  October 23, 2020 Fire Impacts to Lake Oroville The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is a member of the “Watershed Working Group” led by the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES). The working group is a multi-agency team evaluating and identifying areas of concern in the Feather River watershed affected by recent wildfires. Field teams are taking action to address erosion, debris runoff, and water quality impacts. DWR’s Division of Flood Management is currently assisting California Conservation Corps members to install erosion control measures in areas of concern. DWR water quality experts have expanded water sampling activities at Lake Oroville and continue to monitor for algal blooms and other environmental concerns. After the 2018 Camp Fire, data collected by DWR environmental scientists showed no long-term impacts to water quality in Lake Oroville. The clearing of debris entering Lake Oroville is part of ongoing DWR maintenance of Lake Oroville. Additional work is planned to protect boaters and ensure safe operation of dam facilities. Several ancillary DWR facilities around Lake Oroville experienced fire damage. DWR staff are making repairs to the impacted facilities. Oroville Recreation The Lime Saddle and Oroville Dam Spillway boat ramps are open. The Bidwell Canyon boat launch is only open weekends, 5 a.m. Saturday to midnight Sunday, while weekday construction continues to build boat ramp lanes to 700 feet, which will provide additional boat access when lake levels are low. The project is expected to be completed mid-November. Bidwell Canyon and Lake Oroville (Lime Saddle) marinas are open for normal operation under regular winter schedules. Visit the California Parks Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (LOSRA) webpage for current information on facility status as well as current requirements to protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Potter’s Ravine and North Fork trails near the Spillway boat launch area and trails in the Loafer Creek recreation area are closed to repair fire damage. Enterprise, Stringtown, and Foreman Creek boat ramp areas, the Loafer Creek Recreation Area, and Lake Oroville Visitor Center also remain closed. Current recreation facility information can also be found on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. Information for the Oroville Wildlife Area, including the Thermalito Afterbay, is available on the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife webpage. Photo: Construction of new boat ramp at Bidwell Canyon Recreation Area Plumas National Forest While many areas of Plumas National Forest near Oroville and the upper watersheds of the Feather River remain closed due to the North Complex, Walker, and Sheep fires, nearly two-thirds of the Forest is open for recreation, including DWR’s Lake Davis and Frenchman Lake. Campgrounds at these areas, except Lake Davis, which is open until Oct. 31, have closed but trails, boating, and other recreation is allowed. Visitors are advised to be alert for firefighting equipment and personnel. Visit the Plumas National Forest webpage for fire restrictions, alerts, notices, and maps.  Chinook Salmon Return to the Feather River
The fall-run of Chinook salmon is peaking later than usual this fall, delighting fishing enthusiasts, area residents, and visitors. As the salmon return home to the Feather River to lay eggs for the next generation of salmon, the Feather River Fish Hatchery is also continuing their spawning operations which enable millions of Chinook salmon to be released to the river every spring. While the hatchery is not open for tours this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Viewing Area near the Feather River’s Fish Diversion Dam north of the Hatchery remains open to visitors. The public is urged to maintain physical distancing and abide by requirements for mask-wearing to protect personal health and the health of others. Photo: Watching the salmon at Feather River Fish Hatchery's viewing window DWR Water Wednesdays For a special Halloween treat, find out on the next Water Wednesday why lampreys are called “vampire fish”. 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 episodes are live, allowing participants who have signed up on Zoom to ask real time questions of the speaker. Visit the DWR Events webpage at https://water.ca.gov/News/Events to join or register for next Wednesday’s chat. Information will also be posted on DWR’s social media pages at @CA_DWR (Twitter) and @CADWR (Facebook). Water Wednesdays began in May 2020 and previous episodes are available on DWR’s YouTube channel – enter Water Wednesdays in the search bar. Current Lake Operations The elevation of Oroville’s reservoir is about 735 feet and storage is about 1.54 million acre-feet. Daily average inflows to the lake have ranged between 1,224 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 2,167 cfs over the past week. Beginning this weekend and into next week, dry conditions and temperatures ranging in the mid to upper 70s are expected. The total releases to Feather River continue at 2,450 cfs to meet downstream Bay-Delta water quality and flow standards. The Feather River flows consist of 800 cfs through the Low Flow Channel adjacent to the City of Oroville, and 1,650 cfs from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet (Outlet) for a total of 2,450 cfs for the Feather River’s high flow channel downstream of the Outlet. All data as of midnight 10/22/2020 ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected].  