higher inflows wash woody debris into the reservoir, which can impact water infrastructure and present a hazard to boaters. Over the next few months, DWR crews will be collecting, containing, and pulling larger pieces of wood out of the lake and away from shoreline areas using boom lines. DWR crews spent a significant amount of time collecting woody debris in Lake Oroville in 2023 and 2024 following heavy storms and high reservoir levels with over 19,000 cubic yards of woody vegetation collected. Floating debris removal ensures continued infrastructure operations and the safety of the recreating public on Lake Oroville. However, boaters and other water recreationists should take precautions when operating watercrafts on Lake Oroville and should remain alert for floating debris. Enterprise Boat Ramp Reopens The Enterprise boat ramp is open for use thanks to continued rising lake levels. Open for water elevations above 842 feet, it has a two-lane paved ramp. Located on the south fork arm of Lake Oroville, Enterprise ramp provides easy access to the south fork for fishing and swimming opportunities. Check the status of Lake Oroville boat and cartop ramps on the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s (State Parks) website. Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee The Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee (ORAC) met Feb. 7 at the Southside Oroville Community Center. 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. To obtain a summary of the meeting, send a request to [email protected].  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 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, 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. 29, 2025 are:
Current Lake OperationsLake Oroville is at 862 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.87 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 84 percent of its total capacity and 137 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 25,000 cfs through the City of Oroville with 10,000 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 35,000 cfs downstream. Total Feather River releases will decrease to 30,000 cfs on Sunday with flows reduced to 20,000 cfs through the City of Oroville and Outlet releases remaining 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 2/6/2025. ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected]. 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.
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. ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected].  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].  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].  A Year in Review Northern California’s significant rain and snow levels in 2023 continued to benefit Lake Oroville at the start of 2024. Rising reservoir levels from January storms prompted DWR to conduct flood control releases from Oroville Dam’s main spillway for the second year in a row. Releases began Jan. 31 and continued intermittently throughout the spring, providing critical flood protection to downstream communities. DWR maintains storage space in Lake Oroville during the typical wet weather months to ensure adequate space remains in the reservoir to capture runoff from rain and spring snowmelt. Releases are coordinated closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other water operators and adjusted as needed. The Feather River watershed received enough precipitation and snowpack runoff in the first months of 2024 to fill Lake Oroville to capacity by early May for the second year in a row. As the largest storage facility in the State Water Project, Lake Oroville helps provide water to 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland, making spring an important time for water project operators to fill reservoirs ahead of dry months. With a full reservoir providing prime recreation opportunities at the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) completed improvements to reopen the Bidwell Canyon Gold Flat Loop Campground. In addition to repaving campground access roads, three of the 37 tent/RV camping sites received accessibility upgrades with parking stalls and a clear path of travel to accessible restroom and shower facilities. Upgrades to the campground also included new water and sewer facilities to complement new power hookups that were completed in recent years.  In late June, DWR announced an update to Lake Oroville’s storage capacity. Because decades had passed since Oroville Dam’s construction, DWR sought to assess whether sedimentation (rock and silt settling on the lakebed floor) had altered Lake Oroville's storage capacity and topography significantly. Using an airplane-mounted LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) laser system and multibeam-sonar bathymetry instruments, highly detailed 3D topographic terrain models of the bottom of the lake were created, which DWR engineers used to calculate a new storage capacity of 3,424,753 acre-feet, approximately 3 percent less than previously estimated.  In early July, the Thompson Fire threatened the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area and several DWR facilities including the Hyatt Powerplant, Field Division main office, and Lake Oroville Visitor Center, with DWR activating its emergency Incident Command Team in response. While normal operations resumed by July 4, several recreation trails near the Diversion Pool and in the Potter’s Ravine area remain closed for repair and hazard tree removal. DWR and State Parks continue to assess fire impacts to recreation facilities and prioritize recovery efforts. In August, DWR’s Oroville Field Division hosted emergency preparedness exercises for staff and partnering local emergency management agencies. A tabletop exercise included a review of the Oroville-Thermalito Complex dams, inundation maps, and an overview of DWR’s incident command team structure which follows National Incident Management System (NIMS) guidelines established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). A second, in-depth functional exercise had DWR staff and emergency management partners responding to a mock emergency scenario. DWR leads emergency preparedness trainings on a yearly basis to ensure Oroville Field Division staff readiness for any type of emergency or incident. The exercises reinforce DWR’s commitment to enhancing emergency preparedness and maintaining relationships and collaboration with local emergency response partners.  Construction work also continued on the River Valve Outlet System (RVOS) at Oroville Dam. The system is a series of two parallel outlet conduits, each with two valves, that have the capacity to draw water from deep in Lake Oroville for release. The RVOS is a critical feature of the dam, providing the ability to discharge cold water to the Feather River to maintain water temperatures necessary for fish health. It also ensures the ability to maintain Feather River flows through RVOS releases during drought years, especially if reservoir levels drop below Hyatt Powerplant’s water intake structures. DWR also made 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. Work this fall included paving an 8-foot-wide asphalt path and the installation of accessible box gates at trail entrance points, which restrict vehicles while still providing access for equestrians, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Future work is weather dependent and will include a 4-foot-wide decomposed granite path for pedestrians. 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.  Fuel load reduction and fire mitigation work continued on DWR property along Oro Dam Blvd. East near the Hyatt Powerplant, the Bidwell Canyon/Kelly Ridge area, and the Loafer Creek State Recreation Area. DWR's Fuel Load Management Plan 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. Between early 2013 and June 2024, DWR and its local partners have treated or retreated more than 2,500 acres of vegetation.  DWR’s Floating Classroom program returned this fall, offering free educational rafting tours on the Feather River to local schools and public members. The Floating Classroom program takes participants through Feather River spawning habitat while scientists with DWR and Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission provide information on Chinook salmon conservation efforts, ongoing and planned research, restoration and monitoring projects, and fisheries management activities supported by DWR’s State Water Project (SWP). This year’s program provided free education to more than 900 local students, parents, and teachers, and over 650 community members.
