Feather River Watershed Monitoring Study

The Feather River watershed serves as a source of water for the State Water Project (SWP), one of the nation’s largest water conveyance projects. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) owns and operates three reservoirs in the upper portion of this watershed: Antelope Lake, Frenchman Lake, and Lake Davis. Outflows from these reservoirs and runoff from the remainder of the watershed ultimately flow into Lake Oroville, another DWR reservoir. Water in these reservoirs is used as a source for drinking water supply, recreation, and for fish and wildlife beneficial uses. Historically, DWR’s water quality monitoring efforts in this watershed had been minimal due to relatively stable watershed conditions and minimal concerns affecting the SWP. In 2018, however, the Camp Fire resulted in a large burn upstream of Lake Oroville, raising concerns about water quality impacts from the post-fire runoff. In response, DWR initiated a short-term study to monitor runoff from this fire. Results from this study were provided in a [water quality assessment](https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/lake-oroville-water-quality-assessment-for-the-2018-camp-fire). Following the end of that study, large wildfires again impacted the watershed above Lake Oroville. By the end of 2021, approximately 57 percent of the Lake Oroville watershed had burned in a three year period. Additionally, the 2021 Beckwourth Complex fire burned 90 percent of the Frenchman Lake watershed. In response to these fires, DWR initiated a broader post-fire water quality monitoring study. This study encompassed a larger geographic area, included more diverse sample locations, and included both burned and unburned portions of the watershed. The primary objectives of this new study were to assess the water quality of runoff and its impacts from inflow to SWP reservoirs, as well as, providing a larger baseline of water quality data for the watershed than had previously been available. The data provided as part of this study includes both these inflow samples and reservoir samples that were collected as part of DWR's [Routine Water Quality Monitoring Program](https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/state-water-project-water-quality). Suggested Citation: California Department of Water Resources. 2026. _Feather River Watershed Monitoring Study_. California Department of Water Resources. https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/feather-river-watershed-monitoring-study. Accessed [Month Day, Year].

The Feather River watershed serves as a source of water for the State Water Project (SWP), one of the nation’s largest water conveyance projects. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) owns and operates three reservoirs in the upper portion of this watershed: Antelope Lake, Frenchman Lake, and Lake Davis. Outflows from these reservoirs and runoff from the remainder of the watershed ultimately flow into Lake Oroville, another DWR reservoir. Water in these reservoirs is used as a source for drinking water supply, recreation, and for fish and wildlife beneficial uses. Historically, DWR’s water quality monitoring efforts in this watershed had been minimal due to relatively stable watershed conditions and minimal concerns affecting the SWP. In 2018, however, the Camp Fire resulted in a large burn upstream of Lake Oroville, raising concerns about water quality impacts from the post-fire runoff. In response, DWR initiated a short-term study to monitor runoff from this fire. Results from this study were provided in a [water quality assessment](https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/lake-oroville-water-quality-assessment-for-the-2018-camp-fire). Following the end of that study, large wildfires again impacted the watershed above Lake Oroville. By the end of 2021, approximately 57 percent of the Lake Oroville watershed had burned in a three year period. Additionally, the 2021 Beckwourth Complex fire burned 90 percent of the Frenchman Lake watershed. In response to these fires, DWR initiated a broader post-fire water quality monitoring study. This study encompassed a larger geographic area, included more diverse sample locations, and included both burned and unburned portions of the watershed. The primary objectives of this new study were to assess the water quality of runoff and its impacts from inflow to SWP reservoirs, as well as, providing a larger baseline of water quality data for the watershed than had previously been available. The data provided as part of this study includes both these inflow samples and reservoir samples that were collected as part of DWR's [Routine Water Quality Monitoring Program](https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/state-water-project-water-quality). Suggested Citation: California Department of Water Resources. 2026. _Feather River Watershed Monitoring Study_. California Department of Water Resources. https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/feather-river-watershed-monitoring-study. Accessed [Month Day, Year].

The Feather River watershed serves as a source of water for the State Water Project (SWP), one of the nation’s largest water conveyance projects. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) owns and operates three reservoirs in the upper portion of this watershed: Antelope Lake, Frenchman Lake, and Lake Davis. Outflows from these reservoirs and runoff from the remainder of the watershed ultimately flow into Lake Oroville, another DWR reservoir. Water in these reservoirs is used as a source for drinking water supply, recreation, and for fish and wildlife beneficial uses. Historically, DWR’s water quality monitoring efforts in this watershed had been minimal due to relatively stable watershed conditions and minimal concerns affecting the SWP. In 2018, however, the Camp Fire resulted in a large burn upstream of Lake Oroville, raising concerns about water quality impacts from the post-fire runoff. In response, DWR initiated a short-term study to monitor runoff from this fire. Results from this study were provided in a [water quality assessment](https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/lake-oroville-water-quality-assessment-for-the-2018-camp-fire). Following the end of that study, large wildfires again impacted the watershed above Lake Oroville. By the end of 2021, approximately 57 percent of the Lake Oroville watershed had burned in a three year period. Additionally, the 2021 Beckwourth Complex fire burned 90 percent of the Frenchman Lake watershed. In response to these fires, DWR initiated a broader post-fire water quality monitoring study. This study encompassed a larger geographic area, included more diverse sample locations, and included both burned and unburned portions of the watershed. The primary objectives of this new study were to assess the water quality of runoff and its impacts from inflow to SWP reservoirs, as well as, providing a larger baseline of water quality data for the watershed than had previously been available. The data provided as part of this study includes both these inflow samples and reservoir samples that were collected as part of DWR's [Routine Water Quality Monitoring Program](https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/state-water-project-water-quality). Suggested Citation: California Department of Water Resources. 2026. _Feather River Watershed Monitoring Study_. California Department of Water Resources. https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/feather-river-watershed-monitoring-study. Accessed [Month Day, Year].