[sissyjane]

I watched the live TV broadcast of the first bag of rocks that they plced in the circled hole that you have in the last photo. Not only was the hole HUGE, but next to it were very large cracks. These are all on the “water” side of the emergency spillway.

[TXnMA]

Thank you! My guess is that the hole (when the first helicopter arrived) was not full of water -- as you'd expect an ordinary mudhole to be. IOW, the water that ran into and formed that hole, drained out through its bottom or through adjoining cracks -- somewhere underground -- right?

The problem is -- wherever it went -- that "disappearing water" is BAD NEWS!

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BTW, you confuse me: I don't see that hole as on the "water side" of the spillway. Until the lake overtops the spillway, that site should be on dry land -- and stay dry.

But, therein lies the problem: there are flaws in both the the spillway weir and road design.