Lake Oroville Update - April 3, 2026

DWR Conserving Water at Lake Oroville

During the winter and early spring months, flood control releases from Oroville Dam ensure the safety of the City of Oroville and downstream communities by reserving storage space to capture high storm inflows while permitting controlled and coordinated releases from the dam. As the warm summer months approach and rain and snowstorms driven by atmospheric rivers wane, DWR transitions from making flood control releases at Oroville Dam to conserving as much water in the reservoir as possible, while still meeting water delivery and environmental requirements. Given the largely dry conditions and low snowpack in the Feather River watershed, DWR has flexibility to conserve water and encroach into the flood space and has received approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the current release schedule.

DWR has decreased total releases from Lake Oroville to account for reduced inflows into the reservoir while optimizing storage for the benefit of water supply, recreation, and fish and wildlife enhancement. DWR coordinates releases closely with USACE and other water operators and adjusts releases as needed to maintain balance throughout the water system.

Current reservoir levels are as follows, though estimates may change quickly:

• Current Oroville Reservoir Level: 880 feet elevation
• Current Storage: 91 percent of capacity
• Total Releases to the Feather River: 1,150 cubic feet per second; decreasing to 1,050 cfs on Saturday, April 4

Lake Oroville is the largest storage facility in the State Water Project, providing flood protection while supporting environmental and water delivery needs for 27 million Californians. Some water released from Oroville for flood control is captured downstream for beneficial uses by local landowners, communities, and the State Water Project. Releases from Oroville Dam also support Feather River habitat for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and other river species. DWR continues to monitor lake levels, weather forecasts, and mountain snow levels to optimize water storage and allow for carryover storage into the following year.

DWR Begins Vernal Pool Monitoring

Some grasslands, including areas around Butte County, have an underlying impervious layer of rock or clay that causes rainwater to pond in the winter and spring, creating seasonal wetlands called vernal pools. Although vernal pools are only a small component of our local grasslands in terms of area, they support a remarkably high diversity of plants and animals, including rare and endangered species and species that are only found in California.

Vernal pool organisms and plants are highly specialized to their unique environment and to the Mediterranean-type climate found in California. They have adapted to living in pools that fill in the winter but are completely dry in the summer, as well as to the extreme variabilities in temperature and rainfall that can occur year to year. They are important targets for conservation because most vernal pools in California have been lost to development, agriculture, and habitat degradation from invasive plants.

Vernal pools often support spectacular wildflowers that bloom from March to May. Each spring, DWR environmental scientists from the Oroville Field Division monitor hundreds of vernal pools throughout the Oroville area and assess how protection measures for these valuable environmental resources are succeeding.

This year scientists are observing wildflowers blooming earlier, likely due to ongoing dry conditions, which have also dried up vernal pools earlier than usual. Areas around the Thermalito Forebay and Afterbay are currently abundant with flowers, in part due to annual prescribed burns to remove invasive grass buildup and other invasive plants. These efforts are coordinated by DWR in partnership with CAL FIRE, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and demonstrate the benefit of invasive plant management within the Thermalito area grasslands.

Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission

The California Natural Resources Agency is hosting its 22nd Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission meeting on Friday, April 10 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Commission is a forum for questions and feedback from communities surrounding Oroville Dam. The virtual public meeting will include presentations and an opportunity for public comment. Presentations will cover updates from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the City of Oroville's levee screening report and the Water Control Manual update process and an update from Yuba Water Agency on New Bullards Bar operations and partner coordination. For information about the meeting and to register, please visit the Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission website.

Oroville Wildflower & Nature Festival

The Feather River Recreation & Park District (FRRPD) is hosting its annual Wildflower & Nature Festival at Riverbend Park in Oroville on Saturday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free to the festival with activities highlighting the area's natural resources and booths showcasing handmade Butte County products. Activities and entertainment will be available for all ages including children's crafts, river kayak tours, live music, food trucks, and a beer and wine garden.

Make sure to stop by DWR's booth for information about the Lake Oroville Visitor Center and Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, and a craft activity for kids - making acorn cap necklaces. More information about the Wildflower & Nature Festival is available on FRRPD's website.

Golden Mussel Inspection Program

DWR has moved its invasive mussel inspection/decontamination facilities at the North Thermalito Forebay to the paved RV parking lot near the entrance. Watercraft owners should turn right once past the main entrance. Signage is posted to help direct traffic. More details about DWR's mussel inspection program are available at water.ca.gov/mussels.

Watercraft Inspection Location/Decontamination Services

North Thermalito Forebay at Garden Drive and HWY 70 in Oroville

Hours of operation: Daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sealed Vessel Launching

Lake Oroville

Ramp hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Spillway
• Bidwell Canyon

Ramp hours: Daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Lime Saddle
• Loafer Creek/Loafer Point

Thermalito Afterbay

Ramp hours: Daily from 1.5 hours before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset

• Monument Hill

Thermalito Forebay

Ramp Hours: Daily from 8 a.m. to sunset

• North Forebay (Non-motorized vessels only)

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 4-25, 2026 are:

• Spring-run Chinook salmon: 353
• Steelhead: 3
• To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.

Current Lake Operations

Lake Oroville is at 880 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.12 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 91 percent of its total capacity and 124 percent of the historical average.

Feather River flows are at 650 cfs through the City of Oroville with releases from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet at 500 cfs for a total Feather River release of 1,150 cfs downstream. Releases from the Outlet will reduce to 400 cfs on April 4 for a total Feather River release of 1,050 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 4/2/2026.