HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.22.26 Board Correspondence - FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - May 22, 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:Cannon, Jamie; Loeser, Kamie
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Lake Oroville Community Update - May 22, 2026
Date:Tuesday, May 26, 2026 7:40:55 AM
Attachments:image001.png
Please see Board Correspondence -
Lewis LeeAdministrative Technician - ConfidentialButte County Administration25 County Center Drive, Suite 200 • Oroville, CA 95965T: 530.552.3326www.buttecounty.ca.gov | lelee@buttecounty.ca.gov
From: California Natural Resources Agency <CNRA@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2026 2:06 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.ca.gov>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - May 22, 2026
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Lake Oroville Community Update
May 22, 2026
DWR Starting Construction on Dam Revegetation Project
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is starting construction in the coming weeks
on a project to reestablish native vegetation in areas adjacent to Oroville Dam’s main and
emergency spillways. The project is revegetating approximately 70 acres with seed and
replanting six acres of woody vegetation surrounding Oroville Dam’s spillways, further
enhancing the appearance of the dam’s hillside. The project is designed to improve the
appearance of areas near trails and roadways while enhancing the view for visitors and
motorists traveling along Oroville Dam Boulevard East. Maintaining a fire-resilient
landscape within the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area was also a top consideration
during project development, with planting basins well spaced to prevent vegetation from
acting as a fire ladder. In addition, selected California native plants are fire-adapted
species that can regenerate after fires.
Members of the public will see heavy equipment and grading work in areas surrounding
both spillways and along the Diversion Pool. Work in 2026 will include grading and
seeding areas of the hillside to establish native grasses, with completion of the first phase
expected by November. Project work will continue in 2027 with the establishment of
planting basins that include trees and shrubs. A five-year establishment period has been
incorporated into revegetation efforts, with temporary irrigation tanks being installed to
support initial vegetation growth. Following project completion, Oroville Field Division’s
Fuel Load Management Program will maintain native vegetation.
DWR’s revegetation project continues the Department’s commitment to mitigate impacts
to native habitats from the 2017 spillway incident. Following the incident, DWR mobilized
immediately and implemented a robust reconstruction plan resulting in impacts to native
vegetation surrounding the spillways. While project plans were initiated, developed, and
submitted during spillway reconstruction efforts, the Federal Regulatory Energy
Commission (FERC) gave DWR approval to move forward with revegetation efforts in
2023. Final revegetation plans were approved by FERC in July 2025. Empire Landscaping
Inc. of Davis, CA, is the contractor for the project.
Driftwood Abatement at Lake Oroville
With Lake Oroville near full capacity, DWR’s civil maintenance crews are patrolling the
branches of Lake Oroville to capture floating woody debris before it reaches the main
body of the lake. When reservoir elevations rise, fallen woody debris along the shoreline
floats into the lake which can impact water infrastructure and present a hazard to boaters.
DWR crews are collecting, containing, and pulling larger pieces of wood out of the lake
and away from shoreline areas using boom lines.
DWR crews spent a significant amount of time collecting woody debris in Lake Oroville
between 2023-2025 following heavy storms, with approximately 44,000 cubic yards of
woody vegetation collected. Floating debris removal ensures continued infrastructure
operations and the safety of the recreating public on Lake Oroville. However, boaters and
other water recreationists should take precautions when operating watercraft on Lake
Oroville and should remain alert for floating debris.
Lake Oroville Near Full Capacity
Lake Oroville is near full capacity thanks to average precipitation this fall and
winter. DWR is conserving as much water in the reservoir as possible, while still meeting
water delivery and environmental requirements.
With the reservoir near capacity, windy periods are likely to cause water to splash onto
and over the crest of the emergency spillway. This may cause minor surface wetting of the
downstream side of the emergency spillway crest and the very upper sections of the
concrete pad. Visitors to Oroville Dam may also notice minor amounts of water flowing
from drains built into the emergency spillway. Both conditions are normal and expected in
the emergency spillway design. The dam and emergency spillway continue to operate as
intended.
Current reservoir levels are as follows, though estimates may change quickly:
Current Oroville Reservoir Level: 897 feet elevation
Current Storage: 99 percent of capacity
Total Releases to the Feather River: 1,050 cubic feet per
second (cfs); increasing to 1,550 cfs on Sunday, May 24
Lake Oroville is the largest storage facility in the State Water Project (SWP), 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.
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 and May 19, 2026, are:
Spring-run Chinook salmon: 5,583
Steelhead: -31 (most likely kelts moving downstream)
To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.
Current Lake Operations
Lake Oroville is at 897 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.38 million acre-feet
(MAF), which is 99 percent of its total capacity and 121 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 400 cfs for a total Feather River release of 1,050 cfs
downstream. Releases from the Outlet will increase to 900 cfs on May 24 for a total
Feather River release of 1,550. DWR continues to assess Feather River releases daily.
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
All data as of 11:59 p.m. on 5/21/2026.
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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