Chico Enterprise-Record Archives

Oroville Dam Staying Low To Provide Room For Wet Weather, Possible Use Of Reconstructed Spillway

Oroville Dam is currently the only reservoir in the state that’s below average elevation — but that’s on purpose, said the state’s Department of Water Resources. “If the lake begins to rise very quickly in the coming weeks due to large storms and increased inflows, then DWR may consider using outflow mechanisms,” the department said in a press release. That could include using the main spillway for the first time since it was rebuilt. The reservoir is currently at 55 percent of total capacity, said DWR’s assistant director of public communications, Erin Mellon. That’s about 80 percent of average.

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Oroville Dam: Two Years After The Mass Evacuation, Here’s Where We Are

February 12, 2019/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Risa Johnson

Two years ago today, about 188,000 people were ordered to evacuate for fear the damaged Oroville Dam spillway would fail. While the worst fears never materialized, the incident had impacts still felt in the community. It also spawned new legislation related to dam safety, a modern rebuild of the spillway, and many lawsuits against the state Department of Water Resources. This is by no means a comprehensive summary, but below are some major updates related to the spillway crisis.

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Lake Oroville 39 Percent Full; Water Allocations Increased

January 28, 2019/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Steve Schoonover

Water deliveries from Lake Oroville have been increased for 2019, but unlike most of California’s reservoirs the local lake is still far lower than usual, though it’s on the rise. The Department of Water Resources reported Friday that allocations to State Water Project users were being increased to 15 percent of contracted amounts, up from the 10 percent announced in December. The 15 percent allocation amounts to 631,115 acre-feet according to DWR spokeswoman Erin Mellon. The primary source of that water is Lake Oroville.

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Wide Fluctuation In October Water Conservation Numbers

December 19, 2018/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-Record

Water conservation numbers for October were announced last week by the Water Resources Control Board, and the savings were all over the place. Statewide, urban water use was down 13.4 percent compared to October 2013, the pre-drought benchmark year. That was down from 14.6 percent in September, but the conservation rate has been pretty static since July. However the Sacramento River watershed, usually one of the more thrifty regions, had savings of just 12.1 percent in October. The conservation rates were higher on the South Coast, 13.1 percent, and in the Bay Area, 14.0 percent.

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Trial Date Set For Oroville Dam Lawsuits Against DWR

November 6, 2018/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Risa Johnson

A trial date has been set to hear several lawsuits against the state Department of Water Resources over the Oroville Dam crisis. The court scheduled the trial for June 1, 2020 during the second case management conference Friday in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Nearly all cases against DWR over the spillway crisis are being considered together through what is called a coordinated proceeding. A few new parties have been added to the proceeding since the last conference, including PG&E, Butte County and Mary’s Gone Crackers with Richard Wilbur Ranch, Inc.

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California Fires, Floods, Droughts: “It’s Getting More Real Now” Jerry Brown Says In Climate Interview

September 12, 2018/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Paul Rogers

California Gov. Jerry Brown has made renewable energy and climate change a centerpiece of his final term, which ends in January. This week, he co-hosts the “Global Climate Action Summit”in San Francisco. Thousands of scientists, political leaders, business representatives and celebrities from around the globe are arriving all week for the event, which is designed to continue momentum at local levels — despite indifference from the Trump administration — to expand renewable energy and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that scientists say are warming the planet and leading to more wildfires, heat waves, droughts, floods and other problems. Brown discussed the issues in an interview with Paul Rogers, resources and environment writer for the Bay Area News Group.

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“Crucial Milestone” Met At Oroville Dam With Structural Concrete Placement

August 8, 2018/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Risa Johnson

Crews have begun to place the final layer of concrete this week on the upper portion of the Oroville Dam spillway chute. This marks a “crucial milestone,” said Tony Meyers, project manager for the recovery project for the state Department of Water Resources, in a moderated media call on Wednesday. The top layer of the spillway consists of structural concrete slabs, which are designed to be erosion-resistant. The first two structural concrete slabs were placed Monday on the upper chute.

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Oroville Dam independent Review Board Releases First Report

August 1, 2018/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Risa Johnson

The independent review board hired by the state Department of Water Resources to put outside eyes on an assessment which will play a large role in the future operations of the Oroville Dam has released its first report. Suggestions for infrastructure changes like the construction of a second gated spillway are expected to be considered through what DWR is calling a comprehensive needs assessment. The department has selected four independent industry experts to be part of a board which will review the assessment and make recommendations.

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Sites Reservoir Earns $816 Million In Proposition 1 Funding

July 25, 2018/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-Record

Nearly four years after voters approved billions of dollars for new water storage in California, the state finally announced how the pie would be divided. Sites Reservoir in Colusa County, west of Maxwell, will get the largest chunk. The proposed reservoir has been on the drawing boards since last century. It’s the largest and most expensive proposal of the eight projects considered by the California Water Commission on Tuesday. It received the largest award, too — $816 million.

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OPINION: ‘So What?’ Attitude At Root Of Water Wars

July 12, 2018/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /Chico Enterprise-Record

A sequence of events over that last week may explain why California is endlessly locked in water wars. Last Friday, the State Water Resources Control Board released a final plan for the San Joaquin River and the framework for an upcoming plan on the Sacramento River, which will require less water be diverted from those waterways and their tributaries. Four days later, the Metropolitan Water District in Southern California voted to spend $11 billion — the bulk of the $17 billion cost — to put two tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

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