Lake Oroville Surges to 131 Percent of Historical Average After Recent Storms

Lake Oroville is currently at an elevation of 838 feet, with a storage capacity of approximately 2.65 million acre-feet, according to the Department of Water Resources (DWR). This level represents 75% of the lake’s total capacity and is 131% of the historical average.

The high water levels are a result of the recent precipitation seen in Northern California, especially after the wet winter of 2022-23 gave the lake ample water to make up for the current lackluster precipitation of the past few months.

As of Friday, water releases from the Feather River downstream are at a combined rate of 1,750 cubic feet per second (cfs). Specifically, flows through Oroville itself stand at 650 cfs, with an additional 1,100 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet.

The DWR remains actively engaged in assessing Feather River releases on a daily basis, taking into account various factors to manage water resources effectively. With multiple atmospheric rivers currently forecast for the region, water management officials may consider increasing water releases to avoid needing to open the Oroville Dam spillway later in the year.