October 16, 2020 Fire Impacts to Lake Oroville The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is a member of the post-fire task force led by the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES). The task force is a multi-agency team that will evaluate and identify areas of concern in the watershed. They will coordinate and prioritize actions to address erosion, debris runoff, and water quality impacts to the watersheds impacted by wildfire. DWR environmental scientists actively monitor Lake Oroville for water quality, algal blooms, and other environmental concerns, including wildfire impacts. After the 2018 Camp Fire, DWR installed additional monitoring stations. The data collected by DWR environmental scientists did not show long-term impacts to water quality in Lake Oroville. As part of routine maintenance year-round, DWR takes steps to reduce erosion on the lake’s shoreline. The clearing of debris entering Lake Oroville is part of ongoing DWR maintenance of Lake Oroville to protect boaters and ensure safe operation of the dam facilities. Oroville Recreation The Lime Saddle and Oroville Dam Spillway boat ramps are open and the Bidwell Canyon boat launch is open on weekends while construction, expected to be completed in November, is underway. (See below for information.) Bidwell Canyon and Lake Oroville (Lime Saddle) marinas are open for normal operation under regular winter schedules. Visit the CA Parks Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (LOSRA) webpage for current information on facility status as well as current requirements to protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Potter’s Ravine and North Fork trails near the Spillway boat launch area and trails in the Loafer Creek recreation area are closed to repair fire damage. Enterprise, Stringtown, and Foreman Creek boat ramp areas, the Loafer Creek Recreation Area, and Lake Oroville Visitor Center also remain closed. Current recreation facility information can also be found on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. Information for the Oroville Wildlife Area, including the Thermalito Afterbay, is available on the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife webpage. Bidwell Canyon Boat Ramp Closed Weekdays for Facility Improvements The Bidwell Canyon boat ramp will be closed weekdays, Monday through Friday, from Oct. 5 to Nov. 18 to continue construction started in 2018 to expand the parking area and provide two additional boat ramp lanes to 700 feet. The boat ramp will open at 5 a.m. on Saturdays and close at midnight Sundays. Kelly Ridge and Arroyo Drive residents should anticipate large construction equipment and rock and concrete deliveries in the area. Photo: Construction of new boat ramp at Bidwell Canyon Recreation Area Installation of Piezometers Completed at Oroville Dam Data collected from four new piezometers installed at the headworks of Oroville Dam’s main, or flood control outlet (FCO) spillway will be used to confirm drain performance, inform on-going structural modeling and analyses, and direct future improvements to the FCO structure which houses eight gates to control water flow down the spillway. This work, completed on Oct. 5, is part of early implementation of the Oroville Dam Safety Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA), which is focused on identifying priorities and appropriate solutions to bolster the integrity and resiliency of the Oroville Dam complex to ensure public safety. Several piezometers were originally installed in the dam over fifty years ago which, as anticipated, have since stopped functioning. DWR continues its work to install additional instrumentation throughout the facility to provide ongoing, real-time data to DWR engineers, including eight new piezometers installed earlier this year at the base of Oroville Dam.  Chinook Salmon Return to the Feather River
The Feather River Fish Hatchery’s spawning operations – which enable millions of Chinook salmon to be released to the river every spring – is underway, but the hatchery is not open for tours this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Viewing Area near the Feather River’s Fish Diversion Dam north of the Hatchery remains open to visitors. The public is urged to maintain physical distancing and abide by requirements for mask-wearing to protect personal health and the health of others. The Forebay Aquatic Center at the North Forebay State Recreation Area has closed for the season but is hosting kayak floats on the Feather River from the Feather River Fish Hatchery to Riverbend Park to view the returning salmon Oct. 17 and Oct. 24. Visit their webpage for registration information. Photo: Watching the salmon at Feather River Fish Hatchery's viewing window DWR Water Wednesdays Winter is coming and Water Wednesdays continues its look at how DWR prepares for severe winter storms and flood events, and how you can be prepared too. 