And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Shasta is absolutely white. The lake has added more than a million acre feet of water since mid December.
Oroville is doing great. Its current level is 803', about 10' below the level of the spillway and less than 100' below being completely full (901'). It's come up 130' since Christmas and is just now beginning to increase outflows as it goes into flood control mode. https://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/ResDetail?resid=SHA
Starting in early 2017 and continuing for the next two years, there was a 24/7 live stream on You Tube. The running commentary was from people from all walks of life. Included were professional hydrologists, geologists, civil engineers, roads and bridge contractors, heavy equipment operators, and more.
Topics were all facets of the Oroville dam, including original construction, deviations from plans, power houses, the two overflow ponds downstream, the ongoing lack of maintenance (including a fire several years earlier at the downstream powerhouse). And of course, the known defects at the dam itself.
Then there were the baldface lies coming out of DNR at the meetings held in various towns. Provable lies, caught red handed. The response of DNR to that was cessation of town meetings, instead reducing the number of meetings and moving any meeting to Sacramento hundreds of miles away and only during hours when people are at work.
The energency spillway had never before been used. Because the main spillway was heavily damaged (and the fear of undercutting erosion on the dam) DNR decided to let the waters overtop at the emergency spillway. For an earthen dam, this is the worst idea.
It was the Sheriff of Butte County who happened by chance to overhear a conversation about that, that he immediately ordered evacuation of over 100,000 people.
To worsen the event, a short time prior, the state had reduced the main highway to two lanes ('road diet') The roads became heavily congested during the evac. Such to the point that if they did go through with DNR's plan to let the dam overspill, the people would have perished in their cars instead of in their homes.
Thankfully, the decision was made to use the main spillway even though it was heavily damaged. At least it was concrete partially set on bedrock. The emergency spillway was only compacted earth.
I figure over $ One Billion was spent to fortify and correct deferred maintenance. The emergency spillway is now concrete set on stone/concrete piles driven 70' into the earth.
All during February, 2017, the entire state of CA received heavy rain, snow down to 3,200 msl. Snow packs were 300 to nigh 600% historical averages. The vast canal system for the San Joaquin River and to San Francisco Bay was heavily flooded. Canals ran up to +30,000%. On a web page listing all the canals and showing capacities in real time, the lowest I found was 9,000%
All river gauges upstream of the impounded water at Lake Oroville showed flows which combined greatly exceeded the capacity of the emergency spillway. Complete destruction of the dam was likely if DNR did not open the gates at the main spillway.
It was also found - prior to the emergency - that the gates were damaged as well as the concrete abutments. This was another example of the criminal malfeasance of decision makers at DNR. This went right to the top, right to the Governor because it was found that some of the decisions to defer were made at the executive level.
The damage to the gates was sufficient to question if the gates could even be opened. As it was, 4 of six gates did open. Later, 5 of six were ooened. The concern remained that the gates once opened would fail and block the spillway.
CA is such a beautiful state and with vast natural resources. I don't know why we don't all bum rush the socialists to through them into the fire.
Back in 2006 I did some work in Los Angeles County. It was a time they were digging a tunnel for their local Metrolink railway.
The tunnel was continuously flooding. They were pumping uo to two million gallons per day out of the tunnel. One guess where that water went to. More surprising is it took round about two years to determine all that water was coming from people watering their lawns and gardens.
It is good to see the rehydrating. Where does the additional million acre feet get the actual lake level to in historical terms?
ReplyDeleteMilton
87% of historical average for January 25th.
Deletehttps://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/ResDetail?resid=SHA
Al Gore could not be reached for comment...
DeleteHow's the Oroville Dam doing? Is the spring meltoff going to cause problems there?
ReplyDeleteSpin Drift
Oroville is doing great. Its current level is 803', about 10' below the level of the spillway and less than 100' below being completely full (901'). It's come up 130' since Christmas and is just now beginning to increase outflows as it goes into flood control mode.
Deletehttps://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/ResDetail?resid=SHA
Starting in early 2017 and continuing for the next two years, there was a 24/7 live stream on You Tube. The running commentary was from people from all walks of life. Included were professional hydrologists, geologists, civil engineers, roads and bridge contractors, heavy equipment operators, and more.
DeleteTopics were all facets of the Oroville dam, including original construction, deviations from plans, power houses, the two overflow ponds downstream, the ongoing lack of maintenance (including a fire several years earlier at the downstream powerhouse). And of course, the known defects at the dam itself.
Then there were the baldface lies coming out of DNR at the meetings held in various towns. Provable lies, caught red handed.
The response of DNR to that was cessation of town meetings, instead reducing the number of meetings and moving any meeting to Sacramento hundreds of miles away and only during hours when people are at work.
The energency spillway had never before been used. Because the main spillway was heavily damaged (and the fear of undercutting erosion on the dam) DNR decided to let the waters overtop at the emergency spillway. For an earthen dam, this is the worst idea.
It was the Sheriff of Butte County who happened by chance to overhear a conversation about that, that he immediately ordered evacuation of over 100,000 people.
To worsen the event, a short time prior, the state had reduced the main highway to two lanes ('road diet') The roads became heavily congested during the evac. Such to the point that if they did go through with DNR's plan to let the dam overspill, the people would have perished in their cars instead of in their homes.
Thankfully, the decision was made to use the main spillway even though it was heavily damaged. At least it was concrete partially set on bedrock. The emergency spillway was only compacted earth.
I figure over $ One Billion was spent to fortify and correct deferred maintenance. The emergency spillway is now concrete set on stone/concrete piles driven 70' into the earth.
All during February, 2017, the entire state of CA received heavy rain, snow down to 3,200 msl. Snow packs were 300 to nigh 600% historical averages. The vast canal system for the San Joaquin River and to San Francisco Bay was heavily flooded. Canals ran up to +30,000%. On a web page listing all the canals and showing capacities in real time, the lowest I found was 9,000%
All river gauges upstream of the impounded water at Lake Oroville showed flows which combined greatly exceeded the capacity of the emergency spillway. Complete destruction of the dam was likely if DNR did not open the gates at the main spillway.
DeleteIt was also found - prior to the emergency - that the gates were damaged as well as the concrete abutments. This was another example of the criminal malfeasance of decision makers at DNR. This went right to the top, right to the Governor because it was found that some of the decisions to defer were made at the executive level.
The damage to the gates was sufficient to question if the gates could even be opened. As it was, 4 of six gates did open. Later, 5 of six were ooened. The concern remained that the gates once opened would fail and block the spillway.
CA is such a beautiful state and with vast natural resources. I don't know why we don't all bum rush the socialists to through them into the fire.
And you are dumping the water straight into the ocean
ReplyDeleteBack in 2006 I did some work in Los Angeles County. It was a time they were digging a tunnel for their local Metrolink railway.
DeleteThe tunnel was continuously flooding. They were pumping uo to two million gallons per day out of the tunnel. One guess where that water went to.
More surprising is it took round about two years to determine all that water was coming from people watering their lawns and gardens.
I think stupidity is in the air and water there.
Someone dig a trench to Lake Mead..........
ReplyDelete