Drone view of the main spillway at Lake Oroville, March 29, 2018. (DWR)
OROVILLE – Forecasted storms expected in the Feather River basin this weekend may require using Lake Oroville’s flood control outlet spillway (also known as the main spillway) this week or next.
After last year’s spillway incident, the Department created the 2017/18 Lake Oroville Winter Operations Plan to ensure public safety in the event of major storm events. This plan triggers more aggressive outflow from Hyatt Powerplant and potential use of the main spillway should the reservoir’s elevation reach 830 feet during the month of April. The current forecasts show the potential for inflows to raise the reservoir to near the 830-foot trigger elevation by the middle of next week. Currently, the lake elevation is 794 feet.
In anticipation of the incoming weather, DWR is increasing outflows from Hyatt Powerplant. Outflows were increased from 9,500 cfs to 11,500 cfs at noon, and will be increased to 13,000 cfs at 1PM. Feather River flows are expected to increase as outflows increase. These numbers are approximations.
Because the forecasts are dynamic, they could change in magnitude and timing.
The following provides the most current approximate information:
- Lake Elevation: 794.04 feet
- Inflow: 9,000 cfs
- Spillway Outflows: 0
- Hyatt Powerplant Outflow: 9,500 cfs
- Feather River Flows: 10,000 cfs
DWR will provide daily updates around noon until after this storm system has passed.
For more information, follow us on Twitter or Facebook, read our news releases, visit our Oroville Spillway Incident webpage, or visit the California Data Exchange Center for real-time Lake Oroville reservoir data.
Contact:
Erin Mellon, Assistant Director, Department of Water Resources, Public Affairs
(916) 704-5529 | erin.mellon@water.ca.gov