Header link June 22, 2020

LinkedIn

  • Read more
Header link September 15, 2014

Cart

  • Read more
Header link November 3, 2015

Donate Now

  • Read more
Header link May 15, 2014

Twitter

  • Read more
Header link May 15, 2014

Facebook

  • Read more
Instagram
Header link May 15, 2014

Instagram

  • Read more
Header link May 15, 2014

Contact Us

  • Read more
More options
Water Education Foundation
Home
Water Education Foundation
Everything about California water that matters
  • Water Academy
    • Agriculture
      • Agricultural Conservation
      • Agricultural Drainage
    • Background Information
      • Legislation — California and Federal
      • Regulations — California and Federal
      • Water History
      • Water Rights
    • Bay-Delta
      • Bay Delta
      • Bay Delta Conservation Plan
      • Delta Issues
      • Delta Smelt
      • Sacramento San Joaquin Delta
      • San Francisco Bay
      • Suisun Marsh
    • Dams, Reservoirs and Water Projects
      • California Aqueduct
      • Central Valley Project
      • Folsom Dam
      • Friant Dam
      • Hetch Hetchy
      • Hoover Dam
      • Infrastructure
      • Lake Mead
      • Lake Powell
      • Oroville Dam
      • San Luis Dam
      • Shasta Dam
      • State Water Project
    • Environmental Issues
      • Anadromous Fish Restoration
      • Ecosystem
      • Endangered Species Act
      • Invasive species
      • Lake Tahoe
      • Mono Lake
      • Public Trust Doctrine
      • Salmon
      • San Joaquin River Restoration
      • Watershed
      • Wetlands
    • Leaders and Experts
    • Regions
      • Central Coast
      • Central Valley
      • Mexico
      • Nevada
      • Pyramid Lake
      • Sacramento Valley
      • Salton Sea
      • San Joaquin Valley
      • Sierra Nevada
      • Southern California
      • Tulare Lake Basin
    • Rivers
      • Carson River
      • Colorado River
      • Klamath River
      • New River
      • North Coast Rivers
      • Russian River
      • Sacramento River
      • Truckee River
      • San Joaquin River
    • Water Issues
      • Climate Change
      • Coronavirus
      • Drought
      • Earthquakes
      • Energy and Water
      • Flood Management
      • Fracking
      • Growth
      • Hydropower
      • Levees
      • Tribal Water Issues
      • Water Conservation
      • Water Equity
    • Water Quality
      • Drinking Water
      • Nitrate contamination
      • Pollution
      • Stormwater
      • Wastewater
      • Water Quality
    • Water Supply and Management
      • Acre Foot
      • Aquifers
      • California Water Plan
      • Conjunctive Use
      • Desalination
      • Gray water
      • Groundwater
      • Integrated Regional Water Management
      • Recreation
      • Surface Water
      • Water Marketing and Banking
      • Water Rates
      • Water Recycling
      • Water Supply
      • Water Transfers
  • Tours & Events
    • Water Tours
      • 2020 Tour Sponsors
    • Conferences
    • Event Calendar
    • Past Tours & Events
      • Anne J. Schneider Fund Lecture Series
  • Specialized Programs
    • Water Leaders
      • Class Rosters
      • Yearly Class Reports
      • Your Alumni Network
      • Alumni Profiles
    • Project WET
      • Workshops
      • Special Workshops & Events
      • Supplementary Materials
      • California Content Standard Correlations
      • Facilitator's Trainings
      • Foundation School Programs
        • Elementary Programs
        • Secondary Programs
      • Water Kids
      • California Project WET Gazette
      • Gazette Archives
    • Colorado River Project
    • GRA Scholastic Fund Program
  • Maps & Guides
    • Maps & Posters
    • Layperson's Guides
    • Map & Guide Bundles
    • Books
    • Colorado River Materials
    • California Runoff Rundown
    • Other Publications
    • Water Awareness Materials
    • Downloadable Publications
    • Videos and DVDs
      • Video Clips
    • School Age Publications
    • Cards and Stickers
    • Free Programs and Publications
  • Newsroom
    • Western Water News
    • Aquafornia
      • About Aquafornia
    • Information Desk
    • Western Water Magazine Archive
      • Full Print Edition
      • Print Edition Excerpts
    • River Report Archive
  • Aquapedia
    • Alphabetical List of Subjects
      • A
      • B
      • C
      • D
      • E
      • F
      • G
      • H
      • I
      • J
      • K
      • L
      • M
      • N
      • O
      • P
      • Q
      • R
      • S
      • T
      • U
      • V
      • W
      • X
      • Y
      • Z
    • Historical Water People
    • Where Does My Water Come From?
      • Northern California
      • Sacramento
      • North Bay
      • South Bay
      • Central Valley
      • Los Angeles
      • Inland Empire
      • San Diego
      • All California Water Sources
    • Timelines
    • Videos
    • Image Gallery
    • Water Directory
      • Federal Agencies
      • State Agencies in California
      • Environmental Organizations
      • Other California Organizations
      • State and Federal Legislative Committees
      • Water Associations and Groups
      • Western States Water Agencies and Districts
    • Online Resources
    • Useful Acronyms
    • About Aquapedia
  • About
    • About Us
      • Board of Directors
      • Staff Biographies
      • Job Openings
    • Announcements
    • Support Our Mission
      • Become a Member
      • Donate in Honor/Memory
      • Donate to Aquapedia or Aquafornia
      • Shop Amazon
      • Planned Giving
    • Contact Us

Topic: Sacramento Valley

Overview April 24, 2014

Sacramento Valley

The Sacramento Valley, the northern part of the Central Valley, spreads through 10 counties north of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (Delta). Sacramento is an important agricultural region, growing citrus, nuts and rice among many other crops.

Water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range to the region’s two major rivers — the Sacramento and American – and west into the Delta. Other rivers include the Cosumnes, which is the largest free-flowing river in the Central Valley, the lower Feather, Bear and Yuba.

The Sacramento Valley attracts more than 2 million ducks and geese each winter to its seasonal marshes along the Pacific Flyway. Species include northern pintails, snow geese, tundra swans, sandhill cranes, mallards, grebes, peregrine falcons, heron, egrets, and hawks.

  • Read more
Aquafornia news March 4, 2019 Daily Democrat

Sites reservoir gets boost from NorCal congressmen

Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Creek, working with Republican Doug LaMalfa of the First District, have introduced the Sites Reservoir Protection Act to support building the reservoir and other water infrastructure in the Central Valley. The act, also known as House Resolution 1453, would direct the Bureau of Reclamation to complete a feasibility study for the project in Colusa and Glenn counties.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 Yuba County Water Agency

News release: Yuba Water Agency finalizes proposal to state water board

Yuba Water Agency is presenting a collaborative framework to the State Water Resources Control Board today, a detailed plan to improve fish and wildlife habitat conditions in the San Francisco/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary watershed (Bay-Delta), including fisheries enhancement measures on the lower Yuba River.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 Sacramento News & Review

Under the Delta’s domain

When California’s new governor announced during his February 12 State of the State address that he didn’t support WaterFix as a two-tunnel behemoth, he received a loud burst of applause. Yet, in the next breath, when Newsom added he supported a one-tunnel version, no applause followed. That’s partly because the one-tunnel announcement hasn’t alleviated fears of people living on the north side of the estuary. Hood, Clarksburg and Courtland property owners still face the very real possibility of being hit with eminent domain.

Related articles:

  • Daily Republic: Solano supervisors commit another $70K in fight against Delta tunnels project
  • Daily Republic: Solano supervisors weigh options to shape, limit Cache Slough, Delta restorations
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 The Reporter

Garamendi introduces bill to fund Sites Reservoir

Rep. John Garamendi, D-Solano, introduced the Sites Reservoir Protection Act Thursday to provide federal support for the building of Sites Reservoir and other water infrastructures in the Central Valley. The act, also known as House Resolution 1453, would direct the Bureau of Reclamation to complete a feasibility study for the project Colusa and Glenn counties.

Related articles:

  • The Reporter: Garamendi bill to protect Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta passes House
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 27, 2019 Daily Democrat

Yolo Bypass a key link in state’s water and flood future

The Yolo Bypass is central, both geographically and in importance, to California’s water supply and flood protection system, according to Bontadelli. However, proposed modifications to the Bypass to enhance habitat for out-migrating endangered winter and spring-run young salmon means the it will be key to the continued pumping of water south for agriculture and urban users.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 25, 2019 Appeal-Democrat

Recent rainstorms cause portion of Feather River levee to erode

Rains over the past several weeks have caused erosion to a recently improved portion of levee along the east side of the Feather River and protecting Marysville. But officials say the damage is superficial and doesn’t pose a threat to public safety.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 22, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

DWR doesn’t expect to use Oroville Dam spillway anytime soon — but it’s preparing if necessary

Lake Oroville, currently at 773-foot elevation, could rise to 780-785 feet by the end of the month based on current projections. DWR and crews with Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., the contractor for the spillways construction project, would remove equipment from the main spillway if the lake elevation reached 780 feet. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 22, 2019 Fox40 News

Roseville testing groundwater storage plan

The city currently has six groundwater pumping stations that were used during the drought. But the stations have the ability to pump water back into the aquifer as well. The Folsom Dam currently has three gates open to release enough water so it has room to capture flood water. Roseville Utility officials say it’s just the right time to do a larger scale test of its water injection strategy.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 20, 2019 Ag Alert

Opinion: Sites Reservoir offers innovative water solutions

When operating, Sites Reservoir will provide significantly more water during drier periods, to become a new drought-management tool to address California’s water management challenges into the 21st century and beyond. Innovative and environmentally sound, Sites Reservoir will provide water to enhance the environment when it can provide greater benefits and provide a resilient and reliable supply of water for our communities, farms and businesses.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 19, 2019 Appeal-Democrat

