Monday October 5, 2026
Chico Enterprise-Record —
After a long dry spell starting in early spring and lasting through the summer, Lake Oroville’s high-level streak came to an end this year.
The lake currently sits at 752 feet in elevation, roughly 47% of its total capacity. However, as California Department of Water Resources spokesperson Jaden Torres noted, it remains at 85% of its historical level for this time of year, likely in part because of past droughts.
“As we saw this recent winter, there wasn’t as much snowpack to feed our rivers and reservoirs like previous years and while Lake Oroville remained at or above average for much of the summer, we remind our media partners it’s typical to see reservoirs drop this time of year as we enter a new water year,” Torres said. “The northern part of the state hasn’t seen significant precipitation since early spring.”
The Oroville Dam spillway was dry Friday as crews conducted maintenance work at the upper part of the structure, but water from the lake is still being released through the dam. Torres said releases will slow starting today.