U.S. Army Corps Begins Public Review for Oroville, New Bullards Bar Dams

Proposed updates to reservoir operations aim to improve flood protection and environmental impacts

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has initiated a public review process for proposed updates to the operation of Oroville Dam and New Bullards Bar Dam. The review will evaluate three alternatives for each reservoir, including the current operating plan, to assess potential changes that could impact environmental factors, flood protection, and overall system performance.

Why it matters

The water control manuals for these federally operated reservoirs with flood control missions outline when and how water is stored or released to reduce flood risk while supporting other authorized purposes. Updating these manuals could have significant implications for the local environment, flood protection, and the overall management of the region's water resources.

The details

The public scoping meeting in Marysville kicked off the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, allowing the public to provide feedback on issues, concerns, and alternative solutions that should be evaluated in the upcoming Environmental Assessment. The Corps will prepare draft water control manuals and NEPA documents by August, with a deadline for public comments on March 4.

  • The public scoping meeting took place on February 4, 2026.
  • Draft documents are expected to be released in August 2026.
  • The deadline for public comments is March 4, 2026.

The players

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District

The federal agency responsible for managing the Oroville Dam and New Bullards Bar Dam, and initiating the public review process for proposed updates to their water control manuals.

Jenny Fromm

Chief of the Water Management Section for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, who explained the purpose of the public scoping meeting and the upcoming review process.

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What they’re saying

“These manuals describe the rules and regulations for how we operate flood control space at each reservoir.”

— Jenny Fromm, Chief of the Water Management Section

“Is there any issues you see during historical events that the public have seen, and they want to bring to our attention? Do they have specific questions about water quality? The hydropower or any biological resources or recreation land use? So, like literally anything that the public has a question about that might be impacted by updating these manuals, we want to know about it.”

— Jenny Fromm, Chief of the Water Management Section

What’s next

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will prepare draft water control manuals and NEPA documents by August 2026, and the public will have until March 4, 2026 to submit comments on the proposed updates.

The takeaway

The public review process for updating the water control manuals for the Oroville Dam and New Bullards Bar Dam is an important opportunity for the local community to provide input on how these critical flood control reservoirs are managed. The outcome of this review could have significant implications for the region's environment, flood protection, and overall water resource management.