Exactly.
Two important facts stood out-
1. The evacuation order remains in place per Sheriff. It’s HIS job to protect.
2. The DWR guy is not telling the truth about what happened and what’s happening. .his job appears to be dishonest pr..
Oroville Dam, A Failure to Communicate
Published on February 13, 2017
Scott Cahill
Construction Expert,Writer,Speech Writer,Public Speaker,Expert Witness,Sailor,Pilot,Political Blogger
A couple of days ago, I went out on a limb and said what I thought about the probability of cutback erosion of the spillways of the Oroville Dam. Oroville is an earthen embankment dam. It is a very large dam, the tallest in the US.
I noted the vents porting water on actuation of the spillway, and assumed that the plate slab failure would soon occur. The erosion is still occurring. The areas below the dam have been evacuated. The situation is tenuous, at best.
Many officials, during the evolution of the failure of the spillway, came forward to assure the public that all was well. All was not well, and all is not well. All shall not be well for a long while with this dam. Why can men not simply be truthful to other men? When did some fool decide that we must placate the American public, hiding any bad thing from them as if they were children?
I am a believer in men. I believe the people can handle hard truths. I also believe that people in jeopardy, deserve to be told honest truth. These “officials” have and had no right to placate. Each of us has the right and the responsibility to protect our family and ourselves as we feel best. We cannot do so if we are mislead.
Anyone involved in the safety of dams knows that the cutback of the primary spillway is a serious issue. Anyone in Dam Safety knows that the actuation of an emergency spillway that has never been used in the life of a dam is a big thing. This, of course means that water elevations are above any that have existed previously. Anyone in Dam Safety knows that an emergency spillway is not the same as a forest. An emergency spillway should be a grassed, even slope. No woody vegetation should be in the spillway. Part of the emergency spillway was cleared only days before it had to be used, leaving the worst possible surface to receive flow, loose soil. That is simply ridiculous.
Now the primary spillway is failing, due to a lack of proper inspection and maintenance, perhaps more, and the emergency spillway is also in a failure mode. There are only two spillways to relieve the reservoir of water. Rains have subsided, and from the most recent reports, the structure is intact.
Soon the same faces shall reappear. Their patter will be sunshine and roses, again. The sun is out and all is right with the world, but all is not right. Rains shall again come to this watershed and, now, having blown the whistle of evacuation, they shall worry about criticism and promise to never do that again. The next time they will not be so fast. The next time they will wait a bit longer. The next time they may wait too long.
We are the stewards of our infrastructure. Budgets are real, but responsibility of such stewardship is real, too. As men, as a nation, we have a shared responsibility to our fellow men, their well being and their property. It is a greater responsibility than any position or job. It is a societal responsibility that we all share, to care for each other. Lies and twisted truth compromise that trust.
Disseminate truth in all that you do. If you are in a position of authority, you must learn candid and honest truth. If you cannot, you need to surrender your position to another who can.
FEMA has a booklet on emergency planning for dams. On it’s cover is a picture of a large earthen dam. It is the Oroville Dam.
Scott Cahill