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Report: Oroville Dam Has Unsatisfactory Rating For 2nd Year In A Row

/in , /by /KCRA 3 (Sacramento, Calif.)by Mike Luery

A new report on the safety of more than 1,200 California dams reveals only one dam is listed as unsatisfactory — and that dam is Oroville. In this Butte County town of some 19,000 people, some are getting wary. “Businesses are concerned with getting on with business,” said Eric Smith, CEO of the Oroville Chamber of Commerce. “And folks are wanting to get on and feel they can live safely in their homes.” The new report by the Division of Safety of Dams in the Department of Water Resources shows an old problem is still active at Oroville Dam, which has the “unsatisfactory” rating due to safety deficiencies.

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Oroville Dam: See Before-and-After Video of Construction Progress

/in , /by /East Bay Timesby Paul Rogers

Eighteen months after the dramatic failure of the spillways at Oroville Dam in Northern California, a disaster that led to the evacuation of 188,000 people, construction is on schedule to complete the concrete work in the main spillway by Nov. 1.

In recent weeks, 805 workers from Kiewit, the Nebraska-based company that was awarded the main construction contract on the project, have continued to rebuild sections of the massive 3,000-foot-long spillway.

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

/in , /by /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

/in , /by /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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VIDEO: Spillway Repairs Have Lake Oroville Hovering Near 800 Feet

/in , /by /CBS (Sacramento)

The Department of Water Resources recently released water from Lake Oroville so spillway repairs could continue.

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Oroville Dam: Senate Passes Bill To Require Independent Risk Analysis

/in , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Risa Johnson

The U.S. Senate passed on Monday the 2019 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill, which requires an independent risk analysis of Oroville Dam. Additionally, the bill would order the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to report the findings of an independent panel reviewing the state Department of Water Resources’ dam safety practices to the Senate committee. Next, the proposed piece of legislation will head to the House of Representatives for reconciliation and a final vote. It passed through the Senate energy and water development appropriations subcommittee on May 24.

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DWR Plans To Drop Lake Oroville Levels

/in , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Risa Johnson

The state Department of Water Resources announced plans on Friday to draw Lake Oroville down to 808 feet elevation by early next week. This is to provide a second point of access to the upper chute of the Oroville Dam spillway, through the radial gates, for construction. Water surpasses the radial gates when the lake reaches 813 feet elevation. “Construction activities on the upper chute of the spillway revealed bedrock conditions that require additional excavation,” the press release from DWR reads.

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‘Incredibly Busy Year Ahead’: DWR Works Toward Oroville Spillway Deadline

/in , /by /KCRA (Sacramento)by Vicki Gonzalez

Phase two of Oroville Dam’s primary spillway reconstruction is now underway. The California Department of Water Resources conducted controlled blasts to demolish temporary concrete used so the primary spillway could withstand the wet season. With summer now approaching, structural concrete will be placed on the upper part of the 730-foot spillway and the walls. The emergency spillway will also have roller-compacted concrete, as well as a splash pad at the bottom. DWR said it is on schedule for the primary spillway to be complete by the self-imposed Nov. 1 deadline. The emergency spillway will be completed in early 2019.

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Oroville Dam: DWR Attempts To Quash Butte County Lawsuit

/in , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Risa Johnson

Whether the Butte County district attorney will have a shot at winning a lawsuit against the state Department of Water Resources could come down to a comma. At the North Butte County Courthouse on Friday, the two sides presented different interpretations of the 1875 law that District Attorney Mike Ramsey is suing under for environmental damages caused by the Oroville Dam crisis in February 2017. Lawyers representing DWR tried to convince Butte County Superior Court Judge Michael Candela to throw out the complaint because Ramsey did not have the authority to sue.

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Bird’s Eye Look Of Work Underway At Oroville Dam Spillways

/in , /by /Chico Enterprise-Record

The second and final phase of reconstruction continues at the Oroville Dam spillways. This year, contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. is rebuilding the top 730-foot portion of the main spillway and using structural concrete to rebuild the walls and resurface the chute in the middle. A flight over the location last week during a break in Butte County Sheriff’s Office helicopter training exercise, showed that much original concrete at the top of the chute has been removed, along with the walls.

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