Moderate Increase in State Water Project Allocations Announced
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced a modest increase in forecasted State Water Project (SWP) deliveries this year due to early gains in the Sierra snowpack. DWR now expects to deliver 35 percent of requested water supplies, up from 30 percent forecasted in January, to the 29 public water agencies that serve 27 million Californians. That would translate to an additional 210,000 acre-feet of water.
“We’re hopeful that more storms this week are a sign that the wet weather will return, but there remains a chance that 2023 will be a below average water year in the northern Sierra,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Careful planning and the use of advanced forecasting tools will enable the Department to balance the needs of our communities, agriculture, and the environment should dry conditions continue this spring and into next year.”
The SWP will continue to optimize water storage in Lake Oroville to support environmental needs in the summer and allow for carryover storage for next year if the spring becomes extremely dry. Additionally, the forecasted allocation could be adjusted back down if extreme dry conditions warrant.
More information about the SWP allocations may be found in the press release.

Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission
​The California Natural Resources Agency hosted the Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission meeting today at the Southside Oroville Community Center. In addition to public comment, presentations on the January storm events, Lake Oroville reservoir debris maintenance, and spillway capacity were provided.
The Citizens Advisory Commission is a forum for questions and feedback from the communities surrounding Oroville Dam. For information on the meeting, please visit https://bit.ly/OrovilleCAC. A transcript of the meeting will be available on the webpage in the coming weeks.

CHRISTMAS TREE FISH HABITAT
​DWR, the California Conservation Corps (CCC), and the Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) finished constructing fish habitat structures at Lake Oroville and the Thermalito Afterbay using almost 1,800 recycled Christmas trees. The trees were again collected by Chico Boy Scout Troop 2 and delivered free of charge to DWR by Recology, a local waste management company.
To create the habitats on Lake Oroville and the Thermalito Afterbay, members of the CCC team bundle the recycled holiday trees together and anchor them in various locations around the lakebed. At Lake Oroville near the Loafer Creek Recreation Area, 1,250 trees were assembled into 63 structures. At the Thermalito Afterbay, 541 trees were assembled into 54 structures. Anchoring the trees allows them to remain submerged, providing juvenile fish safe refuge, and improving fisheries and recreational fishing opportunities.
This is the 30th year DWR has worked with local groups to construct fish habitat structures, which is one of the longest continuously running warmwater fish habitat improvement programs in the State of California.

FUEL LOAD MANAGEMENT 
​DWR continues vegetation management and debris cleanup activities around the Feather River Fish Hatchery to remove overgrown ladder fuels and create a more wildfire resilient landscape. In addition, CAL FIRE, Butte County Fire Department, and the California Conservation Corps (CCC) Butte Fire Center continue cutting and pile burning activities in the Loafer Creek area and along Oro Dam Boulevard East near the Hyatt Powerplant.
Over the next couple weeks, the Butte County Sheriff crew will be cutting and piling material along Canyon Drive to reduce overgrown vegetation near the community of Kelly Ridge. CAL FIRE will burn the brush piles at a later date.
DWR is implementing a Fuel Load Management Plan (FLMP) at its Oroville Facilities to reduce wildfire risk and increase public safety around Lake Oroville and surrounding communities. Vegetation management activities will continue through the spring, weather permitting. Smoke from pile burning activities will continue to be visible in the Oroville area.

OROVILLE RECREATION 
​DWR, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. Paved trails at the Lake Oroville Visitor Center and at the North Forebay Day Use Area offer accessible trails with only slight elevation changes. Other trails, such as the Brad Freeman Trail between the Spillway Day Use Area and the Diversion Pool, offer trails with steep elevation changes to challenge hikers and mountain bikers. The Saddle Dam Trailhead has facilities for equestrians, including a large parking area to accommodate horse trailers, water troughs, and hitching posts, and easy access to trails designated for hikers and horses.
An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open boat ramps, and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi) is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services such as a shuttle and boat rentals.
The Lake Oroville Visitor Center is open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Visitor Center offers numerous educational exhibits, a theater featuring videos about the building of Oroville Dam, walking and hiking trails, and a 47-foot-tall observation tower providing unsurpassed panoramic views.

