A drone view of Oroville Dam and main spillway at Lake Oroville in Butte County, California. Photo taken March 11, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Department of Water Resources

OROVILLE, CA (MPG) - The California Department of Water Resources is maintaining releases from Oroville Dam as part of ongoing efforts to repel salinity intrusion in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and comply with state and federal requirements.

Lake Oroville stood at elevation 853 feet Friday, holding about 2.74 million acre feet of water, or 80 percent of capacity and 129 percent of the historical average for this date. Total releases to the Feather River were 8,000 cubic feet per second, though officials said flows may be reduced beginning Sunday, Feb. 15.

Under the State Water Project water rights permit, DWR must maintain low salinity conditions in the Delta from February through June to protect habitat for native fish species. At the same time, the agency is required to operate the reservoir under federal flood control guidelines established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Between mid-September and June, a portion of reservoir storage must remain available to capture runoff from storms and snowmelt to reduce flood risk downstream.

To preserve that space, DWR conducts coordinated flood control releases. Some of the released water is captured downstream for agricultural, municipal and project uses. Flows also support habitat in the Feather River for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and other species. Releases are coordinated with the Corps of Engineers and downstream operators, and river users are advised that flows may shift depending on weather forecasts.

Driftwood removal efforts also continue across the reservoir. Civil maintenance crews patrol lake branches during wetter months to intercept floating woody debris before it reaches the main body of the lake. Higher inflows can carry large amounts of debris into the reservoir, posing risks to boaters and infrastructure. From 2023 through 2025, crews collected about 44,000 cubic yards of woody vegetation following major storm events. Boaters are urged to remain alert for floating hazards.

Fish stocking efforts were expanded in January. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife released about 1.89 million fall run Chinook salmon fry, each about 1.4 inches long, into the Feather River at the Thermalito Afterbay outlet. In addition, roughly 575,185 yearling steelhead averaging 10 inches were planted between Jan. 6 and Jan. 27 at multiple sites along the Feather and Sacramento rivers, including a new location at Mile Long Pond in the Oroville Wildlife Area. The Feather River Fish Hatchery, built as mitigation for Oroville Dam, is owned by DWR and operated by CDFW.

DWR has also relocated its invasive mussel inspection and decontamination station at the North Thermalito Forebay to the paved RV parking area near the entrance. The inspection program operates daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours beginning March 8. Boat ramp hours at Lake Oroville and related facilities will also expand March 8 in preparation for spring recreation.

Current Feather River flows are 650 cubic feet per second through Oroville, with 7,350 cubic feet per second released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet. Officials said reservoir levels and releases are assessed daily and may change based on precipitation and snowpack conditions.

Reservoir data, snowpack information and other hydrologic updates are available through the California Data Exchange Center.