Fish in the fields

At the end of 2017, several local rice farmers teamed up with researchers for a pilot program known as “Fish in the Fields” through the Resource Renewal Institute, a nonprofit research and natural resource policy group, to see what would happen when fish were introduced to flooded rice fields. Now in its second year of experiments, researchers have concluded that it works, with methane – a climate-changing byproduct of rice agriculture much more detrimental than carbon dioxide – being reduced by about two-thirds, or 65 percent, in flooded fields that had fish in them.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 19, 2019 Paradise Post

Butte County says temporary water systems need inspection

The Butte County Environmental Health Department announced Friday morning that businesses that plan on re-opening in the Camp Fire affected area and will be installing temporary water systems, including water tanks and hauling water, must contact its office prior to opening.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 15, 2019 Sacramento Bee

Friday Top of the Scroll: Sites Reservoir is Sacramento Valley’s water project. But L.A. is taking a huge role

Over the past two years, scared off by the anticipated costs of storing water there, Valley agricultural irrigation districts have steadily reduced their ownership shares of Sites. The powerful Metropolitan Water District of Southern California … is nearly as big an investor in Sites as all of the Sacramento Valley farm districts combined. Metropolitan agreed Tuesday to contribute another $4.2 million to help plan the project.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 15, 2019 Public Policy Institute of California

Blog: Connecting the drops in watershed management

The interrelated nature of water issues has given rise to a management approach that integrates flood control, environmental water, and water supply. The Yuba Water Agency manages its watershed in this kind of coordinated manner. We talked to Curt Aikens, the agency’s general manager, about the lessons they’ve learned from this “integrated management” approach.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 14, 2019 Sacramento Bee

Thursday Top of the Scroll: ‘It’s a mess.’ Atmospheric river brings record-setting rain to Sacramento, Northern California

The wet weather broke a daily rainfall record in Sacramento, with 1.6 inches of rain recorded at the Sacramento Executive Airport over 24 hours. But the state’s network of flood-control dams and levees appeared to handle the deluge without major problems. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning Wednesday morning for the Sacramento Valley, and it was expected to remain in place until 6 p.m. Thursday as heavy and moderate rainfall was forecast to continue through Thursday.

Related articles:

  • Reuters: Mudslide risk from California storm forces hundreds to evacuate
  • Washington Post: Winter storm pounds Western states, with 7 feet of snow forecast in Sierra Nevada
  • USA Today: ‘Atmospheric river’ triggers flooding, threatens mudslides across California
  • KQED: Round 2 of wet, windy storm triggers rapid rises on Bay Area rivers
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 14, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

DWR to try to strike ‘inflammatory’ portions of Oroville Dam lawsuits at hearing Friday

Lawyers representing the state Department of Water Resources will make their case Friday for striking portions of lawsuits over the spillway crisis filed by the city of Oroville, several farms, businesses and other plaintiffs. The state is arguing that certain “inflammatory and irrelevant” allegations should be removed from the lawsuits, including allegations about racist actions, sexual harassment and petty theft by DWR employees and conspiracy to cover up or destroy documents.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 13, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Chico, Oroville customers object to CalWater rate increase

Of the handful of speakers at the California Water Service hearing Tuesday, none supported the proposed rate increases for Chico,  objecting to  high costs, compensation to high-level executives and profit made by shareholders.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 11, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Editorial: Esoteric report is better news than most realize

The Department of Water Resources reported last week that the surface level of most of the Sacramento Valley wasn’t dropping, which is incredibly good news. But it’s the kind of news that most people can not appreciate.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 8, 2019 KRCR

Two year anniversary of Oroville Spillway Crisis: Emergency spillway nears completion

Thursday marks two years since the first hole opened up in the Oroville Dam Spillway, triggering an emergency that forced the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people. … The new emergency spillway is covered with roller-compacted concrete that looks like a giant staircase. It is one of the biggest changes during the reconstruction of the spillway project.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 5, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee hears big plans for reopening, lake area improvements

Several areas of the Oroville Dam and lake are undergoing extensive renovations and improvements, and the Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee met Friday to hear reports from the various member organizations overseeing them. … Aaron Wright of the California Department of Parks and Recreation said that several of the recently reopened areas near the dam have received a good amount of traffic.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 4, 2019 San Francisco Chronicle

Tiny Northern California town is sinking, new report finds

The tiny town of Arbuckle in Northern California sank more than two feet in nine years. The revelation comes from a new survey that tracked subsidence — the gradual sinking of land — in the Sacramento Valley between 2008-17. Located about 50 miles north of Sacramento, Arbuckle (pop. 3,028) sank more than any other surveyed area. … Subsidence has long been an issue in California, but its recent acceleration was likely fueled by an extreme drought that plagued California between 2012-16. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 1, 2019 Action News Now

Chico sewage numbers spike post-Camp Fire

The City of Chico has seen a population explosion, and it’s not just the roads that are impacted. Post-Camp Fire sewage production numbers are at an all-time high. Before the fire, Chico’s wastewater treatment facility processed about 6 million gallons of waste on average per day. Since then that amount has gone up to 7 million. Biosolid production has gone up 70%, while overall waste and sewage flows are up 17%.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 30, 2019 Pacific Standard

When the levee breaks: A new approach to managing rivers

Early last year, construction started on a $90 million project to build seven miles of setback levees and floodplains to protect Hamilton City from floods on the Sacramento River. … The new barriers are much farther from the riverbanks—as far as a mile away in places. In some respects, the concept is absurdly simple: During heavy rains or spring snowmelt, rivers need room to expand; moving levees back from riverbanks provides it. Setback levees not only reduce the need for newer and larger dams and levees, but also restore the natural habitat. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 30, 2019 Colusa Sun Herald

Survey shows areas of land subsidence in Sac Valley

New data released measure changes in land subsidence in the Sacramento Valley over the past nine years, finding the greatest land surface declines in Arbuckle. According to the Sacramento Valley GPS Subsidence Netwook Report and accompanying fact sheet … land in the Arbuckle area has sunk 2.14 feet compared with baseline measurements recorded in the same location in 2008, according to a press release from the Department of Water Resources.

Related articles:

  • News release: DWR: Survey shows area of land subsidence in Sacramento Valley
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 22, 2019 Record Searchlight

Opinion: Raising Shasta Dam won’t solve California water woes

More water storage projects will not solve the basic fact that the state’s finite amount of water is incapable of meeting all of the demands. This deficit has been created primarily by the transformation of a semi-arid area— the Central Valley — by an infusion of water from northern California.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 22, 2019 State Water Resources Control Board

News release: Contamination found in streams following Camp Fire

State water quality officials cautioned the public not to drink or cook with untreated surface water from streams throughout the Camp Fire burn area after bacteria and other contaminants were detected in water samples. … Laboratory analyses of surface water samples found concentrations of bacteria (E.Coli), aluminum, antimony and some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that exceeded water quality standards for drinking water.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 18, 2019 Record Searchlight

Shasta Dam raising project runs into legal, congressional road blocks

At least one state agency has indicated it will not issue necessary permits to allow federal officials and a Fresno-based water district to begin construction to raise the height of Shasta Dam. In addition to facing opposition from the state, the project could also face fresh hurdles from Congress, which this year came under control of Democrats. In a letter to the Fresno-based Westlands Water District, the State Water Resources Control Board says raising the height of Shasta Dam would violate state law.

Related articles:

  • Construction Equipment Guide: Work begins on $1.5b Shasta Dam raise project
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 16, 2019 Marysville Appeal-Democrat

Flood control veteran to leave post

The work to provide Yuba-Sutter with the highest level of flood protection possible isn’t yet complete, but the levees are much better today, having had the oversight expertise of the head of the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency. After more than seven years with the agency, SBFCA Executive Director Mike Inamine announced he would be leaving this week for a job with the California Department of Water Resources.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 16, 2019 California Department of Water Resources

News release: McCormack-Williamson Tract project aims to protect people and wildlife

The McCormack-Williamson Tract restoration project, a 1,500 acre site, lowers the levees on the north side of the island to allow the river to overtop into the site. On the south side, DWR will alleviate the surge flows that pose a risk to neighbors by opening small holes in the levee. 2018 saw the completion of construction of a levee to protect existing infrastructure on the site, as well as progress on habitat restoration plans. For the next phase, DWR will strengthen the interior levees and take steps toward opening the site up to tidal flows.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 16, 2019 The Associated Press

Wednesday’s Top of the Scroll: Pacific storm threatens Northern California with blizzard, mudslides

Another Pacific storm was set to hit California on Wednesday, bringing a threat of mudslides to the site of the deadliest wildfire in state history and a rare blizzard warning in the Sierra Nevada. An evacuation warning was in place into Thursday morning for Pulga, a canyon community in Northern California. Its neighbor, the town of Paradise, was virtually incinerated two months ago by the Camp Fire that killed 86 people and destroyed nearly 15,000 homes. 

