SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District will host a public meeting October 15 to share information regarding water control manual updates for New Bullards Bar and Oroville Dams. The meeting will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Sutter County Veterans Memorial Building at 1425 Veterans Memorial Circle in Yuba City.
USACE will present information on the water control manual update process, purpose and need, key issues, and the process timeline. Following the presentation, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding the update process. Questions and comments will be limited to two minutes per person to help maximize the opportunity for individuals to be heard before the meeting concludes. Comment cards will also be available to submit questions or comments.
USACE created the following web page to share information and answer frequently asked questions as we move through the water control manual update process. https://www.spk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Water-Control/New-Bullards-Bar-Oroville-Dams-Water-Control-Manual-Update/.
Water control manuals are the operational procedures that guide storm-season operations to ensure dam owners comply with federal rules related to flood management for the protection of downstream communities. Updates to the water control manuals for New Bullards Bar and Oroville Dams are being considered to reflect recent improvements to forecasting and coordinated operations between the two reservoirs.
Yuba Water Agency owns and operates the dam and reservoir as part of the Yuba River Development Project, a multipurpose flood risk reduction, water supply and hydropower project completed in 1970. New Bullards Bar is located on the North Yuba River and has a storage capacity of nearly one million acre-feet, with 170,000 acre-feet of dedicated flood storage. USACE contributed $12 million to the construction of the dam in exchange for flood control space the reservoir provides.
Oroville Dam and reservoir is a unit of the Feather River Project, which forms the start of the California State Water Project’s water storage and delivery system. The project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of July 1958 with the State of California completing its construction in 1967. The dam is located on the Feather River, a tributary of the Sacramento River, about six miles upstream from Oroville. Owned and operated by the California Department of Water Resources, the project is a multipurpose facility that provides flood control, water supply, hydropower, recreation, and water conservation.
This document was updated on 10/4/2024 to reflect that USACE will be the sole presenting agency during the meeting. While the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Yuba Water Agency are partners in the project, they will not directly participate in this meeting.
Informational Meeting regarding Water Control Manual Updates for New Bullards Bar and Oroville Dams
Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Time: 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Introduction and Presentation – 5:00 to 5:45 p.m.
Q & A – 5:45 to 6:30 p.m.
Location: Veterans Memorial Building, 1425 Veterans Memorial Circle, Yuba City, CA 95993