Image of Lake Oroville Visitor Center. DWR/2017
OROVILLE, Calif. – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) and California State Parks will be offering expanded educational opportunities at the Lake Oroville Visitor Center and State Recreation Area in the coming months.
As of July 1, DWR is exclusively managing the Oroville Visitor Center facilities, while State Parks will provide programs throughout the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area. The visitor center, which has been closed since March 2020 due to COVID-19, was previously managed by State Parks.
During the closure, State Parks redeveloped its in-person educational programs to online engagement. With the change, State Parks found new opportunities to further expand outdoor educational programs throughout the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area.
Under the new arrangement, State Parks will be transitioning its educational programming away from the Visitor Center to various park locations where it will fulfill its mission by educating visitors about the state’s biological diversity and natural and cultural resources, and providing high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities.
State Parks is excited about the new opportunities, which assures the continued engagement of local volunteers through the Volunteer in Parks Program with support from the Bidwell Bar Association.
As DWR assumes overall management of the Lake Oroville Visitor Center, current recruitment for additional staff is underway to support operations and to assist with enhanced educational opportunities and informational displays that highlight California’s water delivery system and the importance of water in our lives.
Exhibits, tours, and information about the history, operations, and benefits of California’s State Water Project, Oroville Dam and the facilities of the Oroville-Thermalito Complex, including the Feather River Fish Hatchery, will return when the Visitor Center reopens later this year.
The public can receive recreation information related to Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (SRA) at the Northern Buttes District Office ▪ 400 Glen Dr., Oroville, CA 95966 ▪ (530) 538-2200, or by visiting the Lake Oroville SRA website at: www.parks.ca.gov/LakeOroville. Additional information about area recreation, including an interactive map, is also available at https://water.ca.gov/What-We-Do/Recreation/Lake-Oroville-Recreation.
Contact:
Elizabeth Whitmore | Information Officer, Public Affairs, Department of Water Resources
530-534-2317| Elizabeth.Whitmore@water.ca.gov
Matt Teague, District Superintendent – Northern Buttes District, Department of Parks and Recreation
530 538-2210 | Matt.Teague@parks.ca.gov