Annual Chinook salmon spawning activities at the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville were also completed. The Hatchery collected enough eggs to meet its normal production goal of 2 million spring-run fingerlings and 6 million fall-run fingerlings, with additional eggs collected to increase production this year. Another 1 million spring-run and 6 million fall-run Chinook salmon will be produced to address declines in Central Valley Chinook salmon populations during recent years. Chinook salmon fingerlings raised at the Hatchery will be released in the Feather River and San Francisco Bay between March and June to support inland and ocean populations. The Feather River Fish Hatchery is a SWP facility built in the late 1960s by DWR to mitigate impacts on fish migration resulting from the construction of Oroville Dam. DWR owns and maintains the facility and provides funding to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to perform spawning, rearing, and stocking operations. DWR looks forward to initiating and completing more projects in 2025 at the Oroville-Thermalito Complex. The Lake Oroville Community Update will continue to share news and information with the community. Oroville Recreation The Lake Oroville Visitor Center will close all day for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Visitors may still access nearby trails during the holiday closures. The Spillway Day Use Area and Boat Ramp will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Winter hours for the Spillway Day Use Area are in effect through April 30, 2025, with the recreation area open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Dec. 13 are:
Current Lake OperationsLake Oroville is at 791 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 59 percent of its total capacity and 110 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 950 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 12/19/2024. DWR wishes everyone a happy holiday season. The Lake Oroville Community Update will return on January 10, 2025. ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected].  Salmon Spawning Operations Annual Chinook salmon spawning activities at the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville have been completed. The Hatchery collected enough eggs to meet its normal production goal of 2 million spring-run fingerlings and 6 million fall-run fingerlings, with additional eggs collected to increase production this year. Another 1 million spring-run and 6 million fall-run Chinook salmon will be produced to address declines in Central Valley Chinook salmon populations during recent years. The hatchery’s spawning process collects eggs from returning adult females and milt (sperm) from returning adult male Chinook salmon to fertilize the eggs. After fertilization, the eggs are placed in incubators to develop for approximately 85 days. Once they reach the fry stage and can consume food, they will either be released into the Feather River or transferred to long ponds called raceways at the facility to grow into fingerlings. Chinook salmon fingerlings raised at the Hatchery will be released in the Feather River and San Francisco Bay between March and June to support inland and ocean populations. In addition, DWR and CDFW continued thiamine treatments to combat B1 vitamin deficiencies. This treatment improves the health of the fish, increasing the survival of Chinook salmon from egg to juvenile. 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 the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to perform spawning, rearing, and stocking operations.  Driftwood Abatement at Lake Oroville DWR’s civil maintenance crews will begin deploying log booms within the next few weeks throughout the various branches of Lake Oroville to capture floating woody debris before it reaches the main body of the lake. With the rainy season underway, inflows into Lake Oroville are expected to increase with strong storms from atmospheric rivers. These higher inflows wash woody debris into the reservoir, which can impact water infrastructure and present a hazard to boaters. Over the next few months, DWR crews will be collecting, containing, and pulling larger pieces of wood out of the lake and away from shoreline areas using boom lines. DWR crews spent a significant amount of time collecting woody debris in Lake Oroville in 2023 and 2024 following heavy storms and high reservoir levels with over 19,000 cubic yards of woody vegetation collected. Floating debris removal ensures continued infrastructure operations and the safety of the recreating public on Lake Oroville. However, boaters and other water recreationists should take precautions when operating watercrafts on Lake Oroville and should remain alert for floating debris. Snow-Cember at the Visitor Center Stop by the Lake Oroville Visitor Center each weekend in December for free winter-themed craft activities for kids three-years-old and up! Located at 917 Kelly Ridge Road in Oroville, the Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Snow-cember weekend craft activities include:
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.  Lakeside Access Road Closed Rising reservoir levels at Lake Oroville from recent storms have required the closure of Lakeside Access Road at Oroville Dam. While Lakeside Access Road is closed, vehicle access to the Spillway Boat Ramp and Day Use Area is available daily between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., with all vehicles and trailers subject to inspection by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for security purposes. There are three other boat ramps at Lake Oroville that are open 24 hours per day and do not entail CHP inspections: Bidwell Canyon, Loafer Point, and Lime Saddle.  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, 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 Nov. 24 are:
