tell me you are being sarcastic, right?
Lol, yes. The entire editorial is a decent read. Every once in a while, the Drive-by Media gets it, and actually performs a worthwhile public service. It appears the Mercury News has figured out the folks at DWR are trying to stall, but aren’t buying it.
Expert consultants are now revealing what should have been figured out years ago. Soon, there will be hard questions asked as to why these issues were not figured out and fixed when they had the opportunity. This article provides more detail on the "spillway design flaw" revelations from experts.
BTW - NO Bentonite clay was used. The "Clay" usage was from "surface grade filling in depressions" in doing the original construction.
Damage, design flaws in Oroville Dam spillway point to lengthy repairs, consultants say
Article clips: (emphasis mine)
1. "Above the crater, consultants described design problems in the intact portion of the chute that are so “gross and obvious” they will have to take priority this year, said J. David Rogers, a dam expert from Missouri, who reviewed the report at The Sacramento Bee’s request. Rogers said the problems the consultants described were so egregious he was surprised the spillway didn’t fail decades ago.
2. "It calls into question the whole design of what’s still there in the upper section,” said Rogers, a professor at the Missouri University of Science and Technology."
3. "The report contradicts DWR officials’ assertions that the 3,000-foot-long spillway can be completely repaired in time for the next rainy season."
4. "The expert panel’s conclusions, based on a review of reports and an on-site inspection earlier this month, provide a first-ever accounting of structural and design problems that might have caused the spillway to essentially split in half Feb. 7."
5. "The consultants described seeing troubling amounts of water flowing from underneath the structure, concrete that was far too thin and dangerous gaps underneath the foundation on which the massive concrete chute sits."
6. "Notably, the panel expressed concern that the concrete chute is only a foot thick, and less so in some places. DWR built the spillway on an uneven mountainside and in some spots used compacted clay to fill in the depressions in the rock foundation beneath the concrete. The consultants described finding evidence of “a number of repair instances” in which portions of the chute were cut away in order to “fill voids beneath the concrete.”
7. “This calls into question whether the portions of the slab that appear undamaged by the failure should be replaced during the restoration,”
8. "The panel report also said that while touring the spillway, consultants spotted “extraordinarily large” amounts of water gushing out of drains designed to move water out from beneath the intact portion of the chute. The water was flowing even though the spillway’s gates were closed and it wasn’t raining,.."
9. "Paul Tullis, a dam safety consultant ... agreed that it found the original design and construction inadequate."
DWR's response to the FERC expert consultants statements:
10. "Bisnett, the DWR spokeswoman, said the agency plans over the long haul to “rebuild or replace” both spillways “with the latest design, technology and materials, with public safety as our top abiding concern.” She added that the main spillway “met the design and construction standards of its time half a century ago. Through the decades, the spillway has been inspected repeatedly and been found to be well maintained and satisfactory for continued use.”
I'm sure the experts will have something to say about "competent" recognition of alarming conditions (seemingly a non-issue with CA inspectors) - the money quote: "the spillway has been inspected repeatedly and been found to be well maintained and satisfactory for continued use".