Emergency: California’s Oroville Dam Spillway Near Failure, Evacuations Ordered

Breitbart ^ | Feb 12, 2017 | Joel B. Pollak1

[janetjanet998]

The California Department of Water Resources issued a sudden evacuation order shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday for residents near the Oroville Dam in northern California, warning that the dam’s emergency spillway would fail in the next 60 minutes.

The Oroville Dam is the highest in the nation.

[Paul R.]

I believe the “fish” problem was not the usual fish in the river, it was the hatchery below the dam: A big piece of CA’s salmon future (nearly 10 million salmon?) was there.

People should come 1st, of course, but 5-10 million less salmon would affect a lot of people.

As for the emergency spillway, I would not expect those “repairs” to last long in a repeat occurrence...

[maggief]

http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-gov-jerry-brown-says-he-s-not-worried-1487041012-htmlstory.html

Gov. Jerry Brown says he’s not worried that Trump’s criticism of California will stifle help on Oroville’s dam emergency

Gov. Jerry Brown, who asked President Trump for federal disaster assistance in the wake of the emergency at the Oroville Dam, said Monday that he’s not worried about the recent rancor between the president and California.

“I’m sure that California and Washington will work in a constructive way, that’s my attitude,” said Brown in a brief discussion with reporters after the governor met with advisors at the state’s emergency operations center near Sacramento.

Brown earlier sent Trump a letter requesting a federal disaster declaration in response to the damaged spillway of the Oroville Dam. The governor’s letter said the severity of the problems were likely to be more than local and state officials can handle.

Although he declined to say which member of Trump’s Cabinet he had spoken with on Monday, Brown nonetheless dismissed any concern over the president’s recent comments suggesting California was “out of control” and possibly not deserving of federal funds.

“I wouldn’t try to pick any one comment out of the last three weeks,” he said. “ There will be different points of view, but we’re all one America. And we all have challenges that we share in common.”

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks. It was just pay back for what I received many times during most of my Navy active duty time.

Also, he was the same age of our sons and nephews. He could have been one of them in a bad time.

[Thud]

I wrote all of it, and it reflects my opinions only, though a lot of research went into it. Do a straight Google search for:

Natomas flood

for stories about a 100,000+ population in just one about-to-be-totalled Sacramento floodplain area. I like this 2014 op-ed:

http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article2604482.html

And the top of the emergency spillway weir is at the 901 foot level, not 909.

[little jeremiah]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate educated comments like that one, as I don’t have the right kind of brain.

[Paul R.]

Good grief: Brown is sure demonstrating CA state gov.’s incompetency here. CA is the world’s 6th largest economy...

[pax_et_bonum]

Expert: What You Need To Know About The Oroville Dam Crisis (Scott Cahill)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rl7Sm15unPQ

[alancarp]

Sorry - he didn't provide that data... but California has been awash with precipitation since the Summer. That said, I found data showing Sacramento with 24+ inches since October 1st, for instance...4 times what they're about to get up river.

[WildHighlander57]

Here’s the link

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JxbDJlruQ-4

Streaming of vid started 20 hours ago, so it might be finishing up by now..

[WildHighlander57]

Thanks, alancarp.

[kingu]

2/3rds of the salmon were removed from the hatchery last week.

[MurrietaMadman]

I trust someone in President Trump’s administration will make Brown understand why California isn’t eligible for federal funds.

And then send the participants to some Super Max somewhere.

Thanks for the link.

[daisy12]

That’s a really good interview.

Around 18 minutes in he states the auxiliary spillway damage is compromising the dam itself.

[pax_et_bonum]

It’s an excellent interview.

Glad Cahill’s speaking out. He knows his stuff.

[milagro]

Thanks for posting the link to that.
Was really an amazing and informative interview, but also rather disheartening!

[pax_et_bonum]

You’re welcome.

Yes, it is disheartening. Such an awful time for the people in that area.

Praying for them.

[EarthResearcher333]

Hi GD,
This “hole” reveals a crucial problem. In the Original Oroville Dam Geology report, for the “spillway” design, it identifies that rock of “good quality” would be deeper down from the surface. The hole shows highly fractured (or rotten) rock that is structurally unsound in withstanding a “erosion flow” condition.

Why is this a crucial issue? The main spillway is at 814ft (surface elevation of the spillway concrete slabs at the spillway water exit). Using this hole erosion depth (36ft) of fractured/rotten rock and subtracting the original elevation before the hole (833ft), the fractured/rotten rock reveals a depth down to 797ft. This is 17 feet lower than the 814ft spillway concrete slab surface.

Note: This hole is only 303 ft from the west edge of the main spillway channel.

This means that an overtopping emergency spillway reservoir level (901ft) that initiates an accelerated erosion of this now proven fractured/rotten rock level of 797ft is a differential of 104ft.

IF the emergency spillway weir gave way, due to accelerated fractured/rotten rock “back erosion”, the 104ft water height differential & the power of scouring/turbulence would be a major problem (understatement).

This is likely why there is a focus on quickly plugging this location (i.e. rock bags + fast set concrete methods). The problem is that any overtopping would find another weak spot in the emergency spillway fractured/rotten rock.

-— clip from Original Dam Geology report
“An overpour spillway can be utilized at this site by affording moderate protection to the rock near down stream toe. A natural saddle at about elevation 865 and a ravine below it offers a suitable spillway location. Rock of good quality should be found about 30 feet below surface in this saddle.”

Original Dam Geology report link: See page 22 in book copy:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/california_waterfix/exhibits/docs/RestoretheDelta/RTD_101.pdf

[Ray76]

interview of Cahill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl7Sm15unPQ

[milagro]

Amen!

[Ray76]

There is only one access road to the left side of the main spillway and it is washed out.

They need to protect the earth at the base of the emergency spillway. They need a non-stop stream of dump trucks piling rip rap in there. The Guard could build a temporary road to get past the washed out portion.

Helos dumping bags of rock IS wishful thinking.

I think they’re pissing in the ocean.