Water Policy

Part 4: The Oroville Dam

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The Oroville Dam is located about 35 miles north of Sacramento. It is the primary source of water conveyed to Southern California. The Dam is situated on the Feather River.

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The Dam is an indispensable part of everything that occurs in California. There are many functions of the Dam, including recreation, Salmon and trout care, hydroelectric generation, flood control, and water usage.

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The availability of water from the Oroville Dam allows people to live in much of Southern California, a desert region defined as such because it has less than 10 inch of rain per year. Water from the Dam can be stored on the surface in recharge ponds. This water then percolates into an underground aquifer. The stored aquifer water is pumped out of the ground when needed. Thus a calculable water supply is available locally.