Lake Oroville Update - July 12, 2024

Recreation Facilities Closed Following Thompson Fire

Several trails and recreation facilities remain closed within Lake Oroville’s State Recreation Area following the recent Thompson Fire. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) continue to assess fire impacts to recreation facilities and long-term closures of some facilities are anticipated for repairs and hazard tree removal.

 

State Parks reopened all campgrounds, the North Thermalito Forebay, and most day use areas last week. On Thursday, the Spillway boat ramp and day use area was reopened with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) kiosk staffed daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

 

Closures remain in effect at the following locations for damage assessment and repairs:

• Brad Freeman Trail between Cherokee Road and the Spillway
• Brad Freeman Trail between the Fish Barrier Dam and Canyon Drive
• Dan Beebe Trail between the Lakeland Boulevard Trail Access and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center
• Lakeland Boulevard Trail Access
• Powerhouse Road Trail Access
• Diversion Pool Car-top Boat Ramp
• Potter’s Ravine Trail
• Potter’s Point Trail
• Potter’s Ravine Spur Trail
• Dead Cow Ravine Trail and Gobbler’s Knob
• North Fork Trail

 

In addition, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reopened the Feather River Fish Hatchery facilities to the public on Monday. This includes the lower parking lot near the Fish Barrier Dam. The fish ladder and viewing window have closed for the season and will reopen in September when fall spawning season begins.

 

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.

 

Water Safety During a Heat Wave

With temperatures in July remaining in the triple digits, Lake Oroville and the Feather River are an enticing draw for staying cool. However, it’s important to keep water safety in mind when recreating in local waterways.

 

Even with average rain and snowfall this past winter, water in California lakes and rivers can be cold and fast moving. Here in the Feather River, water flow in the low-flow channel through the City of Oroville remains at 1,500 cubic feet per second (cfs), with higher flows than average this time of year.

 

It’s hard to imagine freezing when it’s hot outside, but cold water reduces body heat 25 to 30 times faster than air does at the same temperature and can lead to hypothermia. Someone with hypothermia usually is not aware of their condition because the symptoms often begin gradually. Even water temperatures as high as 75- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit can be dangerous since the average human body temperature is 98-degrees Fahrenheit. Any temperature extreme that changes this average by 3-degrees can be dangerous to the body and lead to hypothermia with symptoms including uncontrollable shivering, slurred speech, drowsiness, confusion, and loss of consciousness.

 

Cold and fast-moving water can be dangerous for swimmers who don’t take the necessary precautions. Here are basic water safety tips you can follow:

• Always wear a life jacket when near the water
• If the water is too cold, stay out
• Obey all safety signs
• Learn to swim
• Always tell others where you are
• Know the symptoms of hypothermia

 

Spending an afternoon by the water should be a fun experience for the whole family. Following these tips and precautions will ensure everyone makes it home safe and sound.

 

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 and is a popular destination for bass tournaments.  The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services including a convenience store, gas, and boat rentals. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Afterbay and the Feather River offer additional excellent fishing opportunities.

 

Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between January 1 and July 7 are:  

• Spring-run Chinook salmon (March 1 through June 30): 7,122
• Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 437
• Steelhead: 891

 

Current Lake Operations

Lake Oroville is at 877 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.08 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 90 percent of its total capacity and 120 percent of the historical average. Updates to Lake Oroville’s storage capacity went into effect on July 1.

 

Feather River flows are at 1,500 cfs through the City of Oroville with 6,500 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 8,000 cfs downstream.  DWR continues to assess Feather River releases daily. 

 

Releases from Oroville Dam’s main spillway ceased earlier this summer, but water is still being released through the Hyatt Powerplant for power generation, water deliveries, and environmental requirements. When the main spillway is not in use, water may still be seen on the main spillway outlet as the seals on the eight radial gates are not designed to be watertight. The gate seals do not play a role in the structural integrity of the gates. Visitors to Oroville Dam may also notice minor amounts of water flowing from drains built into the emergency spillway. This is normal and expected given the emergency spillway design. The dam and emergency spillway continue to operate as intended.

 

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 7/11/2024.

 

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