North Fork Feather River

At the head of the North Fork of the Feather River sits California’s third largest reservoir, Lake Almanor. An idyllic mountain setting has made Almanor a major draw for both recreationists and second-home owners. With a surface area of nearly 32,000 acres, a capacity of 1.1 million acre-feet, and approximately 52 miles of shoreline, Lake Almanor is a playground for water sport enthusiasts and hosts one of California’s top trophy trout fisheries. The lake provides water to Southern California, hydropower for Pacific Gas & Electric, and is the basis of the region’s economy. Ensuring proper protection of this headwaters lake and its tributaries is vital to both residents and downstream users.

Take a virtual tour of the area!

Community (ABWAC)

The community interests, specifically related to water, of the Lake Almanor area are served by the ABWAC. This group works to engage numerous stakeholders to help address water quality, land use, and critical habitat issues that are of concern to the lake and its surrounding residents. Since its inception in 2005, the ABWAC has produced a comprehensive watershed management plan and a number of water quality reports. To learn more about the ABWAC and their efforts, click here.

Monitoring

Monitoring of the lake is performed by the Almanor Basin Watershed Advisory Committee (ABWAC) in conjunction with the Plumas County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. In addition, Feather River Coordinated Resource Management (FRCRM) oversees monitoring of the lake’s tributaries, such as the North Fork Feather River and Goodrich Creek. This monitoring helps to establish long-term trends in water quality and quantity. For more information on current monitoring efforts, click here.

Restoration

Restoration activities around Lake Almanor and its waterways are performed by FRCRM. These help to maintain the resiliency of the watershed and its component systems by rebuilding their capacity to provide ecosystem services. More information on current restoration efforts in the Lake Almanor area can be found here.