The level of the Oroville reservoir has been reduced by 40 feet to accommodate inflow from current and expected storms and is not expected to exceed anticipated outflows.
Officials had been releasing 100,000 cubic feet of water, or enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool, each second from the lake since Sunday, when the sheriff ordered an immediate evacuation. It was reduced to 80,000 cubic feet of water per second late Thursday.
Officials slowed the release of water from the lake behind the nation's tallest dam so crews can remove debris from the bottom of the structure's damaged spillway.
State Department of Water Resources officials say that removing debris protects Oroville Dam's power plant and will allow for it eventually to be restarted.
Meanwhile, two tails near the damaged spillway remain closed, but boat lamps at the lake remain open.
