Lake Oroville Update - September 18, 2026

Following another winter season that required flood control releases from Oroville Dam’s main spillway, DWR has begun cleaning the spillway in preparation for routine annual inspections. Inspections of the concrete spillway chute are scheduled Oct. 12-16. Members of the public should expect to see crews using pressure washers, brooms, and small equipment to remove debris, followed by engineers walking the spillway surface to conduct inspections.

Each year, DWR engineers perform comprehensive inspections of the main spillway. These inspections evaluate the condition of concrete slabs and walls, joint sealants, and dentates (energy-dissipating structures at the base of the spillway). Routine maintenance activities, including joint sealant replacement, are expected to occur this fall based on inspection results and reservoir levels.

The main spillway continues to perform well and operate as designed. The spillway was rebuilt to the highest engineering and safety standards with oversight and guidance by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD), and an independent board of consultants. DWR conducted significant amounts of inspections and testing throughout reconstruction to ensure compliance with project specifications. DWR also provides regular updates to the Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission, a public forum for discussing operations, maintenance, and public safety activities at Oroville Dam and its facilities.

Feather River Gravel Project Supports Spawning Activities

Throughout California’s Central Valley, Chinook salmon and steelhead trout migrate between the ocean and inland rivers to spawn during their lifecycles. Ahead of the fall spawning season, DWR completed a salmonid habitat improvement project in the low-flow channel of the Feather River in Oroville, placing approximately 8,000 cubic yards of spawning gravel between the Table Mountain Bridge and Bedrock Park.

“Oroville Dam blocks the upstream passage of some fish to their natural spawning habitat and prevents the migration of gravel that would naturally flow downstream,” said Kassie Henley, senior environmental scientist with DWR’s Feather River program. “Through gravel restoration projects, DWR supports fish that use the Feather River for this critical phase of their lives. The gravel is placed in July and August ahead of when Chinook salmon and steelhead spawn to avoid impacts to eggs.”

Female Chinook salmon use their tails to dig redds, clusters of bright red fertilized eggs, which are buried in gravel beds. The eggs then hatch within the gravel into alevin, the first lifecycle stage of a new salmon. For gravel supplementation projects, DWR selects gravel that is an ideal size for spawning activities. Rocks that are too large are difficult for fish to move, while those that are too small can suffocate the eggs.

DWR scientists routinely evaluate spawning habitat to identify areas that would benefit from gravel supplementation. Since 2014, three other Feather River gravel projects have placed approximately 21,000 cubic yards of gravel to support spawning. These projects have been hugely successful, with staff observing high levels of spawning activity in areas that have been enhanced with new gravel. As Feather River flows increase during the winter and spring, gravel naturally migrates to create new habitat in spawning riffles downstream.

Learn more about this project on DWR’s blog or watch a new feature video.

Oroville Salmon Festival

Join DWR at the Oroville Salmon Festival on Saturday, Sept. 26! Visit our booth at the Feather River Fish Hatchery from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We will have educational materials on water safety, a salmon gyotaku fish printing activity, and a photo opportunity. DWR Guides will also be giving free tours of the Hatchery, where DWR and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) raise Chinook salmon and steelhead to improve fish populations throughout the state.

Other Salmon Festival activities include the Motor Mania Car Show, Salmon Run, a food and beer garden, Kid’s Zone, and numerous shopping opportunities and vendor booths in downtown Oroville. DWR has also partnered with the Oroville State Theater to showcase videos about efforts to support vital salmon habitat restoration, fish health, and population growth.

View the full Salmon Festival schedule at Visit Oroville.

Feather River Floating Classroom

Feather River Floating Classroom raft tours are returning this fall! Sponsored and developed by DWR, the Floating Classroom program guides participants through Feather River spawning habitat while DWR and Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission scientists describe Chinook salmon conservation efforts supported by the State Water Project. Discussion topics include ongoing and planned research, restoration and monitoring projects, and fisheries management activities.

Free floating classroom tours start Sunday, Sept. 27 during the Salmon Festival weekend, followed by tours each Saturday between Oct. 3 and Nov. 7. Each weekend will have two public tours with limited seats. Tickets will be released each Friday, approximately two weeks in advance of each tour, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis with up to four free tickets available per person each fall. Reserve your FREE floating classroom ticket(s) on Eventbrite.

Feather River Fish Monitoring Station

DWR resumed operations of the Feather River fish monitoring station on March 4, 2026, to capture the return of spring-run Chinook salmon. Monitoring was temporarily suspended at the end of December 2025 due to anticipated high flows in the Feather River. Upstream migrating fish totals between March 4 and September 8, 2026, are:

• Spring-run Chinook salmon (March 4 through June 30): 8,509
• Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 7,638
• Steelhead: 41
• To see previous year data, visit Calfish.org.

Current Lake Operations

Lake Oroville is at 770 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.79 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 52 percent of its total capacity and 91 percent of the historical average.

Feather River flows are at 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with releases from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet at 6,850 cfs for a total Feather River release of 7,500 cfs downstream. Releases from the Outlet will increase to 7,350 cfs on Sept. 19 for a total Feather River release of 8,000 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 11:59 p.m. on 9/17/2026.