Related articles:

  • Capital Public Radio: One Of The World’s Largest Rivers Is Floating Above California. It’s Bringing Rain, Possible Flooding
  • Capital Press: El Niño, a no-show so far, losing steam
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 11, 2019 Appeal-Democrat

Yuba Water Agency reaches milestone in relicensing effort

Last week, the relicensing effort reached a milestone when FERC issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement. The environmental document essentially looks at what changes a licensee has proposed for a specific project, the impacts of those changes and provides conditions they must meet if awarded a new license.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 8, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Millions of tons of Camp Fire debris needs to go somewhere — but no one wants it

The long road to recovery in the town of Paradise starts with removing millions of tons of charred rubble left in the Camp Fire’s wake. But the question remains: Where will it all go? Disaster officials are scrambling to secure a place to sort and process the remnants of nearly 19,000 structures destroyed in the wildfire that began on Nov. 8 and killed 86 people. The mammoth undertaking has been slowed by staunch opposition in nearby communities eyed as potential sites for a temporary scrapyard, which would receive 250 to 400 truckloads of concrete and metal each day.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 7, 2019 Oroville Mercury-Register

Helicopter survey should aid groundwater planning

Butte County may soon have a better idea of what lies beneath its surface. Starting in late November, a helicopter took off for several days from the Orland airport to fly a pattern over an area between Chico and Orland, and southeast into Butte Valley. Dangling beneath the helicopter was a hoop loaded with devices that created a weak magnetic field and instruments that measured how that interacted with layers beneath the soil.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 3, 2019 Redding Record Searchlight

California couple fined after claiming to use more water than Earth holds

Everyone who diverts water is required to report to the State Water Board the amount they used. But Louis and Darcy Chacon reported an amount that just didn’t make sense. The Chacons reported they used more than 1 trillion acre-feet of water annually from 2009 to 2013, more than is available on the entire planet.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 2, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Tiny salamander in Northern California could spell big problem for plans to heighten the Shasta Dam

A trio of tiny salamander species could mean big trouble for federal officials spearheading a controversial $1.4-billion public works project to heighten the Shasta Dam in Northern California.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 2, 2019 Mother Jones

Wednesday’s Top of the Scroll: Like fruit, vegetables, and almonds? Scientists have bad news

At the end of the last century, the Sierra Nevada captured an average of 8.76 million acre-feet of water critical to the nation’s largest food-producing region. By mid-century, a new study projects, the average will fall to 4 million acre-feet; and by century’s end, 1.81 million acre-feet. 

Related articles:

  • San Diego Union-Tribune: Winter is shrinking, Scripps study finds
  • North Bay Business Journal: California farmers will need to be resilient again in 2019
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 18, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle

Tuesday’s Top of the Scroll: What caused nearly 20,000 quakes at Oroville Dam? Scientists weigh in on mystery.

The earthquakes hit just days after last year’s near-catastrophe at Oroville Dam, when the spillway cracked amid heavy rains and 188,000 people fled in fear of flooding. The timing of the two small tremors about 75 miles north of Sacramento was curious, and frightening.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 11, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Pedestrian access at Lime Saddle restricted this week due to construction

Pedestrian public access to the Lime Saddle Marina will be unavailable on weekdays through late January as the state Department of Water Resources works on trail improvements.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 5, 2018 engineering.com

America’s second biggest levee system is keeping Sacramento dry — for now

Not long after the Gold Rush of 1849, California became a state and made its capital in Sacramento. It seemed a logical choice. The city was served by the two of the state’s biggest rivers, the Sacramento and American, at a time when a lot of goods and people moved via river traffic. It was somewhat centrally located. But, there was the occasional flood. Every spring, the snowcap in the Sierras melts, leaving a significant amount of water in the Central Valley, where Sacramento sits. The city engineered a levee system to control the seasonal flooding.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 4, 2018 Appeal-Democrat

Levee project estimated to cost $77 million

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin advertising for bids on a Feather River West Levee construction project estimated at $77 million. According to a staff report published earlier this year by the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, the project would make improvements to approximately 4.9 miles of levee.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 28, 2018 Redding Record Searchlight

Wednesday’s Top of the Scroll: Trump officials announce $450 million loan for new California reservoir project

Trump administration officials were in California on Tuesday to announce a $450 million loan for the Sites Reservoir project in Colusa County. The money will be used to build a tunnel to carry water from the Glenn-Colusa Canal to an existing reservoir, giving farmers on the west side of the Sacramento Valley more access to irrigation water.

Related Articles:

  • Appeal-Democrat: Feds loan $449 million for Sites Reservoir
  • Chico Enterprise-Record: Sites link gets federal loan
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 26, 2018 KQED Science

Butte County town attempts to save salmon from wildfire devastation

Despite being evacuated nearly two weeks ago from their homes in the wake of spreading wildfires, residents of the town of Butte Creek Canyon — a few miles east of Chico — plan to join forces Wednesday to save the local salmon population. … Now, the fish face a new danger, as rains threaten to wash toxic debris from the nearby wildfires into the creek.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 20, 2018 Bloomberg Environment

Tuesday’s Top of the Scroll: Off-the-charts air pollution only one of California’s fire hazards

The plumes of smoke from the fire, which has burned 141,000 acres in Northern California, get the most attention, but the Camp Fire is leaving other environmental hazards in its wake: toxic ash from burning homes, polluted water, and burning Superfund sites. … “Anything that’s affecting the air quality will eventually affect water quality,” Los Angeles Waterkeeper Executive Director Bruce Reznik told Bloomberg Environment.

Related Article:

  • The Sacramento Bee: Flash-flood watch issued, residents in Camp Fire area urged to watch for evacuations if storm grows
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 13, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle

Tuesday’s Top of the Scroll: Camp Fire: Oroville Dam officials keep close watch on approaching blaze

Employees of the state Department of Water Resources, with the help of firefighting crews, were cutting brush and watering down landscapes around Lake Oroville to prevent the 117,000-acre blaze from damaging the reservoir’s infrastructure, including the 770-foot-tall Oroville Dam.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 6, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Trial date set for Oroville Dam lawsuits against DWR

A trial date has been set to hear several lawsuits against the state Department of Water Resources over the Oroville Dam crisis. The court scheduled the trial for June 1, 2020 during the second case management conference Friday in the Sacramento County Superior Court.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 2, 2018 Appeal-Democrat

Preventing the next big flood

Marysville is one step closer to being the most protected city in the Central Valley from flooding, experts say, with the recent completion of a stretch of slurry wall in part of the ring levee project.  Last week, crews completed a portion of the Marysville Ring Levee project – Phase 2A North – located between the 10th Street and Fifth Street bridges.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 2, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Friday’s Top of the Scroll: Oroville Dam repairs aren’t enough, feds warn. Should state be forced to plan for a mega-flood?

Federal regulators are raising new concerns about the troubled Oroville Dam, telling California officials their recently rebuilt flood-control spillways likely couldn’t handle a mega-flood. Although the chances of such a disastrous storm are considered extremely unlikely — the magnitude of flooding in the federal warning is far greater than anything ever experienced — national dam safety experts say the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s concerns could have costly repercussions for California.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 1, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Thursday’s Top of the Scroll: Is Oroville Dam ready for the rainy season? Main spillway fixed, but work remains.

State officials said Wednesday the damaged Oroville Dam flood-control spillway is ready for the rainy season, and will be able to fully blast water down its half-mile long concrete chute for the first time in nearly two years if lake levels rise. Work on the adjacent emergency spillway is ongoing.

Related Articles:

  • Associated Press: Officials: California dam spillway will be ready for rain
  • San Francisco Chronicle: Oroville Dam fixed and ready to go, officials say — but at a big price
  • Chico Enterprise-Record: Cementing the future: Final concrete slab placed on Oroville Dam spillway
  • Appeal-Democrat: Deadline met: Officials say Lake Oroville main spillway back in business

Related News Release:

  • California Department of Water Resources: DWR meets Nov. 1 public safety milestone
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 22, 2018 Appeal-Democrat

Levee District 1 to celebrate 150 years

When it comes to flood fighting, the men and women who’ve worked for Levee District 1 have seen it all – from tragedy to triumph. Those still around have plenty of stories to tell. The public will have an opportunity to hear some of those stories during the district’s 150th anniversary celebration on Oct. 26. The district is responsible for operations and maintenance of 16.15 miles of levee spanning from Pease Road to Marcuse Road in Sutter County.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 15, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

DWR request to make Oroville trails multi-use denied by federal agency

A request from the state Department of Water Resources to temporarily make more than 50 miles of trails in Oroville open to multiple user groups has been denied by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. DWR proposed this with backing from the Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee, or ORAC, as a compensation for trail closures as a result of the 2017 Oroville Dam spillway emergency.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Tour October 2, 2019 - 7:30am - October 4, 2019 - 6:30pm Nick Gray Northern California Tour Explores Water Resources Across Sacramento Valley to Shasta Dam

Northern California Tour 2019
Field Trip - October 2-4

This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape as participants learned about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.

All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Tour participants got an on-site update of Oroville Dam spillway repairs.

  • David Guy Presentation
  • Willie Whittlesey Presentation
  • Kevin Phillips Presentation
  • Mark Oliver Presentation
  • Read more
Western Water October 5, 2018 Douglas E. Beeman Douglas E. Beeman

What Would You Do About Water If You Were California’s Next Governor?
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Survey at Foundation’s Sept. 20 Water Summit elicits a long and wide-ranging potential to-do list

There’s going to be a new governor in California next year – and a host of challenges both old and new involving the state’s most vital natural resource, water.

So what should be the next governor’s water priorities?

That was one of the questions put to more than 150 participants during a wrap-up session at the end of the Water Education Foundation’s Sept. 20 Water Summit in Sacramento.

  • Read more
Aquafornia news September 27, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Thursday’s Top of the Scroll: Deadline nears for Oroville Dam spillway concrete placement

The state Department of Water Resources still expects to meet its quickly approaching Nov. 1 deadline to have all concrete placed on the Oroville Dam’s main spillway. Crews began by placing permanent concrete slabs at the bottom of the spillway of the nation’s tallest dam, making their way to the top. Now, the upper chute is about three-quarters of the way complete, DWR reported in a moderated media call on Wednesday.

