CHICO, Calif. - The North Complex Fire has burned a large portion of Lake Oroville's watershed. This could lead to hazardous water quality after winter rains run all of that sediment into the lake and the effects could last decades. However, how water quality could be affected by the fire is still largely unknown.
The North Complex Fire which burned in both Butte & Plumas counties destroyed many structures and vast swaths of forest. All of that ash & debris will likely run off into the rivers and into Lake Oroville. The main tributaries into Lake Oroville are the North, Middle and South Forks of the Feather River and the West Branch.
When the rain comes, a lot of what burned will run into these tributaries and deposit all of the sediment into Lake Oroville. The main focus before the rain comes will be erosion control and preventing as much sediment as possible from entering the lake.
A lot of what burned is organic matter and when it gets deposited into the lake, it will mean a large influx of nutrients.
Full story and video: https://www.actionnewsnow.com/content/n ... 20451.html
Advertising