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 episodes are live, allowing participants who have signed up on Zoom to ask real time questions of the speaker. Visit the DWR Events webpage at https://water.ca.gov/News/Events to join or register for next Wednesday’s chat. Information will also be posted on DWR’s social media pages at @CA_DWR (Twitter) and @CADWR (Facebook). Water Wednesdays began in May 2020 and previous episodes are available on DWR’s YouTube channel – enter Water Wednesdays in the search bar. Current Lake Operations The elevation of Oroville’s reservoir is about 739 feet and storage is about 1.57 million acre-feet. Daily average inflows to the lake have ranged between 877 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 2,454 cfs over the past week. Weather will be warm in the low to mid-80s Oct. 17 to Oct. 18. During the week of Oct. 19, temperatures are projected to slightly cool through the week from the mid-80’s to mid-70’s. The total releases to Feather River continue at 2,450 cfs to meet downstream Bay-Delta water quality and flow standards. The Feather River flows consist of 800 cfs through the Low Flow Channel adjacent to the City of Oroville, and 1,650 cfs from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet (Outlet) for a total of 2,450 cfs for the Feather River’s high flow channel downstream of the Outlet. All data as of midnight 10/15/2020 ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected].  October 9, 2020 North Complex Fire Update Butte County’s “North Complex – West Zone Fire” is now 98 percent contained with over 84,595 acres burned as of Friday, Oct. 9. The fire severely damaged communities around Lake Oroville. Several Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (LOSRA) facilities were also damaged including Loafer Creek Recreation Area which remains closed. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is working closely with California State Parks (CA Parks), CALFIRE, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), and wildfire response partners in fire recovery efforts and in planning for winter precipitation impacts in burn scar areas. Oroville Recreation Openings Update The Lime Saddle and Oroville Dam Spillway boat ramps are open and the Bidwell Canyon boat launch is open on weekends while construction, expected to be completed in November, is underway. (See below for information.) Bidwell Canyon and Lake Oroville (Lime Saddle) marinas are open for normal operation under regular winter schedules. Visit the CA Parks LOSRA webpage for current information on facility status as well as current requirements to protect public health during the COVID pandemic. Area trails, including a newly opened portion of the Brad Freeman Trail from the Spillway boat ramp area to the Thermalito Diversion Pool, are open. Exceptions are the Potter’s Ravine and North Fork trails near the Spillway boat launch area and trails in the Loafer Creek recreation area, which will remain closed through the winter to repair fire damage. Enterprise, Stringtown, and Foreman Creek boat ramp areas, the Loafer Creek Recreation Area, and Lake Oroville Visitor Center also remain closed. The Oroville Wildlife Area, including the Thermalito Afterbay, remains open from 1.5 hours before sunrise to one hour after sunset. Current recreation facility information can be found on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage, CA Parks LOSRA webpage, and the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife webpage. Bidwell Canyon Boat Ramp Closed Weekdays for Facility Improvements The Bidwell Canyon boat ramp will be closed weekdays, Monday through Friday, from Oct. 5 to Nov. 18 to continue construction started in 2018 to expand the parking area and provide two additional boat ramp lanes to 700 feet. The boat ramp will open at 5 a.m. on Saturdays and close at midnight Sundays. Kelly Ridge and Arroyo Drive residents should anticipate large construction equipment and rock and concrete deliveries in the area. As they do every fall, lake levels are decreasing, and the Bidwell Canyon Stage One boat ramp is now out of the water. Both the Lime Saddle and Spillway boat ramps are available for use during Stage Two construction activities. The Bidwell Canyon Marina and shuttle services remain open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Loafer Creek Recreation Area remains closed for fire recovery and its boat ramps are also out of the water. Photo: Construction of new boat ramp at Bidwell Canyon Recreation Area  Chinook Salmon Return to the Feather River
