HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.25.22 Board Correspondence - FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - February 25, 2022.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
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From:Paulsen, Shaina
To:BOS
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Lake Oroville Community Update - February 25, 2022
Date:Friday, February 25, 2022 3:50:29 PM
Please see Board Correspondence.
Shaina Paulsen
Associate Clerk of The Board
Butte County Administration
25 County Center Drive, Suite 200, Oroville, CA 95965
T: 530.552.3304 | F: 530.538.7120
From: Department of Water Resources <DWRMedia@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2022 3:50 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - February 25, 2022
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Lake Oroville Community Update
February 25, 2022
Feather River Hatchery Steelhead Planting
The Feather River Fish Hatchery has raised over 630,700 steelhead for release this year.
The steelhead were raised for a full year at the hatchery and averaged about 8 to 9 inches
in length. Around 129,300 steelhead were released in the Thermalito Afterbay – plantings
occurred in December 2021 and February 2022. This is a significant increase from normal
planting years and will contribute to a more productive recreational fishery.
The remaining approximately 501,400 steelhead were released into the Feather River at
Boyd’s Pump Boat Launch Feb. 3 to Feb. 18 to meet mitigation requirements. Releasing
these young fish further downstream improves their chance of survival. This shortened
migration route allows juvenile fish to avoid predators.
Steelhead are a salmonid species and are an ocean-going trout. They will migrate from
freshwater to marine (ocean), returning to freshwater environments to spawn. They can
spawn several times during their lifetime and can live up to eight years. Their “steelhead”
name comes from their appearance, a more streamlined shape than Chinook salmon and
with a silvery or brassy color as an adult.
The Feather River Fish Hatchery is a California State Water Project (SWP) facility built in
the late 1960s to mitigate impacts on fish migration resulting from the construction of
Oroville Dam which prevented access to spawning grounds further upstream. The
Department of Water Resources (DWR) maintains the facility and funds the hatchery
operations, fish spawning, rearing, and stocking activities provided by California
Department of Fish and Wildlife staff.
DWR Survey of Lake Oroville
DWR is conducting a bathymetric (underwater) survey of Lake Oroville to complete a
comprehensive topography, or map, of the lakebed. The underwater survey will
complement a December 2021 survey that took advantage of the lake’s low water
elevations to perform an ‘above water level’ survey of Lake Oroville’s topography, dams,
and related structures. Using highly accurate LiDAR remote sensing, the December
survey produced precise, three-dimensional information of Lake Oroville’s lakebed.
Similar data will be collected from the bathymetric survey. Data from both surveys will
provide DWR with up-to-date information that can be used to determine changes in
sedimentation, update the reservoir’s storage-stage relationships, and inform future boat
ramp extensions.
DWR Launches California Water Watch
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has a new website to better inform
Californians about hydrologic conditions, forecasts, and information at the scale of their
local watershed. The website, California Water Watch, allows the public to obtain a quick
snapshot of local and statewide water conditions and was developed as part of the
Governor’s drought emergency proclamation. Information is updated from a variety of data
sources and will assist the public to research, learn, and stay informed about California’s
most precious resource – water.
The website displays current statewide hydroclimate and water supply conditions,
including precipitation, temperature, reservoir storage, groundwater conditions, snowpack,
streamflow, soil moisture and vegetation conditions. Links to information about drought
conditions and how water is used in California are also provided.
Oroville Recreation
The Loafer Point, Bidwell Canyon, and Lime Saddle boat ramps are open. The Oroville
Dam Spillway boat ramp remains closed for repairs. The Foreman Creek and Stringtown
cartop boat ramps are also open.
Intermittent, short duration closures of the Oroville Dam Crest parking lot may occur to
accommodate Lakeside Access Road construction activities. The popular
walking/bicycling trail across the top of the dam will remain open and parking will continue
to be available at the Upper Overlook.
Information on current boat ramp status can be found on the California State Parks’ Lake
Oroville State Recreation Area webpage. Scroll down to the link for “Current Launch
Ramp Status”.
The Lake Oroville Visitor Center is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and
Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pick up the Lake Oroville Trails Map, which shows more
than 97 miles of trails available to equestrians, bicyclists, and hikers, at Lake Oroville
State Recreation Area (LOSRA) kiosks, the Oroville Area Chamber of Commerce, and
Feather River Recreation and Parks District. The Loafer Creek Recreation Area continues
to be closed due to waterline repair (boat ramp and trail access allowed).
Visit the California Parks LOSRA webpage for current information on facility status and
campground reservations. An interactive map of recreation facilities in DWR’s Oroville-
Thermalito Complex is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage.
Information about the 11,000-acre Oroville Wildlife Area is available on the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife webpage.
Current Lake Operations
The elevation of Oroville’s reservoir is about 748 feet elevation and storage is about 1.66
million acre-feet, which is 47 percent of its total capacity and 76 percent of historical
average. Temperatures over the weekend are forecasted to be in the low 60s to low 40s.
Next week’s temperatures are forecasted to range between upper 60’s and low-70s to low
or upper-40s at night. A chance of rain is forecasted in the Feather River watershed next
week.
The average daily inflows this week have been around 4,000 cubic feet per second (cfs).
Inflows through the weekend and next week are forecasted to be around 3,500 cfs to
4,000 cfs. Inflows are subject to change based upon on actual weather conditions.
Total flows to the Feather River are 4,750 cfs. This increase is for downstream water
quality and flow requirements. Flow in the low-flow channel through the City of Oroville is
650 cfs and flow through the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet is 4,100 cfs. Releases are
assessed daily.
The public can track precipitation, snow, reservoir levels, and more at the California Data
Exchange Center at www.cdec.water.ca.gov. The Lake Oroville gage station is identified
as “ORO”.
All data as of midnight 2/24/2022
This email was sent to clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net from the California Natural Resources Agency
utilizing govDelivery. California Natural Resources Agency, 715 P Street, California, CA 95814
California Department of Water Resources
715 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Call our general information line at 530-534-2317
or email us at oroville@water.ca.gov
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