Related News Release:

  • California Department of Water Resources: Oroville Spillways Construction Update 
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news September 26, 2018 Water Deeply

California’s largest new reservoir likely to face water-access limits

Sites Reservoir, the largest new water storage proposal in California, recently won a commitment of $816 million in state funds to help with construction. It promises to deliver enough water every year, on average, to serve 1 million homes. But regulatory realities looming in the background may mean the project has substantially less water at its disposal.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news September 21, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Bill to form Oroville Dam citizens advisory commission signed into law

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law Sen. Jim Nielsen’s bill to form a citizens advisory commission for the Oroville Dam. Senate Bill 955 creates a 19-member commission to provide a forum for residents and state officials to discuss reports, maintenance and other ongoing issues related to the dam.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news September 19, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Butte County water savings about double state’s rate

The latest water conservation figures released by the state show Butte County saving at about double the statewide rate. The Water Resources Control Board released the number for July last week, and statewide water savings were 13.6 percent lower than in July 2013, the benchmark pre-drought year.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news September 14, 2018 The Christian Science Monitor

Humans devastated California’s chinook salmon. Now they want to save it.

Dave Vogel already knew that levees and dams had devastated the coastal salmon population in California’s longest river. The surprise for the fisheries scientist arrived when he saw the video footage of young salmon clustered beneath bridges in the watery depths.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news September 13, 2018 Redding Record Searchlight

Thursday’s Top of the Scroll: Florida company fined $5.3 million for ‘ripping’ Tehama County field

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that a farming company has agreed to pay $5.3 million in civil penalties and costs to perform work to repair disturbed streams and wetlands on property near the Sacramento River. … “Like the Duarte settlement last year, today’s agreement serves the public interest in enforcement of the Clean Water Act and deterrence of future violations,” said Jeffrey H. Wood, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Western Water September 7, 2018 Enhancing California’s Water Supply: The Drive for New Storage Is California's Water Supply Resilient and Sustainable? Water Education Foundation

ON THE ROAD: Picturesque Northern California Valley Could Become the State’s Next Major Reservoir
Sites Reservoir site is a stop on our Northern California Tour Oct. 10-12

The proposed Sites Reservoir is in a rural cattle-grazing area west of the Sacramento Valley town of Maxwell. An hour’s drive north of Sacramento sits a picture-perfect valley hugging the eastern foothills of Northern California’s Coast Range, with golden hills framing grasslands mostly used for cattle grazing.

Back in the late 1800s, pioneer John Sites built his ranch there and a small township, now gone, bore his name. Today, the community of a handful of families and ranchers still maintains a proud heritage.

  • Read more
Aquafornia news September 6, 2018 Los Angeles Times

Thursday’s Top of the Scroll: Oroville Dam repair costs soar past $1 billion

Fixing the Oroville Dam spillway wrecked by storms in 2017 will cost $1.1 billion — a $455-million hike from initial estimates — the state Department of Water Resources announced Wednesday. The swelling cost can be blamed on design changes that have been made over the last 16 months and damage to the facility near Oroville, Calif., that was far more extensive than initially presumed, the department said.

Related Articles:

  • Associated Press: California dam repairs hit $1.1 billion, could climb higher
  • KQED News: Updated cost for Oroville Dam spillway disaster: $1.1 billion 
  • Sacramento Bee: Oroville Dam repairs now exceed $1 billion and ‘may be adjusted further’ as work continues
  • DWR News Release: Oroville Spillways Construction and Cost Estimate Update​
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news August 28, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam: Butte County files suit against DWR over road repairs, other damages

Butte County has filed another lawsuit against the state Department of Water Resources, this time for damages from the Oroville Dam crisis that continue to increase. The county is seeking compensation for damage to its roads, which heavy equipment is still utilizing for construction efforts, and also for costs associated with responding to the spillway emergency in February 2017.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news August 28, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Temporary wall collapses on Oroville Dam spillway

A 30-foot-wide section of temporary wall on the upper chute of the Oroville Dam spillway fell over late last week, the state Department of Water Resources confirmed on Monday. The collapse did not impact construction deadlines and resulted in no injuries, according to the department.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news August 24, 2018 Western Water

When water worries often pit farms vs. fish, a Sacramento Valley farm is trying to address the needs of both

Farmers in the Central Valley are broiling about California’s plan to increase flows in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems to help struggling salmon runs avoid extinction. But north of Sacramento, River Garden Farms is taking part in some extraordinary efforts to provide the embattled fish with refuge from predators and enough food to eat. And while there is no direct benefit to one farm’s voluntary actions, the belief is what’s good for the fish is good for the farmers.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Western Water August 24, 2018 Gary Pitzer California Water Map Gary Pitzer

When Water Worries Often Pit Farms vs. Fish, a Sacramento Valley Farm Is Trying To Address The Needs Of Both
WESTERN WATER SPOTLIGHT: River Garden Farms is piloting projects that could add habitat and food to aid Sacramento River salmon

Roger Cornwell, general manager of River Garden Farms, with an example of a refuge like the ones that were lowered into the Sacramento River at Redding to shelter juvenile salmon.  Farmers in the Central Valley are broiling about California’s plan to increase flows in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems to help struggling salmon runs avoid extinction. But in one corner of the fertile breadbasket, River Garden Farms is taking part in some extraordinary efforts to provide the embattled fish with refuge from predators and enough food to eat.

And while there is no direct benefit to one farm’s voluntary actions, the belief is what’s good for the fish is good for the farmers.

  • Read More
Aquafornia news August 17, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam oversight committee sends suggestions to DWR

The local oversight committee spearheaded by Assemblyman James Gallagher and Sen. Jim Nielsen had some suggestions this week for the state Department of Water Resources on its assessment of the Oroville Dam. This comes about a month after the committee met for the first time on July 18.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news August 14, 2018 San Jose Mercury News

Tuesday’s Top of the Scroll: Oroville Dam update: See before-and-after video of construction progress

Eighteen months after the dramatic failure of the spillways at Oroville Dam in Northern California, a disaster that led to the evacuation of 188,000 people, construction is on schedule to complete the concrete work in the main spillway by Nov. 1. … On Monday, Lake Oroville was 51 percent full, or 73 percent of its historic average for this date. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news August 13, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Sacramento judge to determine court locations for Oroville Dam crisis cases

The presiding judge of the Sacramento Superior Court will be determining where seven lawsuits filed against the state Department of Water Resources over the Oroville Dam spillway crisis will be heard.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news August 9, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

‘Crucial milestone’ met at Oroville Dam with structural concrete placement

Crews have begun to place the final layer of concrete this week on the upper portion of the Oroville Dam spillway chute. This marks a “crucial milestone,” said Tony Meyers, project manager for the recovery project for the state Department of Water Resources, in a moderated media call on Wednesday.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Announcement August 8, 2018

Examine Key California Rivers on the Last Two Water Tours of 2018
Join us as we explore the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers; hear from farmers, water managers, environmentalists

Northern California Tour participants pose in front of Shasta Dam.The Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are the two major Central Valley waterways that feed the Delta, the hub of California’s water supply network. Our last water tours of 2018 will look in-depth at how these rivers are managed and used for agriculture, cities and the environment. You’ll see infrastructure, learn about efforts to restore salmon runs and talk to people with expertise on these rivers.

Early bird prices are still available!

  • Read more
Aquafornia news August 1, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Wednesday’s Top of the Scroll: Oroville Dam independent review board releases first report

The independent review board hired by the state Department of Water Resources to put outside eyes on an assessment which will play a large role in the future operations of the Oroville Dam has released its first report. Suggestions for infrastructure changes like the construction of a second gated spillway are expected to be considered through what DWR is calling a comprehensive needs assessment.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 31, 2018 Appeal-Democrat

With state allocation set, Sites Reservoir officials begin securing more funding

The Sites Reservoir project will move forward, according to officials, despite being awarded in a recent California Water Commission announcement about half what project backers sought. They will spend the next few months securing the necessary financing to begin the next phase. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 31, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Locals enjoy first in-person look at Oroville Dam spillway since crisis

Fran Obrigewitsch pulled up the most recent photo on her iPhone of the Oroville Dam spillway, taken just two days before it started to collapse last year. Her first chance to catch another glimpse was Monday, as the state Department of Water Resources reopened the stretch of Oro Dam Boulevard East that offers views of the spillway to the general public for the first time since the crisis began.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Announcement July 25, 2018

Northern California Tour Explores Water Resources Across Sacramento Valley
Examine key state and federal water projects, habitat restoration, irrigation and groundwater

Get an up-close look at some of California’s key water reservoirs and learn about farming operations, habitat restoration, flood management and wetlands in the Sacramento Valley on our Northern California Water Tour Oct. 10-12.

Each year, participants on the Northern California Water Tour enjoy three days exploring the Sacramento Valley during the temperate fall. Join us as we travel through a scenic landscape along the Sacramento and Feather rivers to learn about issues associated with storing and delivering the state’s water supply.

  • Read more
Aquafornia news July 24, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Tuesday’s Top of the Scroll: Oroville Dam committee has ‘historic’ meeting

A historic first meeting between state Department of Water Resources officials and local leaders as a committee solidified that the community will have a say in the future of Oroville Dam operations. … The committee is being led by co-chairs Assemblyman James Gallagher, Sen. Jim Nielsen and DWR’s John Yarbrough.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 18, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

DWR continues with improvements at Oroville recreation areas

Enhancements to several Lake Oroville recreation areas are in the works this summer as the state Department of Water Resources makes good on its promise to improve lake access ahead of the Oroville Dam relicensing. Some means of getting more people out on the water include adding boat launch lanes and parking spots and providing free shuttle services.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 16, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam: A tour of two spillways, phase two

Phase two of construction on the Oroville Dam’s main and emergency spillways is speeding along, as the Oroville Mercury-Register got to see up close in a tour on Wednesday guided by state Department of Water Resources officials. With half of the main spillway currently a work in progress, the department’s goal is to have the structure ready to use, if needed, by Nov. 1 — just under four months away.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 13, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Local oversight group established for Oroville Dam

A local oversight committee will get to have a say as long-term changes are considered for the Oroville Dam, after Sen. Jim Nielsen and Assemblyman James Gallagher recently came to an agreement with the state Department of Water Resources.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Western Water July 13, 2018 Gary Pitzer California Groundwater Map Layperson's Guide to Groundwater Gary Pitzer

Vexed by Salt And Nitrates In Central Valley Groundwater, Regulators Turn To Unusual Coalition For Solutions
WESTERN WATER SPOTLIGHT: Left unaddressed, salts and nitrates could render farmland unsuitable for crops and family well water undrinkable

An evaporation pond in Kings County, in the central San Joaquin Valley, with salt encrusted on the soil. More than a decade in the making, an ambitious plan to deal with the vexing problem of salt and nitrates in the soils that seep into key groundwater basins of the Central Valley is moving toward implementation. But its authors are not who you might expect.

