1951 - The Feather River Project, part of the State Water Project (SWP), was first proposed

The Feather River Project was first proposed by California State Engineer A.D. Edmonston to provide water to arid Southern California.

1956 - DWR identifies the need for tourism and recreation to offset the financial impact

Economic Impact of the Construction of Oroville Dam and Power Plant Upon the Oroville Area is published. The report, written by DWR, touts the “tremendous and multi-ramified impact on the City of Oroville and its environs.” It predicts that after the construction of the Dam is complete, “The retraction may be unpleasant until the long-term growth of population takes up the slack left by the withdrawal of construction families.” Furthermore, the report identifies the need for tourism and recreation to cushion the financial shock of the retraction.

1957 - FPC issues DWR 50-year license to operate the project

The Federal Power Commission (FPC), now known as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issues a major license to Water Resources of the State of California for proposed major Project #2100, known as the Feather River project (50-year license expired on February 1, 2007)

1961 - Construction of the Dam begins, and DWR’s Plan recommends extensive recreation developments. DWR releases report projecting millions of visitors contingent on visitor facilities being constructed and operational

The Recreation Land Use and Acquisition Plan for Oroville Reservoir released. This report, written by DWR, presents information which shows, “The recreation developments at Oroville Reservoir and Afterbay will accommodate not less than 83,000 visitors per day or a total of more than 12½ million visitor-days annually. This use is based upon complete utilization of recreation lands recommended for acquisition at 11 recreation areas.”

1963 - Recreation and enhanced fish and wildlife cited as purposes of the State Water Project

Resources Agency of California Order #6, under the reference of the Davis-Dolwig Act, declares that recreation and enhancement of Fish and Wildlife resources are among the purposes of the State Water Project. This order also spells out the responsibilities of 1. Water Resources 2. Parks and Recreation, and 3. Fish and Game.

1966 - DWR releases reports detailing recreation plans, including restaurant, snack bar, and golf course

The Economic Analysis of the Oroville Visitor Facilities Office report is published by DWR. This report highlights that visitor facilities are an integral part of the State's resource development program and will significantly contribute to the economy. It details proposed facilities, including educational exhibits, a 200-seat restaurant, a 100-seat snack bar, a monorail from Kelly Ridge to the switchyard, a steam train from the Oroville Municipal Auditorium, and hourly tours of the power plant. It projects 2.6 million visitors in 2018, contingent on the visitor facilities being constructed and operational concurrently with the dam. It predicts a sharp decline in construction visitation if the facilities are not completed.
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DWR Bulletin No. 117-6 is released. This 53-page report lays out future recreation plans, concluding that the Oroville complex has high recreation potential and recommending initial development adequate for the first decade, with additional facilities planned in stages. Predictions for 2017 include 4,610,000 day uses and 1,092,000 overnight stays, based on the assumption of a phased facility build-out. It specifically mentions planned but undeveloped facilities at Thermalito Forebay (restaurant, snack bar, golf course), Craig (bulk of overnight camping), and Potter Ravine and Bloomer (overnight and day use).

1968 - Construction of the Dam is complete. Reagan confirms an upcoming boom due to recreation

Construction of the Oroville Dam is complete. Excerpt from Governor Ronald Reagan Oroville Dam Dedication Speech, “The construction boom in Oroville is over. But it will be followed by an even larger growth as recreation brings millions of Californians to the lake, which we see forming.” “Here before you is Lake Oroville filling to its destiny for use for flood control, hydroelectric power, irrigation, municipal and domestic purposes and as one of the greatest recreational and fishery lakes in California.”

1969 - Local economy crashes due to the exodus of construction workers and no recreation facilities to draw in tourists.

Downtown Oroville's economy crashes, leaving many buildings vacant, some of which remain so for 60 years. This is linked to the lack of completed recreation venues as promised. Butte County welfare rolls tripled in the two years after the completion of the Oroville Facilities.

1975 - Earthquake

The 5.7 earthquake in the Oroville area in 1975 is believed to have been caused by induced seismicity from the weight of the Oroville Dam and reservoir on a local fault line.

1989 - FERC finds DWR in partial noncompliance with the Recreation Plan Bulletin 117-6

FERC’s San Francisco Regional Office informed the Director of the Division of Project Compliance and Administration of the Commission's Office of Hydropower Licensing (Division Director) that Cal Water Resources (DWR) had failed to construct all of the recreation facilities in the approved recreation plan for the Feather River Project. As a result, the Division Director initiated an investigation, during which the licensee acknowledged that it did not fully implement the approved plan and asked that it be allowed to file, for Commission approval, a revised recreation plan that would supersede the approved plan. The Division Director concurred with the licensee’s proposal.

1990 - DWR, in response to a request letter from FERC dated December 14, 1989, submits a proposed revised recreation plan

DWR filed its proposed revised recreation plan, followed by follow-up filings on January 23, 1991, and July 3, 1991. The revised plan did not provide for any new recreation facilities or programs, “due to much lower demand than projected in the original recreation report, but provided for ongoing monitoring of needs and construction of new facilities as needed, subject to the budgetary constraints of the State of California.” Interventions were filed by the Oroville Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Oroville, the Lake Oroville Fish Enhancement Committee, and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. Furthermore, several thousand protest and comment letters were received from local citizens, all asserting the need for improved and expanded recreational facilities at the project.

1994 - FERC requires DWR to create a revised recreation plan and establish an advisory committee to include community groups, state water contractors, and DWR

FERC issues an order on a revised recreation plan. “The ruling was seen as a major victory for the community where diverse interests had risen in angry protests to challenge the DWR's neglect as a review of its power generating license.”

2005 - Local environmental groups argue that the Dam did not meet safety standards and unsuccessfully urged FERC to take action

Three environmental groups, the Friends of the River, the Sierra Club, and the South Yuba Citizens League, filed a motion with the federal government on Oct. 17, 2005, as part of Oroville Dam’s relicensing process, urging federal officials to require that the Dam’s emergency spillway be armored with concrete, rather than remain as an earthen hillside

The groups filed the motion with FERC where they said that the Dam, built and owned by the State of California, and finished in 1968, did not meet modern safety standards because in the event of extreme rain and flooding, fast-rising water would overwhelm the main concrete spillway, then flow down the emergency spillway, and that could cause heavy erosion that would create flooding for communities downstream, but also could cause a failure, known as “loss of crest control.”

FERC did not require the state to upgrade the emergency spillway.

2006

Butte County filed a Report on Operational Impacts of the Oroville Facilities Project and Socio-Economic Impacts of the Oroville Facilities Project, which details the annual costs incurred by the County as a result of the Oroville Facilities.

A Settlement Agreement (SA) was signed by DWR and other stakeholders to expedite the relicensing process under an Alternative Licensing Process. The SA excluded the Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee (ORAC) and local recreation and economic interests, once again prioritizing the State's needs over the local community's. The SA included a Recreation Management Plan to address the lack of recreation facilities historically obligated under the original Bulletin 117-6, but the plan fell short of the original promise. DWR used low visitor numbers as an excuse to justify the need for the recreation facilities, which was contrary to the philosophy they used to build the Dam in the first place.

2007 - DWR’s 50-year license has expired

DWR's license has expired, but it continues to operate under annual license extensions.

2009 - River Valve Incident

The California Division of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (Cal OSHA) concluded that opening the valves without an energy-dispersion ring, which was reportedly absent, "created water flow with such great turbulence that it blocked an air vent and created a vacuum". It sanctioned the DWR with six citations, including five classified as serious, and initially fined the department $141,375.

2017 - Spillway Incident

Spillway failure; 180,000+ residents evacuated.

2019

Notice of Protest and Intent to File Motion to Intervene – Recreation Concerns submitted by William Connelly and the Citizens of California.

2025

Butte County calls for full FERC relicensing with community obligations included.