Aerial of the Oroville Spillway. DWR/2019
SACRAMENTO–The Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California State Parks and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office today announced that Oroville Dam’s Spillway Boat Ramp will reopen on a partial schedule to the public on Friday, August 9.
The Spillway Boat Ramp and parking lots will be open to the public Friday through Sunday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. The area will remain closed Monday through Thursday to accommodate ongoing construction. DWR plans to open the Spillway Boat Ramp seven days a week this fall once major construction activities are completed, although access may be restricted again once construction ramps back up in spring 2020.
“We are thrilled to announce the reopening of the largest boat ramp facility at Lake Oroville,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “We want to thank the public for their patience during the Oroville spillways reconstruction as well as thank our partners, the California Highway Patrol, California State Parks and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, for their partnership to safely reopen this area.”
New security measures have been implemented in coordination with local and state law enforcement agencies including the California Highway Patrol, Butte County Sheriff’s Office, California State Parks and Cal OES to ensure public safety at the Oroville facilities by reducing access to areas that may not be safe for the public due to ongoing construction work. Specific security upgrades include security cameras, fencing, pop-up gates and two security kiosks to ensure public safety and protect the public from areas off-limits for ongoing construction work. Vehicles may be subject to screenings or inspections by the CHP.
“We are honored to partner closely with DWR and other local and state agencies to restore public access to the Spillways Boat Launch Ramp,” said CHP Lieutenant Marc Stokes. “Over the coming weeks and beyond we are committed to ensuring the public receives the highest level of safety, service and security at these Lake Oroville State Recreation Area facilities.”
In addition to restoring access to the Spillway Boat Ramp and the Oroville Dam Crest Road, DWR is investing more than $30 million on a number of recreation improvement projects to enhance visitor access and experiences at the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area. Recreation improvement projects include permanent increases in parking, boat launching capacity and enhanced trailhead facilities.
“We are committed to providing ample opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation,” said Matt Teague, State Parks Acting Northern Buttes District Superintendent. “We are delighted to be part of the Spillway Boat Ramp reopening, which once again gives provide the community of Oroville with the opportunity to enjoy all the wonderful outdoor activities Lake Oroville has to offer.”
Lake Oroville has abundance of recreation areas for hiking, biking, boat launching and camping including Bidwell Canyon, Lime Saddle, Loafer Creek and more. A full list of recreation spots at Lake Oroville is available at https://water.ca.gov/What-We-Do/Recreation/Lake-Oroville-Recreation.
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Contact:
Erin Mellon, Assistant Director, Public Affairs Office, Department of Water Resources
916-704-5529 |erin.mellon@water.ca.gov