An unusual collaboration of agricultural interests, cities, water agencies and environmental justice advocates collaborated for years to find common ground to address a set of problems that have rendered family wells undrinkable and some soil virtually unusable for farming.

  • Read more
Aquafornia news July 12, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Concrete flows Monday on Oroville Dam ‘splash pad’ expansion

Concrete pouring is due to start Monday on the second half of the Oroville Dam emergency spillway “splash pad.” That’s the only milestone reported Wednesday during a media call on progress to repair the emergency spillway and main spillway, which sustained serious damage in February 2017.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 10, 2018 Water Deeply

On the Yuba River, climate change means it’s time for a dam makeover

Among California rivers, the Yuba is one of the most dramatic. Draining the Sierra Nevada just north of Lake Tahoe, it is steep and flashy – one of the most flood-prone rivers in the state. Yuba River floods have killed people – notably in 1955, 1986 and 1997 – and climate change is making such floods more likely.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 3, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Lake Oroville for Fourth of July: Know before you go

Heading to Lake Oroville for the holiday weekend? It can be tricky to keep track of what areas are open to the public, with construction ongoing at the Oroville Dam spillways. To help with your plans, here is some information on the accessible trails, boat launches and other recreational areas.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Western Water June 29, 2018 Gary Pitzer California Water Map Gary Pitzer

As Decision Nears On California Water Storage Funding, a Chairman Reflects on Lessons Learned and What’s Next
WESTERN WATER Q&A: California Water Commission Chairman Armando Quintero

Armando Quintero, chair of the California Water CommissionNew water storage is the holy grail primarily for agricultural interests in California, and in 2014 the door to achieving long-held ambitions opened with the passage of Proposition 1, which included $2.7 billion for the public benefits portion of new reservoirs and groundwater storage projects. The statute stipulated that the money is specifically for the benefits that a new storage project would offer to the ecosystem, water quality, flood control, emergency response and recreation.

  • Read more
Aquafornia news June 28, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam diversion pool and trails to be open for extended weekend

The Diversion Pool below Oroville Dam and the trails on both sides of it will be partially open Friday through the Fourth of July, the Department of Water Resources announced Wednesday. The report came during a conference call to update media on the status of work to repair the spillways, which were heavily damaged in February 2017.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 25, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Department of Water Resources plans to drop Lake Oroville levels

The state Department of Water Resources announced plans on Friday to draw Lake Oroville down to 808 feet elevation by early next week. This is to provide a second point of access to the upper chute of the Oroville Dam spillway, through the radial gates, for construction.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 20, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Earth being moved to Hamilton City levee

A steady stream of trucks has started carrying dirt to what will be a new levee to protect Hamilton City. The trucks started rolling Monday, carrying dirt from a pile at the north end of Canal Road that is left from the excavation of the Glenn-Colusa Canal.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 15, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

J Levee replacement gets $8 million more from feds

The Army Corps of Engineers announced Monday that the additional money would be available to the Hamilton City Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project in the current fiscal year. … It is the first in the nation being constructed under the Corps’ guidelines to develop projects that include both flood risk reduction and ecosystem restoration.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 15, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Department of Water Resources expands on response to Oroville Dam spillway forensic report

The state Department of Water Resources has beefed up its response to the independent forensic report on what caused the Oroville Dam spillway failure last year. The report, released on Jan. 5, described how insufficient maintenance and repairs and faulty original design allowed water to seep through the spillway’s cracks and joints. It also blamed “long-term systemic failure” on the part of DWR, regulators and the dam safety industry at large.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 14, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Butte DA’s suit against Department of Water Resources moves forward

A lawsuit filed by Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey against the state Department of Water Resources over environmental damages resulting from the Oroville Dam spillway crisis is moving forward in court. Butte County Superior Court Judge Stephen Benson overruled DWR’s demurrer, which is essentially a plea to have a case dismissed, through a written ruling filed on May 31.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 7, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam excavator operator sustains minor injuries

An excavator slid down the Oroville Dam spillway slope on Sunday morning, resulting in minor injuries to its operator, the state Department of Water Resources confirmed on Wednesday. Erin Mellon, assistant director of public affairs for DWR, said that the operator immediately got back to work after the accident, which is currently under investigation by the department and Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., the lead contractor for the construction project.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 1, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

New Oroville Dam safety advocacy group launches

The Oroville Strong! advocacy group is going by a new name and hoping to increase its reach to those in the greater area who have been affected by the spillway crisis. The new entity called the Feather River Recovery Alliance will be headed by some of the same leaders; however, it will be disassociated from the Oroville Chamber of Commerce.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 1, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

After successful weekend, Diversion Pool may be opened again

The opening of the Diversion Pool last weekend to kayakers and hikers appears to have been a big success according to all involved, and it may happen again. “We’ve already been discussing it with our partners and probably will,” State Parks District Superintendent Aaron Wright said Thursday, “but I can’t commit to that now.”

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news May 30, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Assemblyman Gallagher’s State Water Project bill rejected

Two bills proposed by Assemblyman James Gallagher, one of which would have taken the State Water Project from the state Department of Water Resources and another which would have provided funding for school resource officers, failed on Friday to pass through the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news May 22, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Bird’s eye look of work underway at Oroville Dam spillways

The second and final phase of reconstruction continues at the Oroville Dam spillways. … A flight over the location last week during a break in Butte County Sheriff’s Office helicopter training exercise, showed that much original concrete at the top of the chute has been removed, along with the walls.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news May 21, 2018 Appeal-Democrat

Sites Reservoir officials: $1 billion falls short of hopes

The California Water Commission – the entity responsible for awarding $2.7 billion in Proposition 1 funds to water storage projects in a few months – didn’t quite see eye-to-eye with officials pushing for Sites Reservoir, primarily on the benefits to salmon the project would provide.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news May 14, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Lake Oroville recreation will be free on select days this summer

In order to get boaters and swimmers back to Lake Oroville after the Oroville Dam spillway was damaged in 2017, state agencies have announced they will waive fees for the recreational area on select days over the summer.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news May 11, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam emergency spillway work to extend into 2019

While work to repair the main Oroville Dam spillway will largely be done by Nov. 1, in response to a question, the Department of Water Resources clarified that work on the emergency spillway will continue into 2019.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news May 10, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam spillway repair work resumes

Construction work began just after midnight Tuesday morning on phase 2 of the repairs to the Oroville Dam main spillway. The Department of Water Resources had been granted permission by federal and state regulators to start work May 8, and contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West didn’t waste any time.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news May 8, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

FEMA still deciding whether to reimburse DWR for Oroville Dam major repairs

The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently told north state congressmen Doug LaMalfa and John Garamendi that the agency is still reviewing whether the state Department of Water Resources is eligible for further reimbursement to fix the Oroville Dam spillway.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news May 8, 2018 Appeal-Democrat

Sites Reservoir official: California Water Commission ‘undervalues’ project’s benefits

One billion dollars isn’t enough, Sites Reservoir supporters say. Despite being eligible for $1 billion in Proposition 1 funds from the state, a top official with the group spearheading Sites Reservoir said the state is failing to see the big picture in terms of the benefits the project would provide California, namely its endangered salmon.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news May 7, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento area water storage projects just got a boost in state bond money

The California Water Commission announced Friday that the Sites Reservoir project was eligible for $1 billion in Proposition 1 funds, up from $933 million the commission had said it might receive last month. … The commission also signaled more support for a small groundwater storage proposed by the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news May 3, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

1 million Chinook salmon released into Sacramento River to make up for Oroville Dam spillway crisis

The NOR-CAL Guides and Sportsmen’s Association and other fishing groups had spent more than a year pressuring state dam and fish-hatchery managers to raise extra fish to make up for the ones the fishing groups say were lost after the Oroville Dam spillway collapsed in February 2017.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news April 24, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

USGS quake monitors pick up vibrations at Oroville Dam construction site

The U.S. Geological Survey over the last year has recorded dozens of weak and shallow earthquakes near Oroville Dam and its spillways. And nearly all the tremors — including a magnitude-0.8 quake recorded Wednesday — share the same designation: “Chemical explosion.”

