HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.25.25 Board Correspondence_ FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - July 25, 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; Krater, Sharleen; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.; Sweeney,
Kathleen; Teeter, Doug
Cc:Loeser, Kamie; Nuzum, Danielle
Subject:Board Correspondence: FW: Lake Oroville Community Update - July 25, 2025
Date:Friday, July 25, 2025 2:42:13 PM
Please see Board Correspondence
From: California Natural Resources Agency <CNRA@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2025 2:31 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - July 25, 2025
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Lake Oroville Community Update
July 25, 2025
Spend the Day at the Thermalito Forebay
The Thermalito Forebay provides a unique recreation experience compared to other
geographic areas of the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area. Its relatively stable water
elevation level, proximity to City of Oroville amenities, and developed day use facilities
provide an experience that is much different from Lake Oroville.
The North Thermalito Forebay boat ramp and day use area covers roughly half of the
Forebay’s 630 surface acres and hosts non-motorized boating with a swim beach, a large
picnic area with barbecue grills, and abundant shade trees. This area also has restroom
facilities, including showers, and drinking fountains.
Also at the North Forebay, the Feather River and Forebay Aquatic Centers promote
education, recreation, boating, water safety, competitive water sports, and tourism. The
Aquatic Center offers a wide range of rental equipment, from kayaks and canoes, to
hydrobikes and pedal boats, which can be rented by the hour or day.
The South Thermalito Forebay day use area has a shaded picnic area with barbecue
facilities, a sandy swim beach, and a vault restroom facility. The Forebay shoreline also
provides swimming opportunities to beat the heat.
Summer Activity at the Visitor Center
Stop by the Lake Oroville Visitor Center this month and watercolor your summer
adventure! All art supplies are provided free of charge – you bring the talent.
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.
Explore Loafer Creek
Located along the southern shoreline of Lake Oroville, the Loafer Creek Recreation Area
offers several hiking, equestrian, and biking trails that are largely shaded by trees. With
current summer temperatures, trails such as the Loafer Creek Day Use (1.7 miles) or
Loafer Creek Loop (3.2 miles) offer a shaded respite from the sun. Trails also run along
Lake Oroville’s waterline, providing an opportunity to cool off in the lake after meeting your
activity goals for the day.
The Loafer Creek recreation trails can be accessed from the Loafer Point Campground
and Day-Use area off Highway 162 (Oro-Quincy Highway), or trail users can connect to
Loafer Creek through the Bidwell Canyon Saddle Dam Trail. The trails are open to
equestrians and cyclists, but cyclists must stay on paved and dirt roads.
The Department of Water Resources (DWR), the California Department of Parks and
Recreation (State Parks), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (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.
Golden Mussel Inspection Program
DWR is reminding watercraft owners to bring their vessel’s keys with them for the invasive
mussel inspection at the North Thermalito Forebay. Vessels must also have a working
battery and be operational to complete and pass required inspections.
More details about DWR’s mussel inspection program are available at
water.ca.gov/mussels.
Watercraft Inspection Location/Decontamination Services
North Thermalito Forebay at Garden Drive and HWY 70 in Oroville
Hours of operation: Daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sealed Vessel Launching
Lake Oroville
Ramp hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Spillway
Bidwell Canyon
Extended Ramp hours: Daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Lime Saddle
Loafer Creek
Thermalito Afterbay
Ramp hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to one hour after sunset
Monument Hill
Thermalito Forebay
Ramp Hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
North Forebay (Non-motorized vessels only)
Oroville Recreation
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 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.
Between Jan. 30 and April 20, high flows in the Feather River required the temporary
removal of fish monitoring equipment resulting in lower spring-run estimates. Upstream
migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and
July 20, 2025 are:
Spring-run Chinook salmon (April 16 through June 30): 17,665
Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 282
Steelhead: 185
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
To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.
Current Lake Operations
Lake Oroville is at 859 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.83 million acre-feet
(MAF), which is 83 percent of its total capacity and 116 percent of the historical average.
Feather River flows are at 1,200 cfs through the City of Oroville with 5,800 cfs being
released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River
release of 7,000 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 11:59 p.m. on 7/24/2025.
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
Contact Us
Stay Connected with the California Department of Water Resources
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