Lake Oroville Update - June 26, 2026

Project Improving Campground and Boat Ramp

The Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency is set to begin construction on a project to improve the Oroville Wildlife Area (OWA) Thermalito Afterbay Outlet campground and boat ramp facilities. The area will close to the public beginning Monday, June 29. The $8 million project will expand and enhance public access and outdoor facilities along the Feather River near Oroville. Improvements will include a new concrete two-lane boat ramp, an improved gravel ramp for non-trailered boats, a 25-unit primitive campground, a day-use picnic area, new recreational trails, and paved parking with 47 trailered spaces and 31 single spaces. The improvement project is a collaboration with the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

The Thermalito Afterbay Outlet is a popular spot to launch and retrieve trailered and car-top boats and for Feather River access for shoreline fishing. River users are advised that access at this location is restricted during construction. Nearby alternate trailered boat ramps on the Feather River include Riverbend Park, River Reflections RV Park, Vance Avenue Boat Ramp, and Gridley. Car-top boat launches are available at the Feather River Fish Hatchery, Bedrock Park, Vance Avenue Outlet, and the Pacific Heights Weir Ramp. Feather River recreators are advised to use caution and plan a path of travel when floating past the Afterbay Outlet as river flows may vary.

Construction activities are expected to start in July, requiring the extended closure of the OWA Afterbay Outlet campground and boat ramp. R&R Horn of Chico is the contractor for the project with completion anticipated in spring or early summer of 2027.

Thermalito Afterbay Water Levels

Boaters may notice lower water levels at the Thermalito Afterbay this month as DWR minimizes water fluctuations to support a Western Snowy Plover and her fledglings, a threatened bird species. While water levels remain within the normal operating range for the Afterbay, the shallower water levels can present a hazard to boaters. Please be advised of a temporary shallow water hazard in the Afterbay located near the corner where East Hamilton Road and Highway 99 meet. DWR civil maintenance crews are placing a hazard buoy in the vicinity. The location may also be viewed on Google Maps.

Fourth of July in Oroville

Celebrate our nation's 250^th year of independence on July 4 with a spectacular fireworks show at Riverbend Park located at 50 Montgomery St. in Oroville. Enjoy community activities throughout the day starting with Oroville's local farmers' markets and dining and shopping in downtown Oroville. Then gather at Riverbend Park starting at 5 p.m. for an evening featuring food vendors, entertainment, and fireworks. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. A patriotic pre-show program and national anthem will start at 9 p.m. followed by the fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. The Oroville Chamber of Commerce's website has information about parking and free shuttle transportation to Riverbend Park so you can plan ahead.

DWR's Lake Oroville Visitor Center is also open for regular business hours on July 4 - open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staffed by knowledgeable guides, the Visitor Center features interpretive displays on Oroville Dam, area geology, wildlife and habitat, hydroelectric power, and cultural and historical artifacts. Visitors can watch 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.

Trails Reopen Along Diversion Pool

The California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) and DWR have temporarily reopened the Lakeland Boulevard Trailhead, Powerhouse Road Trailhead, and portions of the Brad Freeman and Dan Beebe trails that run along the south side of the Diversion Pool between the Fish Barrier Dam and Oro Powerhouse Road. The trails and trailhead have been closed since June 2025 for a DWR construction project that is replacing power and fiber-optic communication lines that support the Hyatt Powerplant, Feather River Fish Hatchery, and Thermalito Diversion Dam facilities. The project is temporarily on hiatus, with the second phase of construction to resume at a later date.

Prior to the start of DWR's fiber optic and communication line project, numerous trails and trailheads along the Diversion Pool and in Potter's Ravine were closed due to extensive damage from the July 2024 Thompson Fire. State Parks trail crews have worked diligently to reopen many of these, and the Brad Freeman and Dan Beebe trails have been cleared enough to temporarily reopen to the public. Recreation users should use caution when using trails along the Diversion Pool, as crews will still be working in the area for the next two months. Signs have been placed to notify users of temporary re-routes for the minimal areas that remain closed.

This past winter and spring, State Parks trail crews made significant progress on rehabilitating trails in Potter's Ravine and the Brad Freeman on the north side of the Diversion Pool and above Hyatt following the Thompson Fire. Crews cleared fallen debris, graded trails to address erosion, and rebuilt wooden foot bridges.

DWR, State Parks, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (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, multiuse), is available on the Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center.

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 June 21, 2026, are:

• Spring-run Chinook salmon: 8,068
• Steelhead: -23 (most likely kelts moving downstream)
• To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.

Current Lake Operations

Lake Oroville is at 881 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.15 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 92 percent of its total capacity and 116 percent of the historical average.

Feather River flows are at 850 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with releases from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet at 4,150 cfs for a total Feather River release of 5,000 cfs downstream. Between June 29 and July 1, flows from the Outlet will increase to 7,150 cfs with total Feather River releases increasing to 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 6/25/2026.