Lake Oroville

Lake Oroville is a large lake in central Northern California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It is located east of the city of Oroville, California in Butte County. The lake has a capacity of 3,537,580 acre-feet and is created by the Oroville Dam on the Feather River, only a mile downstream of the meeting of the North, Middle and South forks. Completed in 1968, Oroville Dam is the tallest earthen dam located in the United States. Over 770 feet high and 6,920 feet across, this structure makes in an imposing addition to the landscape. It was built by the California Department of Water Resources as part of the California State Water Project. The lake supplies water that is transported to the San Francisco Bay Area and southern portions of the state.

The South Forebay of the lake is used by speed boats, personal water craft and hydroplanes, who come from all over for speed competitions. The North Forebay is reserved for non-motorized use only, such as sailing and windsurfing.