Chinook salmon are completing their life cycle and returning home to the Feather River to lay eggs for the next generation of salmon. The Feather River Fish Hatchery’s fish ladder is open and hatchery spawning operations – which enable millions of Chinook salmon to be released to the river every spring – are underway. To protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hatchery will not be open for tours this year. Visitors can still enjoy seeing salmon climb the fish ladder at the Viewing Area near the Feather River’s Fish Diversion Dam north of the Hatchery. The public is urged to maintain physical distancing and abide by requirements for mask-wearing to protect personal health and the health of others. Photo: Salmon about to jump the fish ladder at the Feather River Fish Hatchery's viewing window Installation of Piezometers Completed at Oroville Dam Four new piezometers have been installed at the headworks of Oroville Dam’s main, or flood control outlet (FCO), spillway. The piezometers will collect data from the FCO foundation which houses the spillway’s eight gates which control water flow down the main spillway. The data will be used to confirm drain performance, inform on-going structural modeling and analyses, and inform future improvements to the structure. This work, completed on Oct. 5, is part of early implementation of the Oroville Dam Safety Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA), which is focused on identifying priorities and appropriate solutions to bolster the integrity and resiliency of the Oroville Dam complex to ensure public safety. Several piezometers were originally installed in the dam over fifty years ago which, as anticipated, have since stopped functioning. DWR continues its work to install additional instrumentation throughout the facility to provide ongoing, real-time data to DWR engineers, including eight new piezometers installed earlier this year at the base of Oroville Dam. DWR Water Wednesdays It’s not too early to start thinking about winter storms and flood risk. DWR’s Water Wednesdays program is currently focusing on how DWR prepares for severe winter storms and flood events, and how you can be prepared too. 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 episodes are live, allowing participants who have signed up on Zoom to ask real time questions of the speaker. Visit the DWR Events webpage at https://water.ca.gov/News/Events to join or register for next Wednesday’s chat. Information will also be posted on DWR’s social media pages at @CA_DWR (Twitter) and @CADWR (Facebook). Water Wednesdays began in May 2020 and previous episodes are available on DWR’s YouTube channel – enter Water Wednesdays in the search bar. Current Lake Operations The elevation of Oroville’s reservoir is about 741 feet and storage is about 1.60 million acre-feet. Daily average inflows to the lake have ranged between 1,035 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 2,295 over the past week. Weather will be cloudy with a slight chance of rainfall Oct. 10-11. During the week of Oct. 12, temperatures are projected to warm into the mid to high 80’s. The total releases to Feather River continue at 2,600 cfs to meet downstream Bay-Delta water quality and flow standards. The Feather River flows consist of 800 cfs through the Low Flow Channel adjacent to the City of Oroville, and 1,800 cfs from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet (Outlet) for a total of 2,600 cfs for the Feather River’s high flow channel downstream of the Outlet. During the week of Oct. 12, total releases to the Feather River will be slightly reduced. The reduction will be from the Outlet - the Low Flow Channel will be maintained at 800 cfs. All data as of midnight 10/8/2020 ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected].  October 2, 2020 Bear/North Complex Fire Impacts Oroville The Butte County’s Bear Fire, called “North Complex – West Zone Fire” is now 95 percent contained with over 84,595 acres burned as of Friday, Oct. 2. The fire severely damaged communities around Lake Oroville, including several Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (LOSRA) facilities including Loafer Creek Recreation Area which remains closed. The Bidwell Canyon Marina and Lime Saddle Marina have not sustained damage and there are currently no risks to Oroville Dam or its related structures. The fire remains active near the upper reaches of Lake Oroville’s North Fork of the Feather River. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is working closely with California State Parks (CA Parks), CALFIRE, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E,) and local law enforcement partners in fire recovery efforts. DWR’s water delivery and other critical operations are ongoing with essential staff on site. Photo: A smoky haze sits over the Bidwell Bar Bridge near Lake Oroville’s Bidwell Canyon Marina - courtesy S. McReynolds Oroville Recreation Openings Update As containment of the North Complex – West Zone grows, fire risks to Lake Oroville recreation facilities have decreased. Effective Friday, Oct. 2, the Bidwell Canyon, Lime Saddle, and Oroville Dam Spillway boat launches are open. (See below for upcoming closure of Bidwell Canyon boat ramp.) Bidwell Canyon and Lake Oroville (Lime Saddle) marinas are open for normal operation under regular winter schedules. Please visit the CA Parks LOSRA