Monday April 27, 2026
DWR —
DWR Maintaining Releases for Flood Protection
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is maintaining water releases from Oroville Dam to provide flood protection for downstream communities. Releases are being made through the Hyatt Powerplant for power generation and Oroville Dam’s main spillway. DWR is conserving as much water as possible in Lake Oroville while continuing to meet federal guidelines for downstream flood protection and state environmental regulations.
Between mid-September and June, DWR is required to operate Lake Oroville for flood control under federal Water Control Manual Guidelines set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These federal regulations establish a set storage space that is reserved to capture inflows from rain and future snowmelt, while protecting downstream communities from damaging flood events through coordinated releases. To maintain this storage space, DWR conducts flood protection releases from Lake Oroville. Some of the water released from Oroville for flood control is captured downstream for beneficial uses by local landowners, communities, and the State Water Project. Releases from Oroville Dam also support Feather River habitat for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and other river species.