'It’s been dropping fast all year': Concerns rise over water levels at Lake Oroville

THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

FOXFORTY'S LONNY WONG REPORTINGFOR US TONIGHT FROM OROVILLE.FAST ALL YEAR, YOU KNOW ANDAND I THINK IT'S BEEN STONEDOW IS STILL DROPPING FASTOROVILLE DAM IS THE STATEWATER SYSTEMS TALLEST DAM, BUTWITNESSED THE WATER LEVEL FALLNEARLY 200 FEET BELOW AVERAGE.STATE WATER REGULATORS AREREQUIRED TO RELEASE WATER TOPROTECT FISH.

DOWNSTREAM.THEY'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE ASMUCH WATER AS POSSIBLE.

BUTLEVELS ARE DROPPING A FOOT ADAY AT THAT RATE THE WATERWILL GO BELOW THE INTAKES OFTHE DAM TITLE POWER STATIONFOR THE FIRST TIME THAT MEANSSTATE POWER REGULATORS WILLHAVE TO FIND OTHER SOURCES OFELECTRICITY TO POWER OVER80,000 HOMES.

STILL ARELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OFWHAT IS YOU STATEWIDE ANDMCDONNELL OROVILLE RESIDENT,KEVIN GOODMAN SAYS LOW WATERMEANS FEWER TOURIST DOLLARSYOU KNOW THERE PEOPLE VOTINGARE NOT LIKE THAT IT'S A.YOU KNOW STORAGE MISSINGOUTI THINK I DID PRETTY GOODTODAY, BUT ALL THE ENOUGH THEFISHING IS BETTER THAN AVERAGEFOR THOSE WHO ARE CAREFUL WITHTHEIR BOATS MURKY IN SOMESPOTS REALLY VARY.IN FACT I WATCH OUT FORIRAQ SAYS THE PUBLIC OVERSANDBARS THE FISHING DOESN'TAFFECT US THE LAUNCHINGTEMPORARY STEEP GRAVEL RAMPSREQUIRE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE.THE FIRST TIME YOU TRY TOLAUNCH AND YOU AREN'TSUCCESSFUL.

IT IS GOING TOKEEP PEOPLE AWAY IT'S WORTHTHE HEADACHES FOR THOSE WHOARE CATCHING THE LIMIT.

THEREWERE THE SO COME BACK TOMORROWAND EVER THAT AND ALL SUMMER.BUT NO DOUBT OTHERS AREHOPING THAT ROUTE WILL BE ASHORT ONE.WELL RANGE WEATHERFORECASTING IS ALWAYS ADIFFICULT PROPOSITION BUT SOMEBELIEVE IT COULD BE 2 OR 3YEARS BEFORE WATER LEVELS HERELAKE OROVILLE WE'RE BACK TO