Construction started 1961, opened 1968



Dam and spillways


Type of dam: Rockfill embankment

Impounds: Feather River

Height: 770 ft (230 m)[1]

Length: 6,920 ft (2,110 m)[1]

Dam volume: 77,619,000 cu yd (59,344,000 m3)

Spillway type: Service, 8x gate-controlled

Spillway capacity: 250,000 cu ft/s (7,100 m3/s)


Lake Oroville

Total capacity: 3,537,577 acre·ft (4.363537 km3)

Inactive capacity: 29,600 acre·ft (0.0365 km3)

Catchment area: 3,607 sq mi (9,340 km2)

Surface area: 15,805 acres (6,396 ha)

Normal elevation: 935 ft (285 m) (max)
(NOTE ... this must be the EXTREME Overcapacity height ... everything else is saying 900' is full flood capacity)


Power station

Hydraulic head: 615 ft (187 m)

Turbines: 3x conventional, 3x pump-generators

Installed capacity: 819 MW

Annual generation 1,490 GWh