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From:Paulsen, Shaina
To:BOS
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Lake Oroville Community Update - March 11, 2022
Date:Monday, March 14, 2022 8:10:08 AM
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, March 11, 2022 4:59 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - March 11, 2022
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Lake Oroville Community Update
March 11, 2022
Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission
The California Natural Resources Agency is hosting its tenth Oroville Dam Citizens
Advisory Commission meeting on Friday, March 25, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The
public meeting will be held online and will include presentations and public comment. The
Commission will receive brief facilities updates from the Department of Water Resources
(DWR), receive a flood risk presentation, discuss public safety partnerships, and listen to
public input.
The Citizens Advisory Commission is a forum to provide public feedback from the
communities surrounding Oroville Dam. For information on how to join the virtual meeting,
please visit https://bit.ly/OrovilleCAC.
Snowpack Survey
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) conducted the third snow survey of the
season March 1 at Phillips Station near Echo Summit. Following a January and February
that will enter records as the driest documented in state history, the manual survey
recorded 35 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 16 inches, which is 68
percent of average for this location for March.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and
is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide, the snowpack is 63
percent of average for this date. “With only one month left in California’s wet season and
no major storms in the forecast, Californians should plan for a third year of drought
conditions,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. The full snow survey news release can be
found on the DWR News page.
Governor Gavin Newsom has asked all Californians to cut back water use at least 15
percent compared to 2020 levels. Current water conditions are now available in real time
at California Water Watch, a new website launched by DWR. The website will help
Californians see their local hydrological conditions, forecasts, and water conditions down
to their address or their local watershed. Additional tips on how to conserve can be found
at the SaveOurWater webpage.
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 91 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 744 feet elevation and storage is about 1.62
million acre-feet, which is 46 percent of its total capacity and 70 percent of historical
average. Temperatures over the weekend are forecasted to be in the high 60s to low 70s
and high 40s to mid-50s. Next week’s temperatures are forecasted to range between high
60s to low 70s and high 40s at night. Precipitation is forecast early next week, with a
possibility of light precipitation in the Feather River watershed over the weekend.
The average daily inflows this week have been around 3,200 cubic feet per second (cfs).
Inflows through the weekend and next week are forecasted to be around 2,500 cfs.
Inflows are subject to change based upon on actual weather conditions.
Total flows to the Feather River are 5,500 cfs. Starting Saturday, March 12, the flows will
decrease, and by Monday, March 14, the total flow will be 2,500 cfs. Flow in the low-flow
channel through the City of Oroville is 650 cfs and flow through the Thermalito Afterbay
Outlet currently is 4,850 cfs, decreasing to 1,850 on Monday, March 14. 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 3/10/2022
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
Contact Us
Stay Connected with the California Department of Water Resources
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
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