 May 15, 2020
Oroville Field Division Work Continues Oroville Field Division (OFD) staff continue to carry out essential duties including operations of Oroville Dam and affiliated power plants, facility maintenance, and monitoring activities. Following guidance from Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health, OFD has made several changes in response to the dynamic public health emergency including social distancing, telework, and increased sanitary precautions for staff. Please remember that California's water treatment process removes and kills viruses, including COVID-19. Additionally, tap water is cheaper, easily accessible, and doesn't contribute to plastics pollution. Lake Oroville State Recreation Area Opens Select Recreation Facilities Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s direction on moving the state into Stage 2 of the COVID-19 Re-Opening Plan, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CA Parks) has opened portions of the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (LOSRA) to the public. Beginning May 15, Lake Oroville boat launch areas will be open during normal hours along with all LOSRA facility parking lots and day use areas. The Bidwell Canyon and Lake Oroville (Lime Saddle) Marinas are anticipated to open Monday, May 18. The Thermalito Diversion Pool and the North Forebay Recreation Area are also open to the public. The Forebay Aquatic Center at the North Forebay facility will open in early June for boat and kayak rentals. LOSRA trails continue to be open for hikers and bikers, including the newly reconstructed Brad Freeman trail from the Thermalito Diversion Pool to the Spillway Boat Ramp area. Equestrian and multi-use trails are also open. LOSRA campgrounds, including floating campsites, and the Lake Oroville Visitors Center remain closed. CA Parks encourages visitors to maintain a physical distance of six feet or more, to keep moving, and to be mindful of congestion on one-way trails. Gatherings, picnics, and parties are not allowed. The Butte County Health Officer recommends face coverings when indoors or when you cannot maintain a safe 6-foot distance from others. Information on LOSRA facility status can be obtained on the CA Parks “Flatten the Curve at State Parks” website. Information on local health requirements can be found at http://www.buttecounty.net/publichealth/buttereopens. USFS Opens Boat Ramps at Upper Feather River Lakes As the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) begins their gradual opening of facilities, the boat launch ramps at the State Water Project facilities of Frenchman Lake, Lake Davis, and Antelope Lake in Plumas County are now open, however, campgrounds remain closed. For information on Forest Service facilities, find your national forest at https://www.fs.usda.gov/. CAL FIRE to Reduce Fire Fuels in the Oroville Wildlife Area CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire Department, in cooperation with California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California Department of Water Resources will burn 30 acres of grassland at the Rabe Road Shooting Range south of the Oroville Airport on Wednesday, May 20. This important vegetation management project (VMP) burn will clear the area around the shooting range of thick grass that could easily ignite if left to grow. The project also offers valuable training for firefighters in preparation for what could be a busy fire season. The shooting range will be closed to the public all day Wednesday and smoke from this control burn will be highly visible during the morning hours near the Oroville Airport and the Thermalito Afterbay. Online Water Education Program Goes Live on DWR YouTube Channel Join us for Water Wednesdays at 1 p.m. on DWR’s YouTube channel. These family-friendly programs are designed for kids 10 to 14 but are appropriate for anyone who would like to learn more about California’s water resources. The first five topics feature Delta wildlife including fish, plankton, birds, reptiles, and invasive species. Interested participants can pre-register through Zoom which will allow posting of questions to that week’s speaker. Visit the DWR Events webpage at https://water.ca.gov/News/Events to join next Wednesday’s chat. Information will also be posted on DWR’s social media pages at @CA_DWR (Twitter) and @CADWR (Facebook). The May 13 episode of Water Wednesdays is available on DWR’s YouTube channel. Current Lake Operations The elevation of Oroville’s reservoir is about 820 feet and storage is about 2.43 million acre-feet. Daily average inflows to the lake have ranged between 2,784 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 10,023 cfs over the past week. Continued rainfall is expected this weekend into the week of May 18. There is about 1 to 2 inches of rainfall forecasted in the Feather River watershed. Currently in the Northern Sierra Basin rainfall is below average, at 58 percent of normal, and snowpack is also below average, measuring 15 percent of normal for this time of year. On Monday, May 11, total releases to the Feather River were increased from 1,550 cfs to 2,050 cfs to meet downstream Bay-Delta water quality and flow standards. Flows through the City of Oroville are about 650 cfs and the flows are about 1,400 cfs below the Thermalito River Outlet. All data as of midnight 5/14/20 For more information on local recreation, head to LakeOroville.net  The following is an update from California State Parks.
UPDATE (May 15, 2020) - As California State Parks begins its phased reopening of parks and beaches in compliance with state and local public health ordinances, it is important for visitors to continue to practice physical distancing and avoid congregating with people outside their immediate household. Everyone has the responsibility to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Here are some guidelines for people visiting Lake Oroville SRA. What is open now? Lake Oroville State Recreation Area is now open for day-use vehicular access which includes parking lots, boat launches and trails. Bidwell Canyon and Lake Oroville Marinas are preparing to reopen on Monday, May 18. Until then, vessel fueling, pump-out, and shuttle services will not be available. Due to ongoing concerns for the spread of COVID-19, some services will continue to be restricted or suspended for an undetermined time. Please contact the appropriate Marina for the most current information and please plan your visit accordingly. Bidwell Canyon Marina (530) 589-9175 www.bidwellcanyonmarina.com Lake Oroville Marina (530) 877-2883 www.lakeorovillemarina.com What is currently closed at this park and throughout the State Park System?
