HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.25.22 Board Correspondence - FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - March 25, 2022.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
attachments, clicking on links, or replying..
From:Paulsen, Shaina
To:BOS
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Lake Oroville Community Update - March 25, 2022
Date:Friday, March 25, 2022 4:43:53 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, March 25, 2022 4:41 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - March 25, 2022
View as a webpage / Share
Lake Oroville Community Update
March 25, 2022
Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission
The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) held its tenth Oroville Dam Citizens
Advisory Commission meeting on March 25, 2022. The online public meeting included a
facilities update from the Department of Water Resources (DWR), a presentation on
addressing flood risks, and a discussion about public safety partnerships. Members of the
public also offered comments and asked questions. The Citizens Advisory Commission is
a forum to provide public feedback from the communities surrounding Oroville Dam. The
meeting transcript and presentations will be available on the Commission’s website in the
coming weeks at https://bit.ly/OrovilleCAC.
DWR Announces Revised Water Allocation
Last week, DWR announced it must reduce the State Water Project allocation to 5 percent
of requested supplies for 2022. DWR previously set the allocation at 15 percent, but a
historically dry January and February with no significant storms forecast for March
requires a reduction in the allocation to conserve available water supply. In addition to the
5 percent allocation, DWR will also provide any unmet critical health and safety needs of
the 29 water agencies that contract to receive State Water Project supplies.
“We are experiencing climate change whiplash in real time with extreme swings between
wet and dry conditions. That means adjusting quickly based on the data and the science,”
said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “While we had hoped for more rain and snow, DWR has
been preparing for a third consecutive year of drought since October. We are continuing
with a series of actions to balance the needs of endangered species, water supply
conservation, and water deliveries for millions of Californians.”
DWR will make its next assessment of the State Water Project allocation following the
next snow survey on April 1. A final allocation for the water year is typically announced in
May or June. Read the full news release on the DWR News webpage.
DWR Begins Monitoring Vernal Pools
Some grasslands, including areas around Butte County, have an underlying impervious
layer of rock or clay that causes rainwater to pond in the winter and spring, creating
seasonal wetlands called vernal pools. Although vernal pools are only a small component
of our local grasslands in terms of area, they support a remarkably high diversity of plants
and animals, including rare and endangered species and species endemic to California
(i.e., found nowhere else in the world).
Vernal pool organisms and plants are highly specialized to their unique environment and
to the Mediterranean-type climate found in California. They have adapted to living in pools
that fill in the winter but are completely dry by the summer, as well as adapting to the
sometimes-extreme variability in temperature and rainfall between years. Vernal pools are
important targets for conservation because most vernal pools in California have been lost
to development, agriculture, and habitat degradation from invasive plants.
Vernal pools often support spectacular wildflowers that bloom from March to May. Each
spring, Department of Water Resources (DWR) environmental scientists from the Oroville
Field Division monitor hundreds of vernal pools around the Oroville area and make
assessments on how protection measures for these valuable environmental resources are
succeeding.
This year scientists are observing wildflowers blooming earlier, likely due to drought
conditions, which has reduced the number of “wet” vernal pools found. Scientists also
noticed that the areas where CAL FIRE performed controlled burns around the Thermalito
Forebay last year to remove invasive grass buildup, or ‘thatch’, and other invasive plants,
are abundant with flowers – demonstrating the benefit of such activity on area grasslands
and vernal pools.
Boat Ramp Closures
A speed boat timed trial event on the Thermalito Afterbay is scheduled for April 1 to April
3. The event requires that the southern portion of the Afterbay (south of Highway 162) to
be closed to the public April 2 and April 3. Both the Monument Hill boat ramp and Larkin
Cartop boat launch will be closed. The Wilbur Road boat ramp and areas north of Hwy
162 will remain open.
Returning to the Afterbay after two years away due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 59th
Annual Region 9 Bud David Time Trials event is anticipated to draw 40 to 50 boats.
Information about the event can be found on the American Power Boat Association
webpage.
Loafer Point boat launch area will be closed Monday, April 4 for installation of a gate.
Boaters are encouraged to use the Bidwell Canyon boat ramp as an alternate launch site
on that day.
Oroville Recreation
The Loafer Point, Bidwell Canyon, and Lime Saddle boat ramps are open (except on April
4 for Loafer Point). The Oroville Dam Spillway boat ramp remains closed for repairs. The
Foreman Creek and Stringtown cartop boat ramps are also open.
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 746 feet elevation and storage is about 1.64
million acre-feet, which is 47 percent of its total capacity and 67 percent of historical
average. Temperatures over the weekend and next week are forecasted to be in the 70s
with a chance of rain over the weekend.
The average daily inflows this week have been around 3,000 to 5,000 cubic feet per
second (cfs) and projected to continue at this rate next week. Inflows are subject to
change based upon on actual weather conditions.
This email was sent to clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net from the California Natural Resources Agencyutilizing govDelivery. California Natural Resources Agency, 715 P Street, California, CA 95814
Total flows to the Feather River are 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
1,850 cfs. Flows 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 3/24/2022
California is entering its third year of drought conditions. With water
conservation now a way of life in California, everyone is encouraged
to find ways to save water. See tips, tools, and ideas on the Save Our
Water website. Information about real time local hydrological
conditions, forecasts, and water conditions is available on DWR’s new
website California Water Watch.
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
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe All | Help