Oroville, California

Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,004.

Geography and History

Oroville is situated on the banks of the Feather River where it flows out of the [Sierra Nevada]] onto the flat floor of the California Central Valley. It was established as the head of navigation on the Feather River to supply gold miners during the California Gold Rush. Findings at Bidwell Bar, one of the first gold mining sites in California, brought thousands of prospectors to the Oroville area seeking riches. Now under the enormous Lake Oroville, Bidwell Bar is memorialized by the Bidwell Bar Suspension Bridge, an original remnant from the area and the first suspension bridge in California. In the late 19th century the railroads developed the all-weather Feather River Canyon route through the Sierras.

Another tribute to Oroville's storied past is the Chinese Temple. Chinese laborers from the pioneer era established the Temple as a place of worship for followers of three major Eastern Philosophies: Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. The Chinese Temple and Garden, as it is now called, has a beautiful collection of artifacts and a serene garden to enjoy.

Oroville's most famous resident, Ishi, last of the Yahi Indians, was considered to be the last "Stone Age" Indian to come out of the wilderness and into western civilization. When he appeared in Oroville around 1911, he was immediately thrust into the national spotlight. The Visitor's Center at Lake Oroville has a thorough exhibit and documentary film on Ishi and his life in society.

Oroville is most famous now because it is the site of the Oroville Dam, one of the 20 largest dams in the world and the tallest dam in the US. This dam is 770 feet tall and 6920 feet long, and it impounds Lake Oroville, which has a capacity of 3,500,000 acre feet of water, making it the second largest reservoir in California. This is one of the most important part of the California State Water Project or Central Valley Project, which moves water from water-rich Northern California to water-poor Southern California.

Demographics

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.8 km² (12.3 mi²). 31.7 km² (12.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.16% water.

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 13,004 people, 4,881 households, and 2,948 families residing in the city. The population density is 409.9/km² (1,061.4/mi²). There are 5,419 housing units at an average density of 170.8/km² (442.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 77.23% White, 4.03% Black or African American, 3.93% Native American, 6.34% Asian, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 2.78% from other races, and 5.42% from two or more races. 8.25% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 4,881 households out of which 33.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% are married couples living together, 18.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% are non-families. 33.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 3.19.

In the city the population is spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $21,911, and the median income for a family is $27,666. Males have a median income of $28,587 versus $21,916 for females. The per capita income for the city is $12,345. 33.1% of the population and 26.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 49.3% of those under the age of 18 and 12.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Methamphetamine

Oroville has been plagued since the 1970's with illicit drug production. Methamphetamine, commonly known as "meth", has become a favorite drug of choice for addicts in the area. The hills east of Oroville have many meth labs, often small operations in mobile homes and trailers. These sites are often abandoned and pose significant environmental hazards. Meth users become addicted quickly and often are forced to commit crime to fund their habit. The frightening spread of meth addiction in the community has made Oroville a much less desirable place to live.

External links

• State Water Project (http://www.water.ca.gov/nav.cfm?topic=State_Water_Project)
• Oroville Dam (http://cee.engr.ucdavis.edu/faculty/lund/dams/Oroville/OrovilleDam.html)
• The Oroville Dam Train Crash (http://members.tripod.com/~djkuba/index-5.html)
• The World's Largest Dams (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001334.html)
• Lake Oroville (http://www.lakeoroville.water.ca.gov/)
• The Oroville Mercury-Register (newspaper) (http://www.orovillemr.com/)
• Report on Oroville Economy by Oroville Chamber of Commerce (http://www.orovillechamber.net/largest_employers.htm)

Template:Geolinks-US-cityscale

Template:Cities of Butte County, Californiade:Oroville