HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.03.26 Board Correspondence - FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - April 3, 2026.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; Lee, Lewis; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.;
Sweeney, Kathleen; Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth
Cc:Loeser, Kamie; Cannon, Jamie
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Lake Oroville Community Update - April 3, 2026
Date:Friday, April 3, 2026 4:55:23 PM
Please see Board Correspondence -
From: California Natural Resources Agency <CNRA@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Friday, April 3, 2026 1:59 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - April 3, 2026
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Lake Oroville Community Update
April 3, 2026
DWR Conserving Water at Lake Oroville
During the winter and early spring months, flood control releases from Oroville Dam
ensure the safety of the City of Oroville and downstream communities by reserving
storage space to capture high storm inflows while permitting controlled and coordinated
releases from the dam. As the warm summer months approach and rain and snowstorms
driven by atmospheric rivers wane, DWR transitions from making flood control releases at
Oroville Dam to conserving as much water in the reservoir as possible, while still meeting
water delivery and environmental requirements. Given the largely dry conditions and low
snowpack in the Feather River watershed, DWR has flexibility to conserve water and
encroach into the flood space and has received approval from the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) for the current release schedule.
DWR has decreased total releases from Lake Oroville to account for reduced inflows into
the reservoir while optimizing storage for the benefit of water supply, recreation, and fish
and wildlife enhancement. DWR coordinates releases closely with USACE and other
water operators and adjusts releases as needed to maintain balance throughout the water
system.
Current reservoir levels are as follows, though estimates may change quickly:
Current Oroville Reservoir Level: 880 feet elevation
Current Storage: 91 percent of capacity
Total Releases to the Feather River: 1,150 cubic feet per second; decreasing to
1,050 cfs on Saturday, April 4
Lake Oroville is the largest storage facility in the State Water Project, providing flood
protection while supporting environmental and water delivery needs for 27 million
Californians. Some water released from Oroville for flood control is captured downstream
for beneficial uses by local landowners, communities, and the State Water Project.
Releases from Oroville Dam also support Feather River habitat for salmon, steelhead,
sturgeon, and other river species. DWR continues to monitor lake levels, weather
forecasts, and mountain snow levels to optimize water storage and allow for carryover
storage into the following year.
DWR Begins Vernal Pool Monitoring
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 that
are only found in California.
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 in the summer, as well as to the extreme
variabilities in temperature and rainfall that can occur year to year. They 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, DWR environmental scientists from the Oroville Field Division monitor hundreds of
vernal pools throughout the Oroville area and assess how protection measures for these
valuable environmental resources are succeeding.
This year scientists are observing wildflowers blooming earlier, likely due to ongoing dry
conditions, which have also dried up vernal pools earlier than usual. Areas around the
Thermalito Forebay and Afterbay are currently abundant with flowers, in part due to
annual prescribed burns to remove invasive grass buildup and other invasive plants.
These efforts are coordinated by DWR in partnership with CAL FIRE, the California
Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and the California Department of Fish
and Wildlife (CDFW) and demonstrate the benefit of invasive plant management within the
Thermalito area grasslands.
Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission
The California Natural Resources Agency is hosting its 22nd Oroville Dam Citizens
Advisory Commission meeting on Friday, April 10 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The
Commission is a forum for questions and feedback from communities surrounding Oroville
Dam. The virtual public meeting will include presentations and an opportunity for public
comment. Presentations will cover updates from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the
City of Oroville’s levee screening report and the Water Control Manual update process
and an update from Yuba Water Agency on New Bullards Bar operations and partner
coordination. For information about the meeting and to register, please visit the Oroville
Dam Citizens Advisory Commission website.
Oroville Wildflower & Nature Festival
The Feather River Recreation & Park District (FRRPD) is hosting its annual Wildflower &
Nature Festival at Riverbend Park in Oroville on Saturday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is free to the festival with activities highlighting the area’s natural resources and
booths showcasing handmade Butte County products. Activities and entertainment will be
available for all ages including children’s crafts, river kayak tours, live music, food trucks,
and a beer and wine garden.
Make sure to stop by DWR’s booth for information about the Lake Oroville Visitor Center
and Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, and a craft activity for kids – making acorn cap
necklaces. More information about the Wildflower & Nature Festival is available
on FRRPD’s website.
Golden Mussel Inspection Program
DWR has moved its invasive mussel inspection/decontamination facilities at the North
Thermalito Forebay to the paved RV parking lot near the entrance. Watercraft owners
should turn right once past the main entrance. Signage is posted to help direct
traffic. 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 9 p.m.
Spillway
Bidwell Canyon
Ramp hours: Daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Lime Saddle
Loafer Creek/Loafer Point
Thermalito Afterbay
Ramp hours: Daily from 1.5 hours before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset
Monument Hill
Thermalito Forebay
Ramp Hours: Daily from 8 a.m. to sunset
North Forebay (Non-motorized vessels only)
Feather River Fish Monitoring Station
DWR resumed operations of the Feather River fish monitoring station on March 4, 2026 to
capture the return of spring-run Chinook salmon. Monitoring was temporarily
suspended at the end of December 2025 due to anticipated high flows in the Feather
River. Upstream migrating fish totals between March 4-25, 2026 are:
Spring-run Chinook salmon: 353
Steelhead: 3
To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.
Current Lake Operations
Lake Oroville is at 880 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.12 million acre-feet
(MAF), which is 91 percent of its total capacity and 124 percent of the historical average.
Feather River flows are at 650 cfs through the City of Oroville with releases from the
Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet at 500 cfs for a total Feather River release of 1,150 cfs
downstream. Releases from the Outlet will reduce to 400 cfs on April 4 for a total Feather
River release of 1,050 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 4/2/2026.
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
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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