However, keep in mind that rain starts again Wednesday night or Thursday morning. How much of a problem this becomes depends on how much water they can safely let out of the reservoir between now and then.
Also, I spoke now with my source, who tells me to look for a problem with a debris dam developing below the dam, and difficulty developing with water backing up into the powerhouse. Already today, the managers had to stop releases through the powerhouse due to too much water. As can be seen from some of the videos posted earlier today, the flow down the hill from the emergency spillway has deposited a big bank of mud and debris in the river, impeding the river's flow down canyon.
My source points out that the controls to the dam are in the powerhouse and thus they cannot allow that to flood. He told me that if he were in charge, he would be doing everything he could to cut an alternative channel or otherwise to keep a debris dam from developing, as water in the power house could conceivably cause the authorities to lose control of the dam operation.
He noted that with panic releases of 100k down the normal spillway, the huge hole there may be eroding back up the hill toward the gates. More will be known once they cut the flow, but it is something to watch, especially since the damage is unrepairable before the spring melt hits, and if the erosion gets too close to the gates, they will have to stop or slow releases.
He also agreed that there has been a colossal screw up here in managing the dam, and that the fingers of blame are being pointed behind the scenes. He predicted that there has already been "fisticuffs" in meetings at the top of the state water management over this highly dangerous and continuing crisis, and the botched management that allowed this dire situation to develop.
Although the immediate crisis seems to have passed, the evacuations are increasing in scope:
Evacuation expands
6:15 p.m.
Caltrans tweeted that the evacuation for Yuba, Sutter and Butte counties includes Hallwood, Marysville, Olivehurst/Linda, Plumas Lake, Gridley, Live Oak and Yuba City due to potential failure of Oroville Dam spillway.
Hmmm...Political appointee making decisions in lieu of experienced management?
ReplyDeleteWho really knows. They authorities do not inspire confidence by saying one thing one day (we don't expect the lake to go over the emergency spillway) and another, more frightening the next ( emergency spillway failure is expected within the hour).
DeleteThanks for the update, so much misinformation floating around by news reports that haven't a clue.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived there, made sure our house was over the ridge and above the dam. Spent enough time as a flat lander that flood plains do not appeal.
I am glad that the sheriff decided to evacuate, better to err on the side of caution.
If we had a governor that put as much into existing infrastructure as has been put into that stupid bullet train with a multi billion dollar overrun...
To have a reservoir full on Feb 12 during the wettest winter in 20 years in INSANE !!!
ReplyDeleteI'm not holding my breath that CA authorities will learn anything from this debacle.
ReplyDeleteMore water-saving facilities have been needed for decades, and maintenance needed on existing infrastructure for at least as long; but baitfish and moonbatmobile trains are priorities.
Thanks for all the info on this. You got me watching this 4 days before it made the news down here in GA.
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean I'm a legit news source/journalist? Maybe I can get White House press corps credentials.
DeleteSeriously, though, glad you liked the coverage.
The really sorry part is that this is actually science. It's called watershed management. There's monitoring stations all the way up the hill. You can actually calculate not only how much, but the timing of the runoff as well. I'm really sorry for you folks still living in California.
ReplyDeleteThis is a textbook Joe Biden "Big F'n Deal." The state obviously did not put enough tax $$ into proper maintenance / upgrades of the spillways. This should be a wake-up call about the need to invest in unglorious and unglamorous infrastructure maintenance all across the nation. Our infrastructure is in horrible shape and when this is happening at the tallest dam in the nation, it tells me that things are even worse across the country than we thought. We need to stop spending less on social welfare and stupid green energy and all the other stupid expenditures, and more on meat-and-potatoes fundamental infrastructure. Look for democrats to continue to get fewer and fewer votes. This is CA and I put it all on their party of social justice warriors.
ReplyDeleteI hear tell that they knew of the problem with the main spillway in 2105! Nothing like putting off needed maintenance until it's way, way too late.
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