DWR says use of spillway this week may be avoided
An aerial view of the spillway and Lake Oroville are seen during a look at the ongoing construction around the spillway and Lake Oroville Dam area Friday Jan. 26, 2018. Bill Husa -- Enterprise-Record)
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Oroville – The state Department of Water Resources said Sunday that it appears the partially rebuilt Lake Oroville spillway is unlikely to be used this week.
On Saturday, DWR said it expected releases down the spillway by the middle of the week. On Sunday, a press release from DWR said inflows into the lake are dropping and use of the spillway is unlikely.
Inflows to the lake peaked Saturday morning at more than 54,000 cubic feet per second, then started dropping. A steady 13,000 cfs has been released through the Hyatt Powerhouse during the storm, then was dropped to 10,000 cfs beginning at noon Sunday.
The lake level was at 800 feet of elevation Sunday afternoon. DWR figured it would need to release water down the spillway if the lake level reached 830 feet this week.
The spillway has been under disrepair since February 7, 2017, when it fell apart during high releases. Rebuilding work will continue this spring and summer.