Are there any new visitor guidelines? Yes, please see below:
Thank you for your patience and continued support of California State Parks as we work to limit your risk for exposure to COVID-19 in the outdoors. For more information, please visit parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve. May 1, 2020
Oroville Field Division Work Continues Oroville Field Division (OFD) staff continue to carry out essential duties including operations of Oroville Dam and affiliated power plants, facility maintenance, and monitoring activities. Following guidance from Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health, OFD has made several changes in response to the dynamic public health emergency including social distancing, telework, and increased sanitary precautions for staff. Please remember that California's water treatment process removes and kills viruses, including COVID-19. Additionally, tap water is cheaper, easily accessible, and doesn't contribute to plastics pollution. Oroville and Upper Feather River Lakes Closures Update As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the recreation facilities associated with the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area have been closed, as well as the Lake Oroville Visitors Center and public access to the Feather River Fish Hatchery. The U.S. Forest Service closed all developed recreation sites indefinitely including boat launch facilities and campgrounds at the State Water Project facilities of Frenchman Lake, Lake Davis, and Antelope Lake in Plumas County. For information on Forest Service facilities, find your national forest at https://www.fs.usda.gov/. Information regarding the status of California Department of Parks and Recreation facilities can be found at “Flatten the Curve at State Parks”. Information regarding the Oroville Wildlife Area, including the Thermalito Afterbay, can be found at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Oroville-WA or by calling (916) 358-2900. Video Allows Students to Experience Juvenile Steelhead Trout Release The Classroom Aquarium Education Program (CAEP) provides aquarium tanks and Steelhead eggs from Oroville Dam’s Feather River Fish Hatchery to local classrooms to educate students about the fish life-cycle, their importance to the ecology of the Feather River, and the importance of protecting habitats for native fish. Students raise the fish from eggs and observe their development into juvenile fish (fry) able to swim and survive on their own. The students’ much-anticipated spring field trips to release the fry into the river had to be canceled because of COVID-19 pandemic school closures. Department of Water Resources (DWR) staff and Pacific States Marine Fisheries contractor Jada Simone-Wright arranged for the collection of the growing fry from participating, but closed, classrooms. The group also arranged for DWR public affairs staff to film the release of the fish into Feather River at Oroville’s Riverbend Park. Students can now virtually experience the Program’s success. The video is available for viewing at https://youtu.be/9zoBn38OTSg. The CAEP – formerly called “Eggs in the Classroom” – educational outreach tool is a decades-long collaboration between DWR, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and local schools and non-profits in the Butte County area to support greater awareness of the unique population management challenges for the Feather River’s Steelhead trout and Spring-run Chinook salmon. View the CAEP webpage for more information. View DWR’s article for more details about the trout release. California Conservation Corps Erecting Fish Habitat Structures at Loafer Creek Trees removed for construction of a new boat launch ramp at Loafer Point will be used to create fish and wildlife habitat structures near the Loafer Point recreation area. These structures, when submerged, will provide a refuge for many fish species in Lake Oroville including largemouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, bluegill, and green sunfish. When dewatered by lower lake levels, the structures also provide habitat for terrestrial species (land animals and birds). DWR contracted with the California Conservation Corps to anchor the brush and trees into the barren slopes of Lake Oroville beginning May 4. Work is anticipated to last for approximately two weeks. Similar to the Department’s ‘Recycled Christmas Tree Fish Habitat Project’, this work is part of DWR’s commitment to innovative methods of improving fish habitat and promoting fish survival at Lake Oroville, the Thermalito Afterbay, and the Feather River. DWR Continues Brush Clearing Work DWR continues to implement the Fuel Load Management Plan (FLMP), which aims to reduce wildfire risk, improve public safety, and enhance forest health around Lake Oroville. Crews continues to remove hazardous fuels, including overstocked trees and underbrush, from approximately 9.5 acres at project sites near the Nelson Bar Car-top Boat Launch and along Oroville Dam Boulevard East near the Hyatt Powerplant. Current Lake Operations The elevation of Oroville’s reservoir is about 825 feet and storage is about 2.49 million acre-feet. Daily average inflows to the lake have ranged between 4,845 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 5,548 cfs over the past week. A slight chance of rain in the upper Feather River watershed may occur this weekend and dry conditions are expected during the week of May 4. Currently in the Northern Sierra Basin rainfall is below average, at 57 percent of normal, and snowpack is also below average, measuring 25 percent of normal for this time of year. Flows through the City of Oroville are about 650 cfs and about 900 cfs below the Thermalito River Outlet. Total releases to the Feather River are at 1,550 cfs. All data as of midnight 4/30/2020 ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to oroville@water.ca.gov. For more information on local recreation, head to LakeOroville.net |
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