HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.24.26 Board Correspondence - FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - July 24, 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; 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 - July 24, 2026
Date:Friday, July 24, 2026 4:07:48 PM
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: Department of Water Resources <DWRMedia@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2026 1:55 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.ca.gov>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - July 24, 2026
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Lake Oroville Community Update
July 24, 2026
Paving Work Resuming along Thermalito Afterbay Dam Crest
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is resuming work on a paving and sealing
project to rehabilitate sections of the Thermalito Afterbay Dam Crest Road. Paving work
on the dam crest, which is also part of the Brad Freeman trail system, will begin Monday,
July 27. The Afterbay Dam Crest Road/Brad Freeman Trail south of State Route 162 to
the East Hamilton Road Trail Access will be closed around the clock for paving work
through mid-August. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open trails and
their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multiuse), is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville
Recreation webpage.
The dam crest work is a continuation of a larger project started in August 2025 to
rehabilitate several locations owned and maintained by the department that are heavily
used by maintenance staff and the public. Previous paving, sealing, and guardrail
improvement locations included: the Feather River Fish Hatchery, Thermalito Powerplant
Access Roads, Thermalito Diversion Dam Powerplant, Thermalito Power Canal Access
Road, Canyon Drive from the intersection of Oroville Dam Blvd. E./Royal Oaks Drive
heading north to the dam and upper overlook, and Oroville Dam Boulevard East near Oro
Powerhouse Road.
Paving work is also ongoing at the Oroville Field Division Operations and Maintenance
Center on Glen Drive. Work schedules are subject to change based on weather and the
availability of equipment and materials. Vintage Paving Company, Inc. of Winters, Calif. is
the contractor for the project.
Toddler Time at the Lake Oroville Visitor Center
DWR is offering free toddler time events this summer for children ages 2-5 at the Lake
Oroville Visitor Center. Join us Tuesday, July 28 and Tuesday, August 25 from 10 to 11
a.m. for free crafts and toddler-friendly activities. July’s event will feature a short morning
walk, water cycle education, and a craft activity featuring rainbow butterfly magnets.
The Lake Oroville Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staffed by
knowledgeable guides, the Visitor Center features interpretive displays on Oroville Dam,
area geology, wildlife and habitat, hydroelectric power, and cultural and historical artifacts.
Visitors can watch 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. Parking and admission to the
Visitor Center are free.
California Natural Resources Agency Welcomes Public
Comments
The California Natural Resources Agency welcomes public comments on the second
Triennial Oroville Citizens Advisory Commission (OCAC) Legislative Report, which covers
Commission activities between fall 2022 and fall 2025.
The report is mandated by Senate Bill 955, the 2018 legislation that formed the
Commission, and is an important record of the information presented before the
Commission about Oroville Dam and flood management-related progress and plans made
by DWR at the Oroville facilities. The report provides the following information:
An overview of ongoing maintenance and improvements made at the dam and its
site.
A register of communications received from the department and other parties to the
commission.
Notice of upcoming plans made by the department for the dam and its site.
An overview of flood management projects on the Feather River affecting public
safety and flood risk reduction.
Public comments must be submitted by noon on Tuesday, Aug. 11. All comments
received during the public comment period will be included in the report's register of
communications and considered before the report is finalized. Comments may be
submitted via an online form. If you require assistance with submitting a comment, please
contact Samantha Arthur at Samantha.Arthur@resources.ca.gov.
Gravel Project Supporting Feather River Salmon Habitat
DWR is starting construction on a salmonid habitat improvement project in the Feather
River between the Table Mountain Bridge and Bedrock Park in Oroville.
Crews began mobilizing heavy equipment and supplies this week, with in-water work
expected to begin the week of July 27.
The project consists of placing approximately 7,900 cubic yards of in-river spawning
gravel to improve existing spawning habitat sites and will also aid accessibility to existing
side channels by excavating and redistributing accumulated streambed material. Migratory
fish species such as Chinook salmon and steelhead trout rely on Feather River spawning
habitats along the low-flow channel, where most spawning activity occurs. Because
gravel doesn’t naturally flow downstream of Oroville Dam, gravel supplementation is
necessary to provide sufficient spawning habitat to support existing salmonid populations.
Female salmonids dig into gravel and lay their eggs in nests called “redds” using coarse
sediment. Clean, rounded gravel approximately 1-4 inches in size is ideal as gravel that is
too large is hard to move and gravel that is too small can suffocate eggs.
The $2.37 million project is primarily funded by a General Fund Local Assistance Grant for
Habitat Restoration from the Facilitating Improvement of Systemwide Habitat (FISH)
Program that is supported by Assembly Bill 179 (2022). DWR Feather River spawning
restoration projects included the placement of 8,300 cubic yards of spawning gravel in
2014, 5,000 cubic yards in 2017, and 8,000 cubic yards in 2023.
Reclamation District 1500 in the Sutter Basin is the contractor for the project. In-river work
for the project is expected to last through the end of August. Feather River users may
encounter “traffic control” along the waterway during construction. Flaggers will be
stationed in the river to alert water users of nearby heavy construction equipment and
direct water traffic safely through the construction zone. River recreationists are
encouraged to remain alert when passing through work zones.
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 July 20, 2026, are:
Spring-run Chinook salmon (March 4 through June 30): 8,512
Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 989
Steelhead: -14 (most likely kelts moving downstream)
To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.
Current Lake Operations
Lake Oroville is at 847 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.67 million acre-feet
(MAF), which is 78 percent of its total capacity and 110 percent of the historical average.
Feather River flows are at 850 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville
with releases from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet at 7,650 cfs for a total Feather
River release of 8,500 cfs downstream. WR 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 7/23/2026.
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
Contact Us
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