HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.04.26 Board Correspondence - FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - September 4, 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; Dubose, Teri; 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 - September 4, 2026
Date:Tuesday, September 8, 2026 7:50:01 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: Department of Water Resources <DWRMedia@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Friday, September 4, 2026 2:16 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.ca.gov>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - September 4, 2026
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Lake Oroville Community Update
September 4, 2026
Dam Revegetation Project Ongoing
Construction work is ongoing on a DWR project to reestablish native vegetation in areas
adjacent to Oroville Dam’s main and emergency spillways. Work started in June 2026,
with the project revegetating approximately 70 acres with seed and replanting six acres of
woody vegetation surrounding Oroville Dam’s spillways. 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 spaced apart to
prevent vegetation from acting as a fire ladder. In addition, the selected California-native
plants are fire-adapted species that can regenerate after fires.
Brad Freeman Trail users hiking, biking, or riding between the Spillway Day Use Area and
Diversion Pool should be alert for active construction work and equipment near the trail
through Sept. 18. Crews will be onsite weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Caution is
advised when passing near the project area.
Work in 2026 includes 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, California, is the contractor for the project.
Free Fishing Day
If you are new to the sport of fishing, and not sure if you will enjoy it, the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is offering a free fishing day this Saturday, Sept.
5. While all fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card
requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect, the upcoming free
fishing day allows anyone to fish without purchasing a fishing license. Free Fishing Days
provide a great way to give fishing a try.
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. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a
variety of services including gas, boat rentals, a convenience store, and more.
More information about CDFW’s free fishing day is available on their website.
PHOTO COLLECTION: Bidwell Bar Bridge at Sunset
8/31/2026 – DWR photographers capture the splendor of Bidwell Bar Bridge and Lake
Oroville near sunset. View the photo gallery on Pixel.
A drone view of Bidwell Bar Bridge around sunset at Lake Oroville.
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 August 30, 2026, are:
Spring-run Chinook salmon (March 4 through June 30): 8,509
Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 5,901
Steelhead: 37
To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.
Current Lake Operations
Lake Oroville is at 783 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.93 million acre-feet
(MAF), which is 54 percent of its total capacity and 94 percent of the historical average.
Feather River flows are at 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville
This email was sent to clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net from the California Natural Resources Agency
utilizing Granicus Communications Cloud. California Natural Resources Agency, 715 P Street, Sacramento,
CA 95814
River release of 7,500 cfs downstream. DWR 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 9/3/2026.
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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