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news April 19, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam phase two of construction expected to start May 8

While some construction continues at Oroville Dam, the bulk of work under phase two is expected to begin May 8, state Department of Water Resources officials said Wednesday in a monthly media update call. This comes as DWR submitted an updated 2017-2018 Lake Oroville operations plan on Tuesday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the California Division of Safety of Dams for approval.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news April 9, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

After heavy rains, first use of partly rebuilt Oroville Dam spillway now ‘unlikely’

After a spring storm system dumped 5 to 7 inches of rain into the Feather River basin over the weekend, state officials said Sunday they likely won’t have to use the partly rebuilt flood control spillway at Oroville Dam after all.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news April 4, 2018 Associated Press

California may use partially rebuilt Oroville Dam spillway

Oroville Dam operators said Tuesday they may have to release water over a partially rebuilt spillway for the first time since repairs began on the badly damaged structure last summer. Department of Water Resources officials said anticipated storms could trigger releases this week or next.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news April 4, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle

A year after crumbling, Oroville Dam’s rebuilt spillway could be tested by coming storm

With a pounding storm headed for California, state water officials said Tuesday that Oroville Dam’s crumbled spillway could get its first test since being rebuilt in the wake of last year’s near-catastrophe.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news April 4, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Wednesday’s Top of the Scroll: Coming storm could force first test of Oroville Dam’s partly rebuilt spillway

With a powerful storm barreling toward California’s coast, state officials warned they may have to use the largely rebuilt flood control spillway at troubled Oroville Dam as early as next week.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news April 2, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Wet spot on Oroville Dam spillway wasn’t unexpected

First there was the green spot, now there’s the wet spot. … But it was something that had been expected, and the Department of Water Resources said as early as January that it might happen.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 23, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Releases cut to allow Lake Oroville to fill a bit

The flows have been shut off through the Hyatt Powerhouse at the base of Oroville Dam, and the lake is beginning to rise. And that’s all by design, according to the state Department of Water Resources.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 22, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam: Construction of secant pile wall wraps up

Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. said on Wednesday that construction of the underground wall below the Oroville Dam emergency spillway completed in early March. The 1,450 feet long wall, drilled 35-65 feet into bedrock, is one preventative measure against the type of erosion that occurred there last year, should the emergency spillway ever be used again.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 21, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Senator’s bill would establish Oroville Dam citizens advisory commission

A bill introduced by Sen. Jim Nielsen that would create a citizens advisory commission for the Oroville Dam was amended in the Senate last week. This comes as the Oroville Dam Coalition has been lobbying over the past year for more community involvement, including through a citizens oversight committee, as a reaction to the spillway crisis in February 2017.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 16, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

March storms have raised Lake Oroville

State Parks workers were pulling cable up a launch ramp at Bidwell Marina Thursday because the water level in Lake Oroville is on the rise. March’s storms have brought the lake level up almost 13 feet since the start of the month, according to the Department of Water Resources website.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 14, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

DWR submits plans to address Oroville Dam forensic report

The state Department of Water Resources submitted its plan to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Tuesday to address findings in the independent forensic report. The extensive forensic report, released on Jan. 5, blamed “long-term systematic failure,” including faulty design and insufficient maintenance, for the Oroville Dam crisis in February 2017.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 13, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam class action case moves from Butte to Sacramento

A change of venue request from Butte County to Sacramento County has been granted for plaintiffs in the first class action lawsuit filed against DWR for the Oroville Dam crisis.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 2, 2018 Appeal-Democrat

Sites Authority officials appeal project’s initial score

Sites Project Authority officials recently appealed the California Water Commission’s initial public benefit score in hopes of improving their pitch for a chunk of the $2.7 billion in available Proposition 1 funding for state water storage projects.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 27, 2018 Associated Press

Tuesday’s Top of the Scroll: California governor signs dam-safety bill prompted by crisis

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Monday that seeks to beef up dam inspections following a near disaster that caused the evacuation of almost 200,000 people living downstream from the tallest one in the United States. The measure implements several recommendations from experts who reviewed the crisis at Oroville Dam last year.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Western Water February 23, 2018 Gary Pitzer Gary Pitzer

SPOTLIGHT: Putah Creek, Yuba River and environmental water for fish
Two legal settlements are cited as examples where water was set aside for environmental needs

Lower Yuba RiverDespite the heat that often accompanies debates over setting aside water for the environment, there are instances where California stakeholders have forged agreements to provide guaranteed water for fish. Here are two examples cited by the Public Policy Institute of California in its report arguing for an environmental water right.

  • Read more
Aquafornia news February 22, 2018 Appeal-Democrat

DWR: Work on emergency spillway nearing completion

Though the final phase of repair work on the main spillway at Lake Oroville is now on the back burner until spring, Department of Water Resources officials said crews are making significant progress on repairing the emergency spillway.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 22, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Lessons from Oroville spillway helpful for next disaster

Until February 2017, the calls that came to Butte 2-1-1 ranged from quelling stress, and finding support organizations, to locating low-cost diapers. But for a few weeks after the Oroville Dam spillway disaster, the calls were desperate, seeking evacuation routes, hunting for surviving relatives, and wondering when residents could return home.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 21, 2018 Appeal-Democrat

Public input sought in Marysville levee project

Modifications were made to construction plans for an upcoming phase of the Marysville Ring Levee project. … The Marysville Levee Commission, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are proposing changes to their original plans for an area located along the existing levee to the southwest of Marysville, between the Fifth Street Bridge and E Street Bridge. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 21, 2018 Redding Record Searchlight

Drought threat looms over water allocations

With the threat of another drought looming, federal officials announced water allocations Tuesday that gave the city of Redding a full complement of water, but other water agencies, such as the Bella Vista Water District, were left with uncertainty.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 16, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Friday’s Top of the Scroll: Assemblyman brings group of legislators to Oroville Dam

Assemblyman James Gallagher rounded up a group of bipartisan legislators to visit Oroville on Thursday, where they met with community members and toured the now-infamous dam. Representatives of districts ranging from southern to northern California came to better understand the place where the evacuation of about 188,000 people occurred just over a year ago.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 14, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Locals in Oroville Dam class action lawsuit explain their losses

Locals who lost business or saw their property value decrease because of the Oroville Dam crisis are anxious to be reimbursed through a class action lawsuit filed last week. … There is a variety of plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit, including a child care facility, a water ski shop, a ranch and a ministry. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 12, 2018 Associated Press

Monday’s Top of the Scroll: Oroville crisis drives harder look at aging US dams

One year after the worst structural failures at a major U.S. dam in a generation, federal regulators who oversee California’s half-century-old, towering Oroville Dam say they are looking hard at how they overlooked its built-in weaknesses for decades.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 12, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Minute by minute: What if Oroville Dam’s spillway had failed one year ago?

Here’s a conceptual chronology of the near-catastrophe, based on a sophisticated UC Irvine computer analysis that wasn’t available to state officials during the emergency.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 9, 2018 KQED

Friday’s Top of the Scroll: Suit seeks up to $51 billion from DWR for discharge of Oroville Dam debris

Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Water Resources seeking $34 billion to $51 billion in civil penalties for environmental damage following the failure of the Oroville Dam spillways last February.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 9, 2018 Los Angeles Times

Butte County prosecutor wants state agency fined up to $51 billion for Oroville spillway failure

Butte County prosecutors are seeking up to $51 billion in fines and penalties against California’s water agency for damage caused to local river-based wildlife after the Oroville dam spillway failure last year, officials said.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 9, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam: Butte County DA files lawsuit against DWR over environmental damages

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey announced Wednesday that his office filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Water Resources for environmental damages to the Feather River as a result of the Oroville Dam crisis.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 8, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

One year later: The crisis at Oroville Dam

One year ago, when the main flood-control spillway at Oroville Dam cracked in two on Feb. 7, 2017, the crater sent concrete chunks flying and water shooting off in all directions.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news February 1, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Thursday’s Top of the Scroll: California now facing cascade of litigation over Oroville Dam

More than 40 farmers and business owners in the Oroville area sued the state Wednesday over the effects of the Oroville Dam crisis, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 29, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Monday’s Top of the Scroll: Now $870 million, price of Oroville Dam crisis jumps by a third

Oroville Dam’s battered flood-control spillways have been largely rebuilt, but the cost of last February’s near-disaster keeps rising. On Friday, state officials put the total price tag at $870 million.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 29, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento moves to buy levee easements for Sacramento River trail

The view from Don Murphy’s expansive backyard is breathtaking. The Sacramento River rolls gently past as birds float in the mid-winter fog. It is nearly silent, except for the infrequent car driving along a delta road across the river. … Now a fight is heating up over who should have access to that serenity.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 29, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

Public input needed for DWR community needs assessment, coalition says

Local leaders are pressing the state Department of Water Resources for details on how residents will be involved in the community needs assessment. Department officials have said that constructing additional infrastructure at Oroville Dam, including a second gated spillway and a fully lined emergency spillway, would be considered as part of the assessment.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 26, 2018 Yuba-Sutter Appeal-Democrat

State of the State: Absence of Oroville Dam, water infrastructure draws ire

Locals were waiting for Gov. Jerry Brown to say something during his final State of the State Address about the Oroville Dam crisis and infrastructure. They were disappointed.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 24, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

DWR could have lost control of Oroville spillway gates during crisis

The state Department of Water Resources could have lost control of the spillway radial gates for days during the Oroville Dam crisis if crucial power lines had gone down, according to department officials. DWR leaders Cindy Messer and Joel Ledesma stated this Jan. 10 during a legislative oversight hearing on the dam at the State Capitol.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 24, 2018 Capital Public Radio

A ‘floating fillet’: Rice farmers grow bugs to help restore California’s salmon

The project is called the Fish Food on Floodplain Farm Fields Project. It’s part of a greater effort to restore threatened fish species — the Sacramento Valley Salmon Recovery Program. The project comes at a key time: A recent UC Davis study suggests that winter run chinook salmon could go extinct if efforts to recover the species aren’t taken up.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 24, 2018 Bureau of Reclamation

News Release: Reclamation tests new Folsom Dam Auxiliary Spillway ahead of final commissioning

The Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are currently testing Folsom Dam’s auxiliary spillway, part of the official commissioning of the newly constructed structure. The Corps, in cooperation with Reclamation, are testing all of the major systems in the structure, ensuring that the facility operates as intended in the design. The tests, underway this week and next, include operating and releasing water from all six new auxiliary spillway radial gates.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 22, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Oroville Dam spillway built on crumbling rock, warned contractor that built it

