Oroville Dam Ready To Withstand Winter Rains As First Phase Of Repairs Is Finished, Officials Say

The Oroville Dam flood control spillway has been fixed. Eight and a half months after the gravest emergency in the dam’s history forced 188,000 residents to flee, state officials said Wednesday that Oroville’s structures have been largely rebuilt and can withstand a rainy Northern California winter. A second phase of work will be completed next year. “Lake Oroville’s main spillway is indeed ready to safely handle winter flows if needed,” said Grant Davis, director of the Department of Water Resources, in a conference call with reporters.