Oroville Dam’s badly damaged main spillway is still deteriorating from an onslaught of fast-paced water, but state officials insist that it is “stable” as they make repairs. State officials expected the concrete main spillway to erode last week when they opened its gates, betting that it was a safer option than the dam’s little-used emergency […]
You hear this every time there’s a drought or deluge in California: “Why haven’t they built more dams?” Truth is, they’ve built a bunch. And they’re about done with it. Tally them up. There are more than 1,400 dams in the state. At least 1,000 are major and 55 can hold 100,000 acre-feet or more […]
The early settlers snatched up the rich, loamy land along the Feather River to grow grapes and orchards. Edward Mathews, an Irishman who fled the potato famine, was peddling vegetables and didn’t have the cash for that kind of soil. During heavy rains, the Yuba River would flow so hard into the Feather at Marysville, it […]
Bill Croyle stood in front of an aerial photo of Lake Oroville and swept his hand across the top of the emergency spillway that was helping drain water out of the brimming reservoir. “Solid rock. All this is rock,” Croyle, acting director of the Department of Water Resources, said with an air of confidence at the […]
The dam burst on a warm afternoon, unleashing nearly 300 million gallons of muddy water on a Los Angeles neighborhood. Five people died and dozens of homes were swept off their foundations and destroyed. In the aftermath of the 1963 Baldwin Hills Dam catastrophe, the state strengthened inspection regulations, helping establish California as a modern […]
How did a giant, gaping hole tear through the massive Oroville Dam’s main concrete spillway last week, setting in motion the chain of events that could have led to one of America’s deadliest dam failures? Dam experts around the country are focusing on a leading suspect: Tiny bubbles.The prospect is simple, yet terrifying and has […]
Continued Erosion Of Oroville Dam’s Main Spillway Part Of ‘Normal Process,’ State Officials Say
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Adam AshtonOroville Dam’s badly damaged main spillway is still deteriorating from an onslaught of fast-paced water, but state officials insist that it is “stable” as they make repairs. State officials expected the concrete main spillway to erode last week when they opened its gates, betting that it was a safer option than the dam’s little-used emergency […]
OPINION: Does California Really Need More Dams? We’re Running Out Of Places To Put Them
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby George SkeltonYou hear this every time there’s a drought or deluge in California: “Why haven’t they built more dams?” Truth is, they’ve built a bunch. And they’re about done with it. Tally them up. There are more than 1,400 dams in the state. At least 1,000 are major and 55 can hold 100,000 acre-feet or more […]
‘Flood Fighting Is In Our DNA’: To Live By The Feather River Is To Know Its Power And Danger
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Joe Mozingo and Phil WillonThe early settlers snatched up the rich, loamy land along the Feather River to grow grapes and orchards. Edward Mathews, an Irishman who fled the potato famine, was peddling vegetables and didn’t have the cash for that kind of soil. During heavy rains, the Yuba River would flow so hard into the Feather at Marysville, it […]
Government Severely Misjudged Strength Of Oroville Emergency Spillway, Sparking A Crisis
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Bettina BoxallBill Croyle stood in front of an aerial photo of Lake Oroville and swept his hand across the top of the emergency spillway that was helping drain water out of the brimming reservoir. “Solid rock. All this is rock,” Croyle, acting director of the Department of Water Resources, said with an air of confidence at the […]
Disturbing Deficiencies Seen In California’s Dam Safety Efforts
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Joaquin Palomino and Cynthia DizikesThe dam burst on a warm afternoon, unleashing nearly 300 million gallons of muddy water on a Los Angeles neighborhood. Five people died and dozens of homes were swept off their foundations and destroyed. In the aftermath of the 1963 Baldwin Hills Dam catastrophe, the state strengthened inspection regulations, helping establish California as a modern […]
Oroville Dam: What Made The Spillway Collapse?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Mercury News (San Jose)by Paul Rogers and Matthias GafniHow did a giant, gaping hole tear through the massive Oroville Dam’s main concrete spillway last week, setting in motion the chain of events that could have led to one of America’s deadliest dam failures? Dam experts around the country are focusing on a leading suspect: Tiny bubbles.The prospect is simple, yet terrifying and has […]