Lake Oroville Update - July 17, 2026

Gravel Project Supporting Feather River Salmon Habitat

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is starting construction on a salmonid habitat improvement project in the Feather River between the Table Mountain Bridge and Bedrock Park in Oroville. Crews will begin mobilizing heavy equipment and supplies the week of July 20, with in-water work expected to begin the week of July 27. 

The project consists of placing approximately 7,900 cubic yards of in-river spawning gravel to improve existing spawning habitat sites and will also aid accessibility to existing side channels by excavating and redistributing accumulated streambed material. Migratory fish species such as Chinook salmon and steelhead trout[W(1] [BR2] [W(3]  rely on Feather River spawning habitats along the low-flow channel, where most spawning activity occurs. Because gravel doesn’t naturally flow downstream of Oroville Dam, gravel supplementation is necessary to provide sufficient spawning habitat to support existing salmonid populations. Female salmonids dig into gravel and lay their eggs in nests called “redds” using coarse sediment. Clean, rounded gravel approximately 1-4 inches in size is ideal as gravel that is too large is hard to move and gravel that is too small can suffocate eggs.

The $2.37 million project is primarily funded by a General Fund Local Assistance Grant for Habitat Restoration from the Facilitating Improvement of Systemwide Habitat (FISH) Program that is supported by Assembly Bill 179 (2022). DWR Feather River spawning restoration projects included the placement of 8,300 cubic yards of spawning gravel in 2014, 5,000 cubic yards in 2017, and 8,000 cubic yards in 2023. 

Reclamation District 1500 in the Sutter Basin is the contractor for the project. In-river work for the project is expected to last through the end of August. Feather River users may encounter “traffic control” along the waterway during construction. Flaggers will be stationed in the river to alert water users of nearby heavy construction equipment and direct water traffic safely through the construction zone. River recreationists are encouraged to remain alert when passing through work zones.

Project Improving Campground and Boat Ramp

With the start of the salmon fishing season, DWR is reminding anglers that the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency has started construction on a project to improve the Oroville Wildlife Area (OWA) Thermalito Afterbay Outlet campground and boat ramp facilities. The area is closed to the public during construction. 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, 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 have started and regulatory permits restrict in-water river work during certain times of the year, requiring the area to be closed. R&R Horn of Chico is the contractor for the project with completion anticipated in spring or early summer of 2027.

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 July 12, 2026, are:  

• Spring-run Chinook salmon (March 4 through June 30): 8,475
• Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 622
• Steelhead: -15 (most likely kelts moving downstream)
• To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.

Current Lake Operations

Lake Oroville is at 856 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.79 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 81 percent of its total capacity and 111 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 7,150 cfs for a total Feather River release of 8,000 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 11:59 p.m. on 7/16/2026.