HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.18.26 Board Correspondence - FW_ Lake Oroville Community Update - September 18, 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 18, 2026
Date:Friday, September 18, 2026 4:02:56 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, September 18, 2026 2:41 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.ca.gov>
Subject: Lake Oroville Community Update - September 18, 2026
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Lake Oroville Community Update
September 18, 2026
Routine Spillway Cleaning Underway
Following another winter season that required flood control releases from Oroville Dam’s
main spillway, DWR has begun cleaning the spillway in preparation for routine annual
inspections. Inspections of the concrete spillway chute are scheduled Oct. 12-16.
Members of the public should expect to see crews using pressure washers, brooms, and
small equipment to remove debris, followed by engineers walking the spillway surface to
conduct inspections.
Each year, DWR engineers perform comprehensive inspections of the main spillway.
These inspections evaluate the condition of concrete slabs and walls, joint sealants, and
dentates (energy-dissipating structures at the base of the spillway). Routine maintenance
activities, including joint sealant replacement, are expected to occur this fall based on
inspection results and reservoir levels.
The main spillway continues to perform well and operate as designed. The spillway was
rebuilt to the highest engineering and safety standards with oversight and guidance by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD), and
an independent board of consultants. DWR conducted significant amounts of inspections
and testing throughout reconstruction to ensure compliance with project specifications.
DWR also provides regular updates to the Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission, a
public forum for discussing operations, maintenance, and public safety activities at
Oroville Dam and its facilities.
Feather River Gravel Project Supports Spawning Activities
Throughout California’s Central Valley, Chinook salmon and steelhead trout migrate
between the ocean and inland rivers to spawn during their lifecycles. Ahead of the fall
spawning season, DWR completed a salmonid habitat improvement project in the low-flow
channel of the Feather River in Oroville, placing approximately 8,000 cubic yards of
spawning gravel between the Table Mountain Bridge and Bedrock Park.
“Oroville Dam blocks the upstream passage of some fish to their natural spawning habitat
and prevents the migration of gravel that would naturally flow downstream,” said Kassie
Henley, senior environmental scientist with DWR’s Feather River program. “Through
gravel restoration projects, DWR supports fish that use the Feather River for this critical
phase of their lives. The gravel is placed in July and August ahead of when Chinook
salmon and steelhead spawn to avoid impacts to eggs.”
Female Chinook salmon use their tails to dig redds, clusters of bright red fertilized eggs,
which are buried in gravel beds. The eggs then hatch within the gravel into alevin, the first
lifecycle stage of a new salmon. For gravel supplementation projects, DWR selects gravel
that is an ideal size for spawning activities. Rocks that are too large are difficult for fish to
move, while those that are too small can suffocate the eggs.
DWR scientists routinely evaluate spawning habitat to identify areas that would benefit
from gravel supplementation. Since 2014, three other Feather River gravel projects have
placed approximately 21,000 cubic yards of gravel to support spawning. These projects
have been hugely successful, with staff observing high levels of spawning activity in areas
that have been enhanced with new gravel. As Feather River flows increase during the
winter and spring, gravel naturally migrates to create new habitat in spawning riffles
downstream.
Learn more about this project on DWR’s blog or watch a new feature video.
Oroville Salmon Festival
Join DWR at the Oroville Salmon Festival on Saturday, Sept. 26! Visit our booth at the
Feather River Fish Hatchery from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We will have educational materials on
water safety, a salmon gyotaku fish printing activity, and a photo opportunity. DWR Guides
will also be giving free tours of the Hatchery, where DWR and the California Department
of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) raise Chinook salmon and steelhead to improve fish
populations throughout the state.
Other Salmon Festival activities include the Motor Mania Car Show, Salmon Run, a food
and beer garden, Kid’s Zone, and numerous shopping opportunities and vendor booths in
downtown Oroville. DWR has also partnered with the Oroville State Theater to showcase
videos about efforts to support vital salmon habitat restoration, fish health, and population
growth.
View the full Salmon Festival schedule at Visit Oroville.
Feather River Floating Classroom
Feather River Floating Classroom raft tours are returning this fall! Sponsored and
developed by DWR, the Floating Classroom program guides participants through Feather
River spawning habitat while DWR and Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
scientists describe Chinook salmon conservation efforts supported by the State Water
Project. Discussion topics include ongoing and planned research, restoration and
monitoring projects, and fisheries management activities.
Free floating classroom tours start Sunday, Sept. 27 during the Salmon Festival weekend,
followed by tours each Saturday between Oct. 3 and Nov. 7. Each weekend will have two
public tours with limited seats. Tickets will be released each Friday, approximately two
weeks in advance of each tour, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis with
up to four free tickets available per person each fall. Reserve your FREE floating
classroom ticket(s) on Eventbrite.
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 September 8, 2026, are:
Spring-run Chinook salmon (March 4 through June 30): 8,509
Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 7,638
Steelhead: 41
To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.
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
Current Lake Operations
Lake Oroville is at 770 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.79 million acre-feet
(MAF), which is 52 percent of its total capacity and 91 percent of the historical average.
Feather River flows are at 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with
releases from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet at 6,850 cfs for a total Feather River
release of 7,500 cfs downstream. Releases from the Outlet will increase to 7,350 cfs on
Sept. 19 for a total Feather River release of 8,000 cfs. 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 9/17/2026.
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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