California’s changing climate brings new challenges each year for water managers as they navigate extreme shifts from drought to flood while working to ensure safe, reliable water supplies for California’s 39 million residents.
DWR Updates
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![Photo of the Brad Freeman Trail near Lake Oroville.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Other/Brad-Freeman-2.jpg?mw=200&hash=EFBA6CB23EA25D3B92C71155B48BB928)
![A night view of the Lake Oroville main spillway. Photo taken April 7, 2019.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Oroville/KG_oroville_37450_04_07_19.jpg?mw=200&hash=94284429175BD736323A18E9C05D81ED)
As California experiences more weather extremes due to climate change, planning for the future will be critical for the resilience of the state’s water supply.
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![The Feather River Fish Hatchery raises steelhead at the hatchery and releases them into the Feather River at Boyd’s Pump Boat Launch in Yuba City, California. Photo taken February 12, 2021.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Fish/2021_02_12_JW_Fish_Release_0432.jpg?mw=200&hash=0822D3EF61B88FBFB74912B87541B404)
Spring is an important time for water project operators to fill reservoirs ahead of dry months. It also is an important migration window for many native fish species.
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![Close-up of a burst water main.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Other/water-main-2.png?mw=200&hash=28E4B98A7FE8B3B76C6A66087F14EC3A)
Household leaks waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water nationwide every year, enough to provide water to over 11 million homes. During Fix a Leak Week (March 18 to March 24), the Department of Water Resources (DWR) encourages everyone to find and fix leaks inside and outside their home to save water.
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![Water flows over the four energy dissipator blocks of the Lake Oroville main spillway, as the California Department of Water Resources releases water from the Lake Oroville flood control gates down the main spillway in Butte County, California. Main spillway releases will continue to manage lake levels in anticipation of rain and snowmelt. Photo taken March 7, 2024.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Oroville/2024_03_07_KJ_0668_Oroville_Release.jpg?mw=200&hash=C231337B831873E4C456A30291988381)
![A rainbow forms as water flows over the four energy dissipator blocks of the Lake Oroville main spillway, as the California Department of Water Resources releases water from the Lake Oroville flood control gates down the main spillway in Butte County, California. Main spillway releases will continue to manage lake levels in anticipation of rain and snowmelt. Photo taken March 7, 2024.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Oroville/2024_03_07_KJ_0337_Oroville_Release.jpg?mw=200&hash=23DF16D1CFABD634F7A139D686747E34)