Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years ago
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Re: Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years ago
#2This is what California always does. We forget about what happens in a drought as soon as the rain comes, and as soon as the rain comes, we realize we forgot about what happened