CURRENT LAKE OPERATIONS
​Oroville’s reservoir is about 828 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.53 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 71 percent of its total capacity and 115 percent of the historical average. Widespread rain showers and below-average temperatures are ahead for the weekend and into next week.
The Feather River releases are currently at 950 cubic feet per second (cfs). Flows through the City of Oroville are 650 cfs with 300 cfs released from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet (Outlet) for a total of 950 cfs downstream of the Outlet. DWR continues to assess releases to the Feather River 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 2/23/2023.​

Christmas Tree Fish Habitat
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the California Conservation Corps (CCC), and the Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) have finished constructing fish habitat structures at Lake Oroville and the Thermalito Afterbay using almost 1,800 recycled Christmas trees. The trees were again collected by Chico Boy Scout Troop 2 and delivered free of charge to DWR by Recology, a local waste management company.
To create the habitats on Lake Oroville and the Thermalito Afterbay, members of the CCC team bundle the recycled holiday trees together and anchor them in various locations around the lakebed. At Lake Oroville near the Loafer Creek Recreation Area, 1,250 trees were assembled into 63 structures. At the Thermalito Afterbay, 541 trees were assembled into 54 structures. Anchoring the trees allows them to remain submerged, providing juvenile fish safe refuge, and improving fisheries and recreational fishing opportunities.
This is the 30th year DWR has worked with local groups to construct fish habitat structures, which is one of the longest continuously running warmwater fish habitat improvement programs in the State of California.

Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission
​The California Natural Resources Agency is hosting its 13th Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission meeting on Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to noon. The public meeting will be held at the Southside Oroville Community Center located at 2959 Lower Wyandotte Road, Oroville, CA 95966, and will include presentations and public comment. The Commission will receive a briefing on the January storm events and a presentation on reservoir debris maintenance and spillway capacity. The Citizens Advisory Commission is a forum for questions and feedback from the communities surrounding Oroville Dam.

DRIFTWOOD AT LAKE OROVILLE
​DWR, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), and marina partners at Lake Oroville State Recreation Area advise recreational boaters to navigate carefully in areas where driftwood is present.
Driftwood and other floating debris at the state recreation area are expected due to high water inflows from tributaries and rising lake levels, in combination with past wildfires impacting the watershed. Since January, State officials and marina partners have been working daily on collecting, containing, and pulling pieces of wood out of the lake and away from boat ramps using boom lines.
In past years, vandals have occasionally cut log booms, resulting in large amounts of debris released in the lake and around boat ramps. To alleviate the impact of driftwood on the state recreation area, DPR is asking the public to report any cutting or tampering of boom lines and any driftwood vessel accidents by calling the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area Dispatch Center at (916) 358-1300.
Due to an excess of driftwood, members of the public are no longer limited to collecting 50 pounds of driftwood per day. Any remaining driftwood will be disposed of within the recreation area to help reduce impacts next year.     
For information on the state recreation area, please visit www.parks.ca.gov/LakeOroville.

RISING RESERVOIR LEVELS
​Thanks to the January storms, Lake Oroville reservoir levels have risen more than 160 feet since Dec. 1. The reservoir level, now at 823 feet, has reached the gates of the spillway. The public may see water on the main spillway outlet, which is expected as the gates are not designed to be watertight. DWR continues to manage Lake Oroville to collect as much runoff as possible while also providing flood control benefits for downstream communities, important examples of the multiple purposes of DWR’s Oroville Facilities. These actions are coordinated with a variety of other agencies and are subject to state and federal regulations.

FUEL LOAD MANAGEMENT 
​DWR continues vegetation management and debris cleanup activities around the Feather River Fish Hatchery to remove overgrown ladder fuels and create a more wildfire resilient landscape. In addition, CAL FIRE, Butte County Fire Department, and the California Conservation Corps (CCC) Butte Fire Center continue cutting and pile burning activities in the Loafer Creek area and along Oro Dam Boulevard East near the Hyatt Powerplant.
Over the next couple weeks, the Butte County Sheriff crew will be cutting and piling material along Canyon Drive to reduce overgrown vegetation near the community of Kelly Ridge. CAL FIRE will burn the brush piles at a later date.
DWR is implementing a Fuel Load Management Plan (FLMP) at its Oroville Facilities to reduce wildfire risk and increase public safety around Lake Oroville and surrounding communities. Vegetation management activities will continue through the spring, weather permitting. Smoke from pile burning activities will continue to be visible in the Oroville area.

OROVILLE RECREATION 
The Lake Oroville Visitor Center is now open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Visitor Center offers numerous educational exhibits, a theater featuring videos about the building of Oroville Dam, walking and hiking trails, and a 47-foot-tall observation tower providing unsurpassed panoramic views.
DWR, State Parks, and California Department of Fish & Wildlife maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open boat ramps, and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi) is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services such as a shuttle and boat rentals.