Current Lake OperationsLake Oroville is at 785 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.94 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 57 percent of its total capacity and 108 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 950 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. In November a series of atmospheric rivers brought heavy rainfall to Northern California, with Lake Oroville experiencing an approximate 26-foot rise in elevation between Nov. 19 and Nov. 30 due to runoff. Incoming weekend storms are expected to further raise water levels at Lake Oroville, but with the reservoir currently at 56 percent of its total capacity, there is still ample storage to capture storm runoff while providing flood control protection for the Feather River and downstream communities. Water inflows to the reservoir during November storms were as high as 64,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) while outflows in the Feather River through Oroville remained at a minimum of 800 cfs. DWR took advantage of the recent storm systems to capture as much water as possible in Lake Oroville, while continuing to support environmental and water delivery needs to 27 million Californians. 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 12/12/2024. ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected]. Snow-Cember at the Visitor Center Stop by the Lake Oroville Visitor Center each weekend in December for free winter-themed craft activities for kids three-years-old and up! Located at 917 Kelly Ridge Road in Oroville, the Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Snow-cember weekend craft activities include:
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.  Lakeside Access Road Closed Rising reservoir levels at Lake Oroville from recent storms have required the closure of Lakeside Access Road at Oroville Dam. While Lakeside Access Road is closed, vehicle access to the Spillway Boat Ramp and Day Use Area is available daily between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., with all vehicles and trailers subject to inspection by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for security purposes. There are three other boat ramps at Lake Oroville that are open 24 hours/day and do not entail CHP inspections: Bidwell Canyon, Loafer Point, and Lime Saddle. Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission The California Natural Resources Agency hosted its 18th Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission meeting on Dec. 6. In addition to public comment, the Commission received an update on winter forecasts and operations preparation from the Department of Water Resources (DWR); an overview of a recent joint State-local Oroville Dam emergency response training exercise led by DWR; a presentation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on its process to update the Water Control Manual, which prescribes day-to-day water flood control management for the Oroville Reservoir; and a commissioner-led presentation on how the Water Control Manual relates to public safety, including perspectives on public safety-focused objectives for the update. The Citizens Advisory Commission is a forum for questions and feedback from the communities surrounding Oroville Dam. For information on the meeting, please visit the Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission website. A transcript of the virtual meeting will be available on the webpage in the coming weeks.  DWR Announces Initial State Water Project Allocation for 2025 DWR announced an initial State Water Project (SWP) allocation forecast of five percent of requested supplies for 2025. The SWP provides water to 29 public water agencies that serve 27 million Californians. The December initial water supply forecast is the first allocation of the new water year and is based on current reservoir storage and conservative assumptions for precipitation to come. For comparison, last year, the initial allocation for Water Year 2024 was 10 percent of requested supplies and it eventually increased to 40 percent by the end of the season. The initial allocation forecast announced today does not take into account the series of strong storms that brought precipitation to above average across Northern California in the last two weeks of November. These storms will be taken into account along with other variables for future allocation updates. Prior to these storms, the start of the water year had been dry and warm. More information about the allocation announcement may be found in DWR’s press release.  Feather River Fishing Opportunities Like Chinook salmon that migrate from the Pacific Ocean to the Feather River to spawn, steelhead trout have similar migratory practices, with most returning in the fall and winter months. With more than 1,300 steelhead trout migrating upstream from DWR’s fish monitoring station this year, the cooler months offer prime steelhead fishing opportunities in the Feather River. These fish have typically spent a year or two in the ocean and range in size from 2 to 8 pounds. The Oroville Wildlife Area (OWA) provides walk-in access to several miles of the Feather River for fishing, along with multiple locations for launching fishing boats (4-wheel-drive vehicles recommended). In addition, the Thermalito Afterbay offers excellent fishing opportunities for steelhead that were raised at the Feather River Fish Hatchery and range in size from 2 to 4 pounds. Lake Oroville is also 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.  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. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Nov. 1 are:
Current Lake OperationsLake Oroville is at 783 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.92 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 56 percent of its total capacity and 108 percent of the historical average. Feather River flows are at 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 950 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 12/5/2024. ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected]. |
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