Oroville Dam

Oroville Dam is an earthfill dam on California’s Feather River that forms Lake Oroville. The California Department of Water Resources operates it as a major component of the State Water Project.

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Earthfill dam: A dam built mainly from compacted earth materials arranged in an embankment. Oroville Dam’s main barrier is a compacted earthfill embankment.
2017 Oroville Dam crisis: A February 2017 emergency involving severe erosion at Oroville Dam’s main and emergency spillways. This event exposed risks in the dam’s spillway system and triggered evacuations.
State Water Project: A California water conveyance and storage system operated by the Department of Water Resources. Oroville Dam is a major storage and supply facility in the project.
Oroville, California: A city in Butte County, California, near the junction of the Feather River and Lake Oroville. The city lies near the dam and is connected to its history and operations.
Lake Oroville: A reservoir on California’s Feather River, formed by Oroville Dam. The dam stores water in this reservoir.
Oroville Dam main spillway damage: Severe erosion and structural damage to Oroville Dam’s main spillway in February 2017. Damage forced operators to use the emergency spillway.
Flood control: Measures that reduce flood damage by regulating water flows and managing exposed areas. Reservoir storage allows releases from the Feather River to be regulated during storms.
Feather River fish hatchery: A California fish hatchery below Oroville Dam that raises salmon and steelhead. The dam blocks upstream fish migration, making the hatchery part of mitigation efforts.
Oroville Dam spillway: A concrete-lined channel that releases reservoir water past Oroville Dam. The spillway provides the dam’s main controlled route for high flows.
Oroville Dam emergency spillway erosion: Erosion of the hillside below Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway during high reservoir releases in February 2017. The erosion raised concern that the emergency spillway could fail.