Lake Oroville Update - March 8, 2024

Main Spillway Releases Ongoing

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) continues to release water from Lake Oroville using the main spillway and Hyatt Powerplant. Releases from Lake Oroville during the winter and spring months provide flood protection to downstream communities by maintaining storage capacity in the reservoir for rain capture and future snowmelt. DWR coordinates releases closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other water operators and adjusts releases as needed to account for continuing runoff.

 

The information below reflects current reservoir level estimates. Forecasts can change quickly and may affect the estimates provided.

• Current Oroville Reservoir Level: 862 feet elevation
• Current Storage Capacity: 84 percent
• Total Releases to the Feather River: 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs)

 

Total releases to the Feather River amount to 10,000 cfs with 2,500 cfs being routed down the low-flow channel through the City of Oroville. An additional 7,500 cfs is being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet, located 5 miles downstream from Oroville. Further reductions to flows in the low-flow channel are planned in the coming week. 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.  

 

Crews may also be seen working near the main spillway for several weeks. Sections of the spillway’s underdrain system are being re-inspected to capture additional video footage. In addition, crews will be performing maintenance and repairs to the spillway’s lighting system. 

 

Lake Oroville is the largest storage facility in the State Water Project, providing flood protection while supporting environmental and water delivery needs to 27 million Californians. In 2023, Oroville Dam’s main spillway passed over 2,370,000 acre-feet of water, 67 percent of Lake Oroville’s capacity, with flows as high as 36,000 cfs. The main spillway continues to perform well and operate as designed. DWR continues to monitor lake levels, weather forecasts, and mountain snow levels to optimize water storage while meeting environmental requirements and allowing for carryover storage into next year.  

 

Thermalito Afterbay Partial Closure for Speed Boat Time Trials

Speed boat time trials are returning to the Thermalito Afterbay March 16 to March 17. The event requires the closure of the southern portion of the Afterbay (south of Highway 162) and the Monument Hill boat ramp. The Larkin Road cartop boat launch will also be closed the afternoon of Friday, March 15 and will reopen Monday, March 18 in the morning. The Wilbur Road boat ramp and areas north of Hwy 162 will remain open for public use during the boating event.

 

The event is hosted by the Northern California Outboard Association and East Bay Boat Club and will feature a mile-long course. Time trial events are expected Saturday and Sunday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. depending on weather and water conditions. More information about the event can be found on the American Power Boat Association webpage.

 

Feather River Fish Hatchery Steelhead Planting

The Feather River Fish Hatchery raised approximately 452,000 yearling steelhead trout around 8.5 to 9.5 inches in length for 2024 releases. Around 7,000 steelhead were released in the Thermalito Afterbay the week of Feb. 12 to support recreational fishing. In addition, 1,011 adult male steelhead were released into the Thermalito Afterbay from December to February after they had been spawned at the hatchery. Hatchery-spawned females were released back to the Feather River.

 

Approximately 445,000 steelhead were released into the Feather River at Boyd’s Pump Boat Launch between Feb. 5 and Feb. 13 to meet mitigation requirements.  Releasing the young fish further downstream improves their chances of survival.

 

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 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.

 

Oroville Recreation

Trail users on the Brad Freeman Bike Trail that follows the old railroad grade between downtown Oroville and Hyatt Powerplant have long enjoyed the section of trail through the historic train tunnel.  Unfortunately, wire theft and vandalism have rendered the train tunnel’s lighting system inoperable and beyond repair. DWR is designing an entirely new lighting system with construction anticipated in late 2024. The trail will remain open, but users are advised to bring their own light to navigate the train tunnel.

 

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.

 

The Lake Oroville Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staffed by knowledgeable guides, the 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. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Afterbay and the Feather River offer additional excellent fishing opportunities. 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.

 

Upstream migrating fish totals between Jan. 1 and Feb. 29 are:

• Fall-run Chinook salmon: 42
• Steelhead: 706
• Due to current higher flows in the low-flow channel of the Feather River, some fish are swimming over the monitoring station and are not counted in upstream migration totals.

 

Current Lake Operations

Lake Oroville is at 862 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.97 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 84 percent of its total capacity and 130 percent of the historical average.

 

Feather River flows are at 2,500 cfs through the City of Oroville with 7,500 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 10,000 cfs downstream. Further reductions to flows in the low-flow channel are planned in the coming week. DWR continues to assess releases to the Feather River daily.   

 

Visitors to Oroville Dam may also notice minor amounts of water flowing from drains built into the emergency spillway, which is normal and expected with 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 3/7/2024.

 

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