HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.10.25 Board Correspondence - FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - January 10, 2025.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
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From:Clerk of the Board
To:Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod;
Kitts, Melissa; Lee, Lewis; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.; Sweeney, Kathleen;
Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth; Loeser, Kamie
Cc:Nuzum, Danielle
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Lake Oroville Community Update - January 10, 2025
Date:Tuesday, January 14, 2025 4:54:33 PM
Please see Board Correspondence -
From: California Natural Resources Agency <CNRA@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Friday, January 10, 2025 2:33 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - January 10, 2025
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Lake Oroville Community Update
January 10, 2025
Floating Classroom Program Highlights Chinook Salmon
Lifecycle
During the autumn months, the Feather River in Oroville is home to adult Chinook salmon
that have returned to their natural spawning grounds to complete their lifecycle and start
the next generation. This infusion of thousands of salmon offers a prime opportunity for
public education, with classes held on the river instead of within the four walls of a school.
Through the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Feather River Floating Classroom
Program, people of all ages are learning about the salmon lifecycle and critical ongoing
conservation efforts and research in the Feather River.
Developed by environmental scientists within DWR’s Division of Integrated Science and
Engineering (DISE), the Feather River Floating Classroom Program has held various
forms over the last decade. For many years public tours were offered solely during the
City of Oroville’s Salmon Festival, celebrating the return of Chinook salmon. With the
program’s growing popularity, DWR is now supporting dozens of free tours for local
schools and public members during the fall spawning season.
“The floating classroom program is so important because it gives people an opportunity to
have a connection to their local environment,” said Michelle Pepping, environmental
scientist with DISE. “We’re building that bridge from the environment directly to the
community and sharing information about the salmon’s life history and the work DWR
does on the river to benefit salmon.”
The 2024 fall-run spawning season marked the first year in which DWR sponsored dozens
of free tours to local schools and members of the public, with support from the Pacific
States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Thermalito Union Elementary School
District. While the Feather River Floating Classroom program has concluded for the
season, DWR’s efforts continue year-round to study salmon and enhance the Feather
River habitat and help Chinook Salmon populations thrive. The Feather River Floating
Classroom program will resume with the return of fall-run Chinook salmon.
Read more about the Feather River Floating Classroom program on DWR’s website and
watch our YouTube video.
First Snow Survey of the Season
DWR conducted the first snow survey of the season on Jan. 2 at Phillips Station. The
manual survey recorded 24 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 9
inches, which is 91 percent of average for this location. The snow water equivalent
measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of
DWR’s water supply forecast. In the Feather River basin, snowpack is 131 percent of
average as of Jan. 1.
Recent years in California have been marked by extremely hot and dry conditions broken
up by periods of intense rain and snow. So far, this water year has been no different. A
record-breaking hot and dry summer continued well into the fall, but a powerful
atmospheric river in November broke several rainfall records in Northern California. A
series of storms in late December provided another boost.
“While our snowpack looks good now, we have a long way until April when our water
supply picture will be more complete,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Extreme shifts
between dry and wet conditions are continuing this winter and if the past several years are
any indication, anything could happen between now and April and we need to be
prepared.”
More information about the first snow survey of 2025 can be found in DWR’s press
release.
Oroville Recreation
Staffed by knowledgeable guides, the Lake Oroville Visitor Center features interpretive
displays on Oroville Dam, area geology, wildlife and habitat, hydroelectric power, and
cultural and historical artifacts. View videos in the theater about the construction of
Oroville Dam, walk or hike along nearby trails, and visit the 47-foot-tall observation tower
that provides unsurpassed panoramic views of surrounding areas. Free guided tours for
school and community groups are available by reservation. Parking and admission to the
Visitor Center are free.
Lake Oroville is one of the State Water Project’s premier recreational destinations and one
of California’s best fishing spots. The lake provides both warm-water and cold-water
fisheries, with excellent bass fishing opportunities during the fall and winter months. Be
sure to check California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) fishing regulations
before fishing. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and
provide a variety of services including a convenience store, gas, boat rentals, and more.
DWR, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and CDFW
maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation
facilities, including open trails and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi), is
available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at
various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center.
Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between
Jan. 1, 2024 and Dec. 31, 2024 are:
Spring-run Chinook salmon (March 1 through June 30): 7,144
Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 40,317
Steelhead: 1,980
Current Lake Operations
Lake Oroville is at 830 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.46 million acre-feet
(MAF), which is 72 percent of its total capacity and 129 percent of the historical average.
Feather River flows are at 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with
1,100 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total
Feather River release of 1,750 cfs downstream. DWR continues to assess Feather River
releases daily.
The public can track precipitation, snow, reservoir levels and more at the California Data
Exchange Center. The Lake Oroville gage station is identified as “ORO.”
All data as of midnight 1/9/2025.
California Department of Water Resources
715 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Call our general information line at 916-820-8142
or email us at oroville@water.ca.gov
This email was sent to clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net from the California Natural Resources Agency
utilizing govDelivery. California Natural Resources Agency, 715 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
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