The falling water level at Lake Oroville could force a major hydroelectric power plant to shut down as soon as next month.
The Edward Hyatt Powerplant uses water from lake Oroville to generate electricity. but it could go silent if the lake level continues to Californian state water regulators say lake Oroville received about 20% of expected runoff from the snowmelt this year. John Yarbrough, the California Department of Water Resources’s (DWR) Assistant Deputy Director of the State Water Project, said the Hyatt Power Plant can't generate electricity to the state's power grid once Lake Oroville's water levels fall below 630 to 640 feet. They are currently at 655 feet.
Yarbrough said DWR is trying to conserve as much water as they could within the Oroville reservoir to make sure there is enough cold water in the fall for the salmon run and if the drought would continue into 2022, according to ABC10.