Lake Oroville Update - October 18, 2024

Published: October 18, 2024

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has resumed vegetation management activities at Loafer Creek within the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area. CAL FIRE, the California Conservation Corps (CCC), the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and Butte County Sheriff's Office crews are removing ladder fuels and preparing units throughout Loafer Creek and along HWY 162 (Oro Quincy Highway) for prescribed burning that is anticipated Wednesday, Oct. 23 through Friday, Oct. 25 depending on weather conditions.

Vegetation management activities will require the intermittent closure of several trails within the Loafer Creek Recreation Area. Trail users should be cautious when entering work areas and obey all posted trail signage. Smoke from prescribed burning activities will be visible in the Oroville area.

In 2023, DWR was awarded Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds totaling $900,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to complete a 220-acre hazardous fuels reduction project in the Lake Oroville area. Fuel reduction locations include DWR property along Oro Dam Blvd. East, the Bidwell Canyon/Kelly Ridge area, and the Loafer Creek State Recreation Area. This multi-year project is reducing hazardous fuels and the risk of catastrophic wildfire by thinning vegetation using hand and mechanical methods, accompanied by chipping. By proactively reducing ground fuels, thinning overgrown vegetation, and removing dead and dying vegetation, firefighters have a better chance at suppressing a wildfire.

DWR's Fuel Load Management Plan works to reduce wildfire risk, increase public safety, and enhance forest health around the Lake Oroville area. Ongoing vegetation management of this critical area remains a high priority for DWR and its partners at CAL FIRE, Butte County Fire Department, Butte County Sheriff's Office, the CCC, State Parks, and the Butte County Fire Safe Council.

Brad Freeman Trail Improvements

DWR is making progress on a project to improve a 1.5-mile section of the Brad Freeman Trail between Cherokee Road and the Highway 70 Garden Drive overpass. This week DWR crews began paving work to construct an 8-foot-wide asphalt path. Paving activities are expected to last through Oct. 24 with the work schedule subject to change based on material and crew availability. The Brad Freeman Trail between Cherokee Road and Garden Drive will remain closed during paving work.

Additional planned trail upgrades include a 4-foot-wide decomposed granite path for pedestrians and the replacement of existing entrance bollards with wider, accessible box gates. The improvement project is supported by a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant through the National Park Service, with remaining funding for the $700,000 project provided by DWR. Project work is being constructed in phases with completion possible this year depending on weather conditions.

Oroville Wildlife Area

The 11,800-acre Oroville Wildlife Area (OWA) is a forested upland and riparian habitat along the Feather River and around the Thermalito Afterbay. Managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in partnership with DWR, the OWA allows for additional outdoor recreation activities such as hunting, river- and pond-oriented fishing and boating, and wildlife observation and photography.

Several trails cross throughout the OWA, providing opportunities for hiking and biking. The Feather River runs through the center of the OWA and several locations provide unpaved boat ramp access that accommodate both car-top and trailer launching. The OWA also provides anglers with walk-in access to 10 miles of the Feather River, one of the best steelhead fishing rivers in the state. Steelhead are a top-tier sportfish with steelhead season in full swing right now. Savvy anglers are fishing roe and egg-fly patterns in the riffles below spawning Chinook salmon.

The OWA is a "Type C" wildlife area (hunting pass not required) and is open for hunting seven days a week with entry hours limited from 1.5 hours before sunrise to one hour after sunset. No rifles or pistols may be used or possessed on the wildlife area except at the designated shooting range (Rabe Rd. Shooting Range off Larkin Rd.; open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset). Lead ammunition cannot be used while hunting in California.

Oroville Recreation

DWR, State Parks, and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open trails and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi), is available on DWR's Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center.

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. Be sure to check CDFW fishing regulations before you go out fishing. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services including a convenience store, gas, boat rentals, and more.

Staffed by knowledgeable guides, the Lake Oroville Visitor Center features interpretive displays on Oroville Dam, area geology, wildlife and habitat, hydroelectric power, and cultural and historical artifacts. View 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.

Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1 are:

• Spring-run Chinook salmon (March 1 through June 30): 7,150
• Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 15,172
• Steelhead: 1,172

Current Lake Operations

Lake Oroville is at 769 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.78 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 52 percent of its total capacity and 96 percent of the historical average.

Feather River flows are at 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with 1,650 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 2,450 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 midnight 10/17/2024.

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