Posted on 02/13/2017 8:47:52 AM PST by Trumpnation
Amature video shot today close to the dam.
They were releasing water as fast as they could, but there was a weakness in the spillway structure, such that the faster they released the water, the more damage was being done to it.
The reporting on this has been criminally bad.
There are two spillways, and the media seems to have been referencing them interchangeably, causing much confusion.
As far as I can tell, the concrete, or primary, spillway is the one that initially had a hole form in it.
So, they shut it down and let the water fill and overtop the emergency (often called auxillary in the reporting too) spillway. This spillway appears to consist of a 30 ft tall concrete wall, and discharges to an earthen channel.
Well, when this was overtopped, it was chaos because it started ripping the ground apart...and the real concern is that this concrete wall could get undercut, allowing a 30 ft tall wall of water to blast through.
So, when the media says “The spillway has a hole in it and could fail”, they are conflating the two spillways.
The dam operators have decided that the hole in the concrete spillway is really not a danger to the dam, and letting that rip - and that is what we see in this video. It looks awful, but it seems to have carved a nice channel down to the rock, and isn’t hurting anything.
Now, if it rains again, and again goes over the emergency spillway...which could blow out all at once, well then they’re in trouble again.
But for now, the dam operators appear to be honest - the emergency spillway is dry again. And, as always, reporters have shown themselves to be idiots in their reporting.
Looks like they have it under control for now.
The fun will start when the next Storm hits.
Good luck. NEVER build down hill from a dam. EVER!
“Rain supposed to start Wed night followed by seven days of rain off and on.”
Those poor evacuees will be out of homes ‘til summer. I can’t imagine the Gov allowing people to go back when the Spring runoff will start soon — too much liability. PLUS if it were you who was evacuated would you actually be able to sleep at night once home? Most folks probably never thought too much about that dam ‘til now.
Just a thought for the future — just in case you were not aware of this, a person who does not earn his living with a skill, but has become quite professional because of his love for the use of it would be termed an “amateur” (ah-mah-tyoor).
Looks like the issue is behind the power tower with the aux/emergency spillway eroding back towards the dam. And the big collapse in the middle of the normal spillway maybe gobbling up ground under whats left of the concrete. Hopefully the folks meandering through the field can get some good shots. And not drowned.
Criminally bad! Are the evacuees allowed to come back yet?
Criminally bad! Are the evacuees allowed to come back yet?
It is incredible people are evacuating down stream.
I’m in the foothills - no danger, but I have family in Sac. that could flood if the whole thing goes.
Result of coastal Democrat strongholds controlling the whole state, to the detriment of everyone not part pf their vision of utopia.
The shadows are from the afternoon. It is still mornine in CA.
The flow visible over the auxiliary spillway stopped last night.
The owner of the video says it was shot yesterday.
The documentation is also forged.
FEMA trailers again?
Good luck to you!
Should we be surprised to hear they haven’t maintained the dam as they should have?
The generator intakes that got plugged with stumps and such - are those big pipes out in the lake?
Will the rapid emptying cause serious flooding downstream?
The reporting on the reality of the danger regarding this dam is horrendous. While they are hopeful, it will be months before they are sure they are out of danger. People below the dam need to be given a realistic picture of what repairing this dam means to them in terms of all the dangers that there could be in structural damage and how they could manifest.
They don’t let you fly drones near dams. Like silencers, and switchblades, the Fed’s think they’re all weaponized (from watching too much TV).
Airspace over the dam was closed last night. (??!) Not sure if it still is.
They knew this whole thing needed redoing and shoring up, years and years ago as dam engineering got better, but did not spend money here which is criminal.
I just hope the jerkoffs are catching some of it before it just runs back into the ocean or the bay. Idiots.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.