Lake Oroville Community Update: August 8

Spillway Boat Ramp Reopening 

Oroville residents and visitors received great news today as the Department of Water Resources announced the reopening of the Spillway Boat Ramp area on Lake Oroville. Beginning Friday, August 9, the Spillway Boat Ramp area will be open to the public Friday through Sunday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Boat Ramp area will remain closed Monday through Thursday as construction activities continue. The Spillway Boat Ramp is the largest boat ramp facility at Lake Oroville with two stages of multi-lane boat ramps and a total of 20 launch lanes depending on lake levels. DWR has repaved the parking lot and portions of the boat ramp lanes to increase access. The area also includes the trailhead to a network of multi-use trails for hikers, bikers and equestrians.  

For details, visit: https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2019/August-19/Oroville-Dam-Spillway-Boat-Ramp-Reopening-to-Public.

Lake Level

The current elevation of Oroville reservoir is 864 feet, and water releases from Hyatt Powerplant are approximately 9,100 cubic feet per second (cfs). Releases to the river from Lake Oroville supplement the natural flows of the Feather River to meet environmental needs, salinity standards, and south of Delta State Water Project exports. Coordinated releases from the federal Central Valley Project and the State Water Project from Lake Oroville help to balance conditions throughout the Sacramento Valley watershed.

Public Access to Top of Dam

Walkers, joggers and bicyclists continue to enjoy access to the pedestrian lane on the lakeside of Dam Crest Road from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, as well as parking at the Upper Overlook. For safety considerations, the public can only drive across Dam Crest Road in alignment with the operating hours of the Spillway Boat Ramp, which is Friday through Sunday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The Dam Crest Road is restricted from public vehicle access Monday through Thursday. For more information, visit: https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2019/June/Oroville-Dam-Crest-Road-Reopening-to-Public.

Fish Return to the Feather Fish Hatchery

The Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville has been closed for routine maintenance and inspections, requiring temporary relocation of young steelhead fish to the Thermalito Annex complex. The fish have been successfully returned to the Hatchery which will re-open to the public on August 15. 

Check out the news release for more details, at https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2019/July-19/Feather-River-Fish-Hatchery-to-Close-for-Maintenance.

###

Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to oroville@water.ca.gov