Lake Oroville Community Update - February 14, 2020

February 2017 was a challenging time for Oroville residents and the surrounding communities. Since then, DWR has made improvements to the Oroville infrastructure and worked hard to restore trust and increase communication. DWR and its contractors have fully reconstructed the main and emergency spillways to continue ensuring flood protection to downstream communities. DWR is thankful to all the impacted residents for their patience and partnership as together we move forward to achieve our shared goals of public safety, a reliable water supply for the state, environmental protections and recreation opportunities for residents and visitors.

CAL FIRE – Butte County Begins Vegetation Management Project

CAL FIRE continues work to burn brush piles at the south end of Loafer Creek. This work is part of their Vegetation Management Program which aims to reduce wildfire risk, improve public safety and enhance forest health around Lake Oroville. Approximately eight acres are targeted as part of DWR’s Fuel Load Management Plan (FLMP) to thin overstocked trees and vegetation that increase the intensity of wildfires. FLMP projects occur within the Oroville Facilities Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Project boundary and FLMP projects are developed in coordination with federal, state and local fire and resources management agencies. The pile burning will take place on weekdays throughout the spring.

California Natural Resources Agency to Host Third Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission Public Meeting in February The California Natural Resources Agency is hosting its third Citizens Advisory Commission meeting on Friday, February 21. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will take place at the Southside Community Center located at 2959 Lower Wyandotte Road. Additional information, including agenda and other meeting materials, are now available on the Citizens Advisory Commission webpage. The public is invited to attend.

 

Current Lake Operations

The elevation of Oroville’s reservoir is about 804 feet and storage is 2.24 million acre-feet. Daily average inflows to the lake have ranged between approximately 1,686 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 3,013 cfs over the past week.

 

Dry conditions are forecasted this weekend and into the week of February 17. Currently, in the Northern Sierra Basin, rainfall is below average, at 56 percent of normal, and snowpack is also below average, measuring 62 percent of normal for this time of year.

 

Water is being released from Lake Oroville at a rate of about 1,800 to 2,000 cfs on a daily basis. Total releases to the Feather River are 1,750 cfs, with about 800 cfs flowing through the City of Oroville and 950 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet to meet Feather River flow and environmental requirements in the Sacramento-San Juaquin Delta.