An investigation into last winter’s near catastrophe at Oroville Dam uncovered a litany of problems with how the dam was built and maintained, but one of them stands out: Even as workers built the dam, they were raising alarms about the eroded, crumbling rock on which they were directed to lay concrete for the 3,000-foot-long main flood control spillway.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 17, 2018 KQED

Oroville suing state water agency over dam spillway emergency

Signaling what could be a wave of lawsuits arising from last year’s spillway crisis, the city of Oroville is planning to file a complaint Wednesday against the state Department of Water Resources for damages it says it suffered during and after the emergency. About 188,000 people were evacuated from communities along the Feather River after the failure of Oroville Dam’s main spillway last Feb. 7.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 10, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Wednesday’s Top of the Scroll: Safety wasn’t the only thing on Oroville Dam operators’ minds as they responded to crisis, report shows

California water officials have always insisted public safety was their only concern as they struggled with the crisis unfolding last February at Oroville Dam. The forensic team investigating what happened at Lake Oroville, however, has pinpointed another factor guiding the decisions made by the Department of Water Resources: the state’s desire to continue shipping water to faraway farms and cities that rely on deliveries from the reservoir.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 8, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle

Monday’s Top of the Scroll: State missed problems that led to Oroville Dam near-disaster, report finds

The spillway failures at Oroville Dam that prompted tens of thousands to flee for their lives last winter were the result of years of mistakes, lax inspections and lazy repairs by the state’s water agency, a team of independent dam experts reported Friday. Their conclusions: State water managers should not have built the dam’s primary spillway on faulty bedrock. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 8, 2018 Appeal-Democrat

Oroville Series, Part Six: Construction in the rainy season

Less than nine months after two massive holes formed in Lake Oroville’s main spillway, construction crews wrapped up their first phase of rebuilding it. Some local residents have expressed concerns that the quick turnover could result in faults or design flaws, but an official with the Department of Water Resources said if any crew can accomplish the feat, it would be Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 8, 2018 San Jose Mercury News

New Oroville Dam report details causes of near-disaster last year

The independent team of experts investigating the dramatic failure of the spillways last February at Oroville Dam that led to the evacuation of 188,000 people has concluded that California water officials were “overconfident and complacent” and gave “inadequate priority for dam safety,” according to a final report released Friday.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 8, 2018 The Sacramento Bee

Final verdict on Oroville Dam: ‘Long-term systemic failure’ by the state, regulators

The forensic team investigating the February emergency at Oroville Dam blasted the California Department of Water Resources on Friday, saying the dam’s owner and operator did a poor job of designing, building and maintaining the structure and neglected safety while focusing on the “water delivery needs” of its customers to the south.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 5, 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record

DWR ignores local advice on Oroville Wildlife Area rock harvest

State Department of Water Resources officials recently met with Oroville Dam Coalition members to consider their ideas for the Oroville Wildlife Area project, but announced later the same day that the department had different plans.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 22, 2017 The Sacramento Bee

Friday’s Top of the Scroll: Politicians to Trump: Don’t relicense Oroville Dam until we know why spillway failed

Elected officials and other groups representing those living below the troubled Oroville Dam have asked the Trump administration to hold off on renewing its 50-year license, saying the federal government should at least know why the spillway broke in half last winter before signing off.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 18, 2017 Appeal-Democrat

Oroville Series, Part Three: Traffic during evacuation a worry for many

There were many takeaways from last February’s Lake Oroville spillway incident, but one very alarming one: a large number of Yuba-Sutter residents who evacuated said they experienced issues with leaving the area, mainly due to traffic congestion. And a startling number of residents reported that they stayed home instead of fleeing, risking their lives in the event the emergency spillway did collapse.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 14, 2017 The Sacramento Bee

Thursday’s Top of the Scroll: Oroville Dam crisis sparked $1.2 billion in claims

The near-disaster at Oroville Dam last February brought damage claims flooding into the state by the hundreds – shops and restaurants that lost business, farms that got overwhelmed by surges in water, cities and counties buried in evacuation expenses. Most claims argue that the state is responsible for the emergency because it ignored warning signs about the condition of the dam’s spillway.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 12, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Tuesday’s Top of the Scroll: Formerly classified memo describing Oroville Dam spillway cracks now public

The previously secret state Department of Water Resources memorandum explaining the hairline cracks in the Oroville Dam spillway is now public. The document provides more details on how Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., the contractor for spillway reconstruction, tried to reduce shrinkage, which leads to cracking in concrete.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 11, 2017 Appeal-Democrat

Skepticism abounds at DWR meeting in Yuba City

Yuba-Sutter residents voiced concerns to the Department of Water Resources over a variety of issues Thursday night, including the hairline cracks that have appeared on the reconstructed spillway, a need for more transparency moving forward, and the significant amount of sediment buildup in the Feather River brought about by the Lake Oroville incident last February and plans – or lack thereof – to clear it out.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 7, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Residents tell DWR they want dam access, more answers at community meeting

Residents showed lingering distrust Wednesday night as they voiced concern about loss of access to recreation and questions about hairline cracks in the reconstructed spillway.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 7, 2017 Associated Press

Thursday’s Top of the Scroll: Northern California residents blast state over dam repairs

Northern California residents living in the shadow of the nation’s tallest dam vented decades of frustration with state water managers Wednesday, telling officials they have no credibility when they say hairline cracks in a newly rebuilt spillway are nothing to worry about.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 6, 2017 Appeal-Democrat

DWR says Oroville Dam spillway ready for winter rains

It might be another year or so until reconstruction of the main spillway at Lake Oroville is officially complete, but Department of Water Resources officials say the structure is ready for whatever this winter can throw at it, even if there are a few cracks here and there.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 4, 2017 Appeal-Democrat

‘Fish in the fields’ study to monitor effects of methane emissions

A team of researchers and Marysville rice farmers initiated a study this week in Yuba County to see if introducing fish to a flooded rice field could both reduce methane emissions and allow for a new reliable protein source.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 4, 2017 Appeal-Democrat

Close look at $28.5 million levee repairs in Sacramento Valley

The Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency got to work on emergency levee repairs following last winter’s high waters and the Oroville Dam evacuation. Seepage, boils, sink holes and water erosion were signs of severe distress. The $28.5 million project, mostly funded by the state, is geared up to complete by Christmas.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 4, 2017 The Sacramento Bee

Baby endangered California salmon use different rivers than expected, research shows

Biologists assumed baby winter-run Chinook salmon hung out in the Sacramento River where they hatched until they grew large enough to make the trip downstream to the Pacific Ocean. A recently released scientific study challenges that assumption – and may have implications in how fisheries agencies manage Sacramento Valley waterways to protect the critically endangered fish.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 1, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Phase two of Oroville Dam spillway construction may be more challenging, contractor says

Phase two of construction at Oroville Dam — with work on both spillways — might prove more challenging than the first feat, the contractor’s project director said in a media call Thursday. … DWR [California Department of Water Resources] will hold two community meetings next week.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news December 1, 2017 Associated Press

Oroville mayor lashes out over dam communications

Oroville’s mayor said Thursday she knew about cracks in the replacement spillway at the troubled dam nearby and is not concerned, but heaped criticism on state water officials for failing to communicate with her town. Linda Dahlmeier said the Department of Water Resources should have proactively communicated that cracks were expected but has instead created a “firestorm” in a community that was rattled by sudden evacuation orders last February.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 30, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam: Recreation along Feather River suffers while DWR surveys

Politicians and river guides are calling upon the state Department of Water Resources to mitigate sediment build up in the Feather River following the Oroville Dam crisis. … The state Department of Water Resources is currently assessing the impacts of sediment on the river system, with the study expected to be complete in December, said Jon Ericson, acting division chief for the division of flood management. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 29, 2017 Capital Public Radio

Higher than expected number of Chinook Salmon return to American River

It appears this is an average year for the number of fall-fun Chinook Salmon returning to spawn in the American River. The numbers were expected to be much lower because of high water temperatures and predators when the fish were juveniles heading to the ocean during the drought.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 29, 2017 The Sacramento Bee

Cracks found in new Oroville Dam spillway, but officials say don’t worry

Hairline cracks have been detected in sections of the newly reconstructed flood-control spillway at Oroville Dam. State and federal officials said they’re confident the cracks don’t pose a safety problem and don’t need to be repaired.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 29, 2017 San Francisco Chronicle

Cracks found on Oroville Dam’s new spillway not a concern, state says

Several small cracks have been discovered on the Oroville Dam’s newly rebuilt concrete spillway, prompting federal regulators to express concern about the $500 million construction project under way at the troubled facility. But state water officials said Tuesday that the series of millimeter-wide cracks on the surface of the main spillway pose no structural problems for the nation’s tallest dam.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 28, 2017 KQED Public Media for Northern California

Tuesday’s Top of the Scroll: Feds ask state to explain cracks in new Oroville Dam spillway concrete

Federal regulators have asked the officials who operate Oroville Dam — and who are in charge of the $500 million-plus effort to rebuild and reinforce the facility’s compromised spillways — to explain small cracks that have appeared in recently rebuilt sections of the dam’s massive concrete flood-control chute.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Tour October 10, 2018 - October 12, 2018 New Stop Announced for Northern California Tour: Salmon Rearing Structures in the Sacramento River

Northern California Tour 2018

This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape as participants learned about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.

All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Tour participants got an on-site update of repair efforts on the Oroville Dam spillway. 

