OROVILLE — Those venturing out near the Oroville Dam have likely noticed some construction work being done near the spillway.
According to the California Department of Water Resources, the work consists of routine maintenance based on an annual inspection. DWR spokesperson Allison Armstrong said the work is expected to continue through Nov. 15.
“DWR is performing minor routine concrete and sealant repair work on localized areas of the main spillway identified during annual inspections,” Armstrong said. “While the main spillway continues to perform well and operate as designed, periodic concrete and sealant repairs of the spillway are expected due to seasonal temperature variations, spillway releases and sun exposure.”
While completion is expected in mid-November, the weather could push that goal back should operations at the dam see a change.
Complex releases from the lake totaled 7,500 cubic feet per second on Wednesday and are planned to jump to 8,000 cfs today. Estimated inflows are roughly 3,200 cfs.
At 2 p.m. Wednesday, Lake Oroville sat at 841.95 feet in water elevation. Toward the start of the summer, the lake head reached its peak at 900 feet. While the lake level has dropped considerably throughout the summer, it remains a dramatic increase compared to previous years. For this time in 2022, the lake sat at 700.98 feet which was preceded by 682.52 in 2021.
California Water Plan
DWR announced Wednesday that its draft California Water Plan update is available for public view and comes with a public comment period for residents to share their thoughts on the plan.
The comment period runs from Sept. 20-Oct. 19, 2023.
“The California Water Plan serves as an evolving blueprint for managing and developing the state’s water resources, and it is updated every five years to reflect current the state’s current water conditions and priorities,” the announcement reads.
Updates to the plan include adaptations based on climate change and water equity.
The draft’s public view can be found at water.ca.gov. Members of the public who wish to provide input can do so through DWR’s website or by emailing the comments to CWPCOM@water.ca.gov.
Additionally, comments can be mailed to Francisco Guzman with the California Department of Water Resources at 715 P Street, sixth floor in Sacramento, California with the area code 95814.
