Dramatic Photos Show Damage To Oroville Dam Spillway, Officials Say Dam Is Still Fine (NorCal Alert)

sf1st.com ^ | Feb. 9, 2017 | Caleb Pershan

[Texas Eagle]

More than that. Weather is supposed to be warming up. Which wouldn’t be a problem except for the record snowpack in The Sierra.

[IronJack]

They said the same thing about the South Fork dam ... you know, the one just upstream from Johnstown.

And then there was that Mulholland affair ...

[43north]

You have some good suggestions but considering that this is in California the environmental impact studies prior to any repair work would probably take at least 15 years.

[PAR35]

Which wouldn't be so disconcerting if it wasn't an earthen dam.

Looks concrete to me. (Main dam is to the right of the picture above). My guess is that the overflow spillway is to our left of the main spillway in the picture - note the lower area of concrete dam above the road between the spillway and the parking lot for the boat ramp. Not sure where the water would flow from there. Probably just west of the paved spillway.

[Read Write Repeat]

Y’all wanted to “restore” Hetch Hetchy. Stay safe.

We’re under water with 60 MPH gusts on the other side, awaiting evac orders.

[DuncanWaring]

You’re probably right ... no environmental impact studies necessary for the dam washing-out, though.

[ctdonath2]

Speaking of dams eroding unto catastrophic failure...
Anyone have an update on that dam in Iraq that was bound to collapse in a year - about a year ago?

[ArcadeQuarters]

> Officials Say Dam Is Still Fine

That’s what they always say before the SHTF. Run! Run fast, don’t stop and don’t look back.

[Texas Eagle]

Exactly. In layman’s terms, the emergency spillway is over the top of the dam. Through the woods. Not the earthen part of the dam.

[PAR35]

No, from the pictures, it appears that it ISN'T over the top of the main dam. The concrete spillway is off to the side, and beyond it (even further from the main dam) there is a lower concrete area that appears to be the overflow area.

From our right to left : Main dam with power plant at right base; spillway with concrete control structure; lower concrete area that appears to be the emergency overflow area with a swale down toward the river; parking lot for boat ramps.

From the washout pictures, it appears that the damage to the spillway is adjacent to where it appears in this picture that they were doing construction, but it looks like the washout is down toward the river instead of back along the road toward the base of the dam. 

[PAR35]

Come on, you can trust authority. After all, they told those folks in the other tower at the World Trade Center that there was nothing to worry about and to go back to work in their offices.

[DuncanWaring]

On the bright side, it appears that if the spillway sub-base erodes, it won’t affect the structural integrity of the dam itself.

[Figment]

80%

[PAR35]

Yes, it doesn’t look like a crisis situation to me. I’m not worried at all. But then again, there is little risk of the water reaching me.

The situation at Lake Lewisville Dam in Dallas was actually much worse - there, the actual earthen structure is impaired - they’ve gotten quite good at emergency repairs, but it’s still touch and go as to whether downtown Dallas is going to get flooded at some point. At this point, they have gotten taxpayer money to do some real repairs instead of temporary patches.

[SparkyBass]

Very good friend’s rice farm is basically right behind the photographer. My dad is 5 miles north of that. Old stomping grounds. Have seen that spillway dry as a bone hundreds of times

[Kay]

Thanks for being there. Hope all will be well.

[Texas Eagle]

Correct. That’s what I meant to convey. Sorry about that.

[Texas Eagle]

Didn't learn a whole lot at the meeting.

Water being released at 41,000 cubic feet per second while it is coming in at 195,000 cfs.

At that rate considering the size of the lake, it should reach 98.1% capacity by Sunday.

The Department of Water Resources didn't seem concerned as the rainfall above the dam will taper off by Friday evening.

[janetjanet998]

I have been following this since Tuesday after noon

https://www.americanwx.com/bb/topic/49496-damage-to-lake-oroville-dam-spillway-west-coast-storm-attack-2017/?page=2

reminds of the Japanese nuclear plant disaster....alot of I don’t knows and obvious band aid solutions

[Professional]

Strange things can happen with flooding. My Dad lives in a place where an unknown beaver damn busted in heavy rains, it wiped out 6 houses. None of which had flood insurance...