  • David Guy
  • Christopher Williams
  • Carson Jeffres
  • Curt Aikens
  • Kelly Peterson
  • Mark Oliver
  • Read more
Aquafornia news November 20, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Recent storms raise Lake Oroville water level

The storms that blew through Northern California this week raised the water level of Lake Oroville about 4 feet, but it’s a long way from where the spillways might need to be used.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 14, 2017 KCRA Channel 3

Lead, arsenic, copper found in drinking water at some NorCal schools

Water tests at school drinking fountains across Northern California found dangerous levels of lead and other metals, prompting school officials to shut down the fountains. However, thousands of schools across California have not participated in a state-funded program to test their drinking water, according to an investigation by KCRA 3.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 13, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam: Coalition, politicians say D.C. lobbying trip a success

Sen. Jim Nielsen, Assemblyman James Gallagher, and members of the Oroville Dam Coalition are seeking federal assistance on issues relating to the dam they say need to be resolved. They met with commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and representatives for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 13, 2017 Los Angeles Times

Oroville Dam spillway was wrecked months ago; here’s where repairs stand as rain season looms

New images released by state water officials Thursday highlight the immensity of repairs made to the Oroville Dam spillway as seasonal rains begin to fall once again.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 7, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam coalition, local politicians head to Washington for federal assistance

State Sen. Jim Nielsen, Assemblyman James Gallagher and Oroville Dam Coalition members are heading to Washington, D.C., this week to address what they say are outstanding issues following the spillway crisis.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 7, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Tuesday’s Top of the Scroll: Congressmen want additional Oroville Dam safety review

Reps. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, and Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, Monday introduced to a bill that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to conduct an additional environmental review of the Oroville Dam. The congressmen would like to see a review done before the commission approves the relicensing of the dam under state Department of Water Resources’ management.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news November 2, 2017 Associated Press

California launches overall safety review at tallest US dam

California is launching an overall safety review of the nation’s tallest dam to pinpoint any needed upgrades in the half-century-old structure, water officials said Wednesday, launching the kind of overarching review called for by an independent national panel of experts in September following the collapse of two spillways at Oroville Dam.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 31, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Tuesday’s Top of the Scroll: DWR says Oroville Dam spillway will be done by deadline

Crews are laying the last layer of concrete on the Oroville Dam spillway with one day until the state Department of Water Resources’ deadline to have the structure ready to pass flows of 100,000 cubic-feet per second, or cfs.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 30, 2017 The Washington Post

A massive storm flooded Houston. Experts say California’s state capital could be next.

Even living here on the West Coast, Marion Townsend decided to act as floods ravaged Texas and hurricanes pounded the Caribbean in recent weeks. Her Sacramento neighborhood slopes downward from a levee that separates it from the American River, in an area that officials concede never should have been settled but is home to 100,000 residents.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 27, 2017 Appeal-Democrat

Officials express confidence when sizing up area levees

Considering the events of this past winter and the problems they posed to Yuba-Sutter levees, officials are confident the improvements made over the past several months will withstand the upcoming flood season.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 26, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Flood experts say California levees need much more money

California needs to spend another $100 million a year to keep the state’s levee system sound, according to state flood control experts. At a press conference marking flood preparedness week Monday at a levee repair site near Sacramento, Bill Edgar, president of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board said the levees will need a $17 billion to $21 billion investment over the next 30 years to protect the seven million Californians at flood risk.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 25, 2017 Redding Record Searchlight

Crews repair temperature curtains at Whiskeytown Lake

Over the past several weeks crews have been out on Whiskeytown Lake repairing the temperature curtains in the water near the Visitors Center. … The curtains are an important part of the bureau’s Central Valley Project, which includes Trinity and Lewiston dams and Shasta and Keswick dams.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 25, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville Dam: DWR plans to use Gold Rush rock from wildlife area

The state Department of Water Resources plans to clear mounds of rock from the Gold Rush days at the Oroville Wildlife Area and put them to use in the rebuilding of the spillways at Oroville Dam. DWR received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to a filing made last week.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 24, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

DWR moves forward Lake Oroville recreational projects

The state Department of Water Resources continues to make progress on several recreational projects the Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee has wanted for years.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 24, 2017 Capital Public Radio

Repairs begin for levees that suffered critical damage this winter

The California Department of Water Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers are repairing 30 sites that suffered “critical” damage this winter and are preparing to fix another 10.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 23, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Monday’s Top of the Scroll: Scientists say few spring-run salmon in Feather River likely due to heat, drought

Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration think two main factors caused low numbers of spring-run chinook salmon to return this year: drought and abnormally warm temperatures.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 23, 2017 Appeal-Democrat

Assemblyman Gallagher survey: Respondents worry more about DWR than terrorists

Survey results largely showed that respondents weren’t happy with how things went down this past February at the Lake Oroville spillways and the events that followed. Most respondents expressed their concerns were with the California Department of Water Resources.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 20, 2017 San Jose Mercury News

Friday’s Top of the Scroll: Oroville Dam repair costs nearly double in price to $500 million

The cost of repairing the crippling damage to Oroville Dam’s spillways caused by last winter’s fierce storms has almost doubled, state water officials said Thursday. … Jeff Petersen, project manager for Kiewit, said that once construction workers got on the site they discovered they had to dig much deeper to get down to bedrock than they had expected.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 20, 2017 Los Angeles Times

Racing to repair Oroville Dam—before the rains come

In one of the fastest-paced civic construction jobs in recent U.S. history, hundreds of carpenters, operating engineers and iron workers are rushing to complete repairs to the damaged Oroville Dam spillway. The crews are trying to beat a Nov. 1 deadline and the Northern California rainy season, which once again will begin to fill the massive reservoir behind the nation’s highest dam.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 19, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Thursday’s Top of the Scroll: Oroville Dam flood plan calls for keeping lake lower than usual

A plan has been prepared for flood control operations this rainy season at Oroville Dam, which call for keeping the lake lower and aggressively releasing water if the water level rises above trigger points. Up to now, the dam has been operated under rules drafted by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1970, which set a maximum lake surface elevation target of 848.5 feet above sea level for November through April, and 870.1 feet in May.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Tour October 11, 2017 - October 13, 2017 Visit Oroville Dam and its Damaged Spillway in October on Northern California Water Tour Northern California Tour Highlights Water Infrastructure

Northern California Tour 2017

This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape as we learned about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply. All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. This year, special attention was paid to the flood event at Oroville Dam and the efforts to repair the dam spillway before the next rainy season. 

  • Download Tour Brochure
  • Read more
Aquafornia news October 18, 2017 Capital Public Radio

Folsom Lake Auxiliary Spillway complete

The flood risk in the Sacramento metropolitan area is greatly improved now that a 12-year project to build a back-up spillway at Folsom Lake is complete.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 17, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

DWR: ‘Can’t say with certainty’ whether spillway ramp will reopen

The state Department of Water Resources intends to open the spillway boat launch ramp after construction at the dam is complete, but there is a possibility it will stay out of commission, according to a department official. The spillway boat launch is the largest on the lake, with up to 12 lanes when the water is high enough.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 17, 2017 Appeal-Democrat

DWR plans lower elevation for Oroville heading into flood season

With just more than two weeks until the initial reconstruction of the main spillway at Lake Oroville is supposed to be completed, the Department of Water Resources released operations plan for the reservoir for this coming flood season.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news October 5, 2017 Capital Public Radio

Thursday’s Top of the Scroll: Rebuilding Lake Oroville spillways

In February, a huge hole opened in the Lake Oroville main spillway. The cause of the hole is still undetermined. … State and federal agencies devised a plan to quickly repair or replace the structures at the lake.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news September 27, 2017 Chico Enterprise-Record

Oroville hatchery sees lowest salmon run in years

Where are all the fish?  That’s what hatchery workers are wondering, left scratching their heads after seeing low levels for spring-run Chinook salmon  – about a third of the average for this time period.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news September 26, 2017 The Sacramento Bee

Fly right up the Oroville Dam spillway to see how repairs are shaping up (video)

This September 25, 2017 video shows progress on the Oroville Dam spillway.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news September 25, 2017 KQED Public Media for Northern California

California cities will flood, so why aren’t we ready?

After big natural disasters like Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, federal officials often tighten up flood protection standards. That’s what happened in California after Hurricane Katrina twelve years ago. But many flood-prone communities are still struggling to meet those standards, including Sacramento, one of the riskiest flood zones in the country.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news September 25, 2017 The Sacramento Bee

Cow feces and an E. coli scare

Greg Loe didn’t have to look hard to figure out how E. coli probably got into this small town’s [Butte City] drinking water supply. In late May, a routine E. coli test came back positive.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • next ›
  • last »

Water Academy

  • Agriculture
  • Background Information
  • Bay-Delta
  • Dams, Reservoirs and Water Projects
  • Environmental Issues
  • Leaders and Experts
  • Regions
    • Central Coast
    • Central Valley
    • Mexico
    • Nevada
    • Pyramid Lake
    • Sacramento Valley
    • Salton Sea
    • San Joaquin Valley
    • Sierra Nevada
    • Southern California
    • Tulare Lake Basin
  • Rivers
  • Water Issues
  • Water Quality
  • Water Supply and Management
Footer pod May 20, 2014

Water Education Foundation

Copyright © 2021 Water Education Foundation. All rights reserved.

The Water Education Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)3 organization, federal tax ID #942419885.

Privacy Policy

Donor Privacy Policy

  • Read more
Footer pod May 20, 2014

Contact Information

1401 21st Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, California 95811

Telephone (916) 444-6240
Fax (916) 448-7699

Contact Us via our website

  • Read more

Quicklinks

Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Contact Us

  • Read more
Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Donate Today

  • Read more
Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Tours

  • Read more
Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Newsletter Signup

  • Read more
Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Foundation News

  • Read more
Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Calendar

  • Read more

Log in

  • Create new account
  • Request new password

Commands

  • Support portal
  • Log in