webpage for information on current status of all LOSRA facilities. Oroville Dam Crest Road across the top of Oroville Dam is open to bicyclists and pedestrians. The newly opened Brad Freeman Trail down to the now open Thermalito Diversion Pool may be accessed from the new gravel parking lot at the north side of the Spillway Day Use Area. The Dan Beebe Trail on the south side of the Diversion Pool; the North and South Forebay Recreation Areas; the Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area; and the Saddle Dam trailhead are all open. Potter’s Ravine and North Fork trails near the Spillway boat launch will remain closed through the winter to repair fire damage. Enterprise, Stringtown, and Foreman Creek boat launch areas, the Loafer Creek Recreation Area, and Lake Oroville Visitor Center also remain closed. The Oroville Wildlife Area, including the Thermalito Afterbay, remains open from 1.5 hours before sunrise to one hour after sunset. Current recreation facility information can be found on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage, CA Parks LOSRA webpage, and the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife webpage. Bidwell Canyon Stage Two Boat Ramp to Close for Facility Improvements The Bidwell Canyon Boat Ramp Stage Two Improvement Project resumed work on Sept. 23 after being temporarily halted due to the North Complex – West Zone fire. The Project continues construction started in 2018 to expand the parking area and provide two additional boat ramp lanes to 700 feet. The Stage Two boat ramps will be closed weekdays, Monday through Friday, from Oct. 5 to Nov. 18. Kelly Ridge and Arroyo Drive residents should anticipate large construction equipment and rock and concrete deliveries in the area. As they do every fall, lake levels are decreasing, leaving the Bidwell Canyon Stage One boat ramps with only a few days left for access. It is anticipated that lake levels will drop below the boat ramp between Oct. 5 and Oct. 7. Both the Lime Saddle and Spillway boat ramps will be available for use. Loafer Creek Recreation Area remains closed for fire recovery and its boat ramps are out of the water. The Bidwell Canyon Marina and shuttle services remain open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors are reminded to be safe and obey access restrictions.  Chinook Salmon Return to the Feather River
Chinook salmon are completing their life cycle and returning home to the Feather River to lay eggs for the next generation of salmon. The Feather River Fish Hatchery’s fish ladder is open and hatchery spawning operations – which enable millions of Chinook salmon to be released to the river every spring – are underway. To protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hatchery will not be open for tours this year. Visitors can still enjoy seeing salmon climb the fish ladder at the Viewing Area near the Feather River’s Fish Diversion Dam north of the Hatchery. The public is urged to maintain physical distancing and abide by requirements for mask-wearing to protect personal health and the health of others. Photo: Children watch salmon swim up the fish ladder at the Feather River Fish Hatchery's viewing window DWR Water Wednesdays It’s not too early to start thinking about winter storms and flood risk. Over the next few weeks, DWR’s Water Wednesdays program will focus on how DWR prepares for severe winter storms and flood events, and how you can be prepared too. 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 episodes are live, allowing participants who have signed up on Zoom to ask real time questions of the speaker. Visit the DWR Events webpage at https://water.ca.gov/News/Events to join or register for next Wednesday’s chat which starts a series on flood preparedness. Information will also be posted on DWR’s social media pages at @CA_DWR (Twitter) and @CADWR (Facebook). Water Wednesdays began in May 2020 and previous episodes are available on DWR’s YouTube channel – enter Water Wednesdays in the search bar. Current Lake Operations The elevation of Oroville’s reservoir is about 744 feet and storage is about 1.62 million acre-feet. Daily average inflows to the lake have ranged between 864 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 1,499 over the past week. During the week of Oct. 5, temperatures are projected to drop from the mid-90s to the low 80s by the end of the week. The water year begins Oct. 1 and with no measurable precipitation, the Northern Sierra Basin rainfall totals begin at zero percent. The total releases to Feather River continue at 2,600 cfs to meet downstream Bay-Delta water quality and flow standards. The Feather River flows consist of 800 cfs through the Low Flow Channel adjacent to the City of Oroville, and 1,800 cfs from the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet for a total of 2,600 cfs for the Feather River’s high flow channel downstream of the Outlet. All data as of midnight 10/1/2020 ### Know someone who would like to receive Community Updates? They can email their request to [email protected]. |
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