CURRENT LAKE OPERATIONS
​Oroville’s reservoir is about 823 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.46 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 70 percent of its total capacity and 115 percent of the historical average. Intermittent rain showers are expected to return to Northern California next week.
The Feather River releases are currently at 950 cubic feet per second (cfs). Flows through the City of Oroville are 650 cfs with 300 cfs released from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet (Outlet) for a total of 950 cfs downstream of the Outlet. DWR continues to assess releases to the Feather River 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 2/16/2023.​

Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission
​The California Natural Resources Agency is hosting its 13th Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission meeting on Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to noon. The public meeting will be held at the Southside Oroville Community Center located at 2959 Lower Wyandotte Road, Oroville, CA 95966, and will include presentations and public comment. The Commission will receive a briefing on the January storm events and a presentation on reservoir debris maintenance and spillway capacity. The Citizens Advisory Commission is a forum for questions and feedback from the communities surrounding Oroville Dam.

DRIFTWOOD AT LAKE OROVILLE
​The California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Department of Water Resources (DWR) and marina partners at Lake Oroville State Recreation Area advise recreational boaters to navigate carefully in areas where driftwood is present.
Driftwood and other floating debris at the state recreation area are expected due to high water inflows from tributaries and rising lake levels, in combination with past wildfires impacting the watershed. This month State officials and marina partners have been working daily on collecting, containing, and pulling pieces of wood out of the lake and away from boat launch ramps using boom lines.
In past years, vandals have occasionally cut log booms, resulting in large amounts of debris released in the lake and around boat launch ramps. To alleviate the impact of driftwood on the state recreation area, DPR is asking the public to report any cutting or tampering of boom lines and any driftwood vessel accidents by calling the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area Dispatch Center at (916) 358-1300.
Due to an excess of driftwood, members of the public are no longer limited to collecting 50 pounds of driftwood per day. Any remaining driftwood will be disposed of within the recreation area to help reduce impacts next year.    
For information on the state recreation area, please visit www.parks.ca.gov/LakeOroville.

RISING RESERVOIR LEVELS
​Thanks to the January storms, Lake Oroville reservoir levels have risen more than 150 feet since Dec. 1. The reservoir level, now at 817 feet, has reached the gates of the spillway. The public may see water on the main spillway outlet, which is expected as the gates are not designed to be watertight. DWR continues to manage Lake Oroville to collect as much runoff as possible while also providing flood control benefits for downstream communities, important examples of the multiple purposes of DWR’s Oroville Facilities. These actions are coordinated with a variety of other agencies and are subject to state and federal regulations.

FUEL LOAD MANAGEMENT 
​DWR continues vegetation management and debris cleanup activities around the Feather River Fish Hatchery to remove overgrown ladder fuels and create a more wildfire resilient landscape. In addition, CAL FIRE, Butte County Fire Department, and the California Conservation Corps (CCC) Butte Fire Center continue cutting and pile burning activities in the Loafer Creek area and along Oro Dam Boulevard East near the Hyatt Powerplant.
Over the next couple weeks, the Butte County Sheriff crew will be cutting and piling material along Canyon Drive to reduce overgrown vegetation near the community of Kelly Ridge. CAL FIRE will burn the brush piles at a later date.
DWR is implementing a Fuel Load Management Plan (FLMP) at its Oroville Facilities to reduce wildfire risk and increase public safety around Lake Oroville and surrounding communities. Vegetation management activities will continue through the spring, weather permitting. Smoke from pile burning activities will continue to be visible in the Oroville area.

OROVILLE RECREATION 
The Lake Oroville Visitor Center has expanded hours and is now open to the public Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The 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.  
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. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Afterbay and the Feather River offer additional excellent fishing opportunities for Chinook salmon and steelhead.  
Paved boat ramps are available at the Spillway, Loafer Point, Loafer Creek, Bidwell Canyon, Lime Saddle, the Thermalito Afterbay, and the Thermalito Forebay. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services such as a shuttle and boat rentals.
DWR, State Parks, and California Department of Fish & Wildlife maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi) is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage.

CURRENT LAKE OPERATIONS
​Oroville’s reservoir is about 817 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.4 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 68 percent of its total capacity and 114 percent of the historical average. The weather forecast for the coming week remains mostly dry with showers possible next weekend.
The Feather River releases are currently at 950 cubic feet per second (cfs). Flows through the City of Oroville are 650 cfs with 300 cfs released from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet (Outlet) for a total of 950 cfs downstream of the Outlet. DWR continues to assess releases to the Feather River 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 2/9/2023.​

Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee
​The Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee (ORAC) met today, Feb. 3 at the Southside Community Center in Oroville. ORAC was established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to review and provide recommendations regarding the Department of Water Resources (DWR) recreation plan for the Oroville Facilities. The 13-member committee is made up of representatives from state and local government, recreation groups, and business and community organizations. To obtain a summary of the meeting, send a request to [email protected].

SNOW SURVEY SHOWS SIGNIFICANT BOOST TO SNOWPACK
​On Wednesday, DWR conducted the second snow survey of the season at Phillips Station. The manual survey recorded 85.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 33.5 inches, which is 193 percent of average for this location on February 1. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide, the snowpack is 205 percent of average for this date. Two months remain until April 1, when the state snowpack usually peaks.
The snowpack received a significant boost from one of the wettest three-week periods on record in California, following the driest three-year period on record. California also experienced above average precipitation in December just months after one of the hottest heatwaves in state history in September.
DWR’s electronic readings from 130 snow sensors placed throughout the state indicate the statewide snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 33.7 inches, or 205 percent of average for this date. While those results are currently outpacing the record 1982-83 season, two months still remain. Periodic rain and snow over the next several months will be key to get the biggest water supply benefit from the state’s snowpack without posing additional flood risks. Read more about the snow survey in the press release.

NEW VISITOR CENTER HOURS
​As of last week, the Lake Oroville Visitor Center has expanded hours and is now open to the public Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Visitor Center offers numerous educational exhibits, a theater featuring videos about the building of Oroville Dam, walking and hiking trails, and a 47-foot-tall observation tower providing unsurpassed panoramic views. Free guided tours for school and community groups are available by reservation.  

DRIFTWOOD ABATEMENT ONGOING 
​DWR, the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), and marina partners at Lake Oroville State Recreation Area advise recreational boaters to navigate carefully on Lake Oroville as driftwood is floating in various areas of the lake. This is a common condition with the rising lake levels and DWR maintenance crews work daily to sequester driftwood from boating areas while DPR maintenance crews remove driftwood at launch ramp areas.

FUEL LOAD MANAGEMENT  
​DWR continues vegetation management and debris cleanup activities around the Feather River Fish Hatchery to remove overgrown ladder fuels and create a more wildfire resilient landscape. In addition, CAL FIRE, Butte County Fire Department, and the California Conservation Corps (CCC) Butte Fire Center continue pile burning activities in the Loafer Creek area and along Oro Dam Boulevard East near the Hyatt Powerplant. Over the next couple weeks, the CCC Chico crew will be cutting and piling material along Canyon Drive to reduce overgrown vegetation near the community of Kelly Ridge.
Vegetation management activities will continue through the winter, weather permitting. Smoke from pile burning activities will continue to be visible in the Oroville area.
DWR’s Fuel Load Management Plan (FLMP) works to reduce wildfire risk and increase public safety around Lake Oroville. Previous FLMP projects in the Loafer Creek Recreation Area have been identified as contributing to the slowing of the 2020 North Complex Fire as it approached Kelly Ridge, increasing firefighters’ ability to establish a secure fire line, and preventing the fire from progressing. Ongoing management of this critical area remains a high priority for DWR and local partners.

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. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Afterbay and the Feather River offer additional excellent fishing opportunities for Chinook salmon and steelhead.
Paved boat ramps are available at the Spillway, Loafer Point, Loafer Creek, Bidwell Canyon, Lime Saddle, the Thermalito Afterbay, and the Thermalito South Forebay. The Bidwell Canyon Marina is also open from 8 a.m. until sundown and provides a variety of services such as a shuttle and boat rentals.
DWR, State Parks, and California Department of Fish & Wildlife maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi) is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage.

CURRENT LAKE OPERATIONS
​Oroville’s reservoir is about 811 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.32 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 66 percent of its total capacity and 112 percent of the historical average. Intermittent rain showers are expected over the weekend with sun returning during the week.
The Feather River releases are currently at 950 cubic feet per second (cfs). Flows through the City of Oroville are 650 cfs with 300 cfs released from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet (Outlet) for a total of 950 cfs downstream of the Outlet. DWR continues to assess releases to the Feather River 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 2/2/2023.​