Many of us are familiar with the category system that ranks the severity of hurricanes and tornadoes. A similar system is now being rolled out for atmospheric rivers (AR) -- those long, transient corridors of water vapor that fuel major rain events each winter in the west, especially California.

While the devastating Camp Fire roared for several weeks in Butte County last November, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) was on high alert, monitoring the extent of the fire as it approached the northwest shoreline of Lake Oroville. Ensuring the safety of impacted employees and protecting the Oroville facilities from fire were onl ...

DWR and our main contractor Kiewit are pushing forward to wrap up construction of the Oroville main spillway and emergency spillway.

Local community groups and residents are playing a key role in the design of the Morrison Creek Revitalization Project, a multi-benefit project in south Sacramento that seeks to improve the natural habitat around the creek while creating a safe, recreational environment for the community. DWR is assisting with project design and technical and envir ...

DWR is once again participating in a successful partnership to recycle used Christmas trees into prime habitat for fish and other wildlife at Lake Oroville and the Thermalito Afterbay.

The Sacramento River moves water from Mt. Shasta to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, gathering runoff from the Coastal Range and Sierra Nevada before turning toward Sacramento and joining with the American River. In wetter years, the Sacramento River swells to flood levels and releases water into the Yolo Bypass, a major flood control feature for ...