HomeMy WebLinkAbout08.22.25 Board Correspondence_ FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - August 22, 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 - August 22, 2025
Date:Friday, August 22, 2025 3:44:17 PM
Please see Board Correspondence
From: California Natural Resources Agency <CNRA@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Friday, August 22, 2025 3:13 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - August 22, 2025
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Lake Oroville Community Update
August 22, 2025
Paving Work to Temporarily Close Recreation Areas
DWR continues work on a $1.9 million paving and sealing project to rehabilitate seven
locations owned and maintained by the department that are heavily used by maintenance
staff and public members. Project work began Aug. 18 and will continue through
November 2025. Vintage Paving Company, Inc. of Winters, Calif. is the contractor for the
project.
Upcoming paving and sealing work will require closures to the following public areas:
August 18 – September 12: Afterbay Dam Crest Road/Brad Freeman Trail south
of State Route 162 to the East Hamilton Road Trail Access
August 25-29, September 2-3: Feather River Fish Hatchery - including the
hatchery facility, upper and lower public parking lots, and river access road under
the green bridge
Additional locations for future paving, sealing, and guardrail work include:
Thermalito Powerplant Access Roads
Thermalito Diversion Dam Powerplant
Thermalito Power Canal Access Road
Oroville Field Division Operations and Maintenance Center at Glen Drive
Canyon Drive from the intersection of Oroville Dam Blvd. E./Royal Oaks Drive
heading north to the dam and upper overlook
Oroville Dam Boulevard East near Oro Powerhouse Road
DWR will provide more details about scheduled work and potential public access impacts
in future newsletters. Work schedules are subject to change based on weather and the
availability of equipment and materials.
Golden Mussel Inspection Program – Ramp Hour Changes
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is alerting water recreators to upcoming
changes to boat ramp hours that will be in effect as of Monday, Sept. 1. Hours for
inspection/decontamination services at the North Thermalito Forebay will remain the
same. Additional changes to boat ramp hours are anticipated with the shortening days.
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.
Starting Sept. 1: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Spillway
Bidwell Canyon
Extended Ramp hours: Daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Starting Sept. 1: Daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Lime Saddle
Loafer Creek
Thermalito Afterbay
Ramp hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to one hour after sunset
Starting Sept. 1: Daily from 1.5 hours before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset
Monument Hill
Thermalito Forebay
Ramp Hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Start Sept. 1: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to sunset
North Forebay (Non-motorized vessels only)
Tree Blocking Feather River at Cottonwood Riffle
DWR is alerting Feather River anglers and water recreators of a downed tree spanning
the main river channel at Cottonwood Riffle near the Feather River Fish Hatchery. Feather
River users launching near the green Table Mountain Bridge should use caution. Warning
signs will be posted in the water to alert river users of the hazard ahead. Water users can
still navigate downstream along the east side of the river closest to downtown Oroville.
DWR does not own the Feather River channel but has notified local authorities about this
hazard.
Oroville Recreation
DWR, 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.
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.
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
August 13, 2025 are:
Spring-run Chinook salmon (April 16 through June 30): 17,742
Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 566
Steelhead: 196
To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.
Current Lake Operations
Lake Oroville is at 830 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.45 million acre-feet
(MAF), which is 72 percent of its total capacity and 114 percent of the historical average.
Feather River flows are at 1,000 cfs through the City of Oroville with 6,000 cfs being
released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River
release of 7,000 cfs downstream. Flows through the City of Oroville will increase to 1,200
cfs by 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23. Total Feather River releases will remain at 7,000 cfs.
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 8/21/2025.
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
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