Yuba-Feather FIRO Final Viability Assessment
F. Martin Ralph, John James, John Leahigh, Michael Anderson, Cary Talbot, Joseph Forbis, Jennifer Fromm, Alan Haynes | March 14th, 2025
This Yuba-Feather Final Viability Assessment (FVA) evaluates whether improved precipitation and runoff forecasts can reduce flood risk downstream of New Bullards Bar (NBB), owned and operated by Yuba Water Agency (Yuba Water), and Lake Oroville (ORO), owned and operated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). These reservoirs are in the Yuba-Feather watersheds in the Sierra Nevada and eastern Sacramento Valley of Northern California (Figure ES-1 and ES-2). Each reservoirs’ flood risk reduction operations are regulated by United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) through Water Control Manuals (WCMs).
Reducing flood risk by making reservoir releases ahead of storms creates additional temporary flood storage space for anticipated inflows but requires confidence and skill in forecasted conditions.
Keywords
atmospheric rivers, flood management, risk assessment, State Water Project (SWP), water project operations, water supply forecasting