Kelly M. Grow/ California Department of Water Resources
Oroville, Calif. February 23, 2017 – At 12:00 PM, the Department of Water Resources will again initiate the reduction of outflow from the Oroville Dam flood control spillway, incrementally from 60,000 cfs to 50,000 cfs, in an effort to support debris removal from the diversion pool, located near the spillway.
Once flows have been reduced, DWR will hold, monitor, and evaluate whether to reduce outflows further to support construction efforts.
The continued success of lowering reservoir levels has provided room to accommodate incoming water and lake levels will continue to fall.
Removal of debris from the diversion pool further protects, safeguards, and provides for the eventual reoperation of the Hyatt power plant. Once operational, the Hyatt power plant provides an additional opportunity to reduce reservoir levels.
This reduced outflow still provides for the reduction of reservoir levels within the timeframes prescribed by DWR.
These actions are consistent with typical reductions in water flow encountered when head pressures behind flood control spillway gates are reduced as reservoir levels fall.
As water flow rates change, automatic messages are generated by the DWR Project Operations Center and are distributed to Area Emergency Managers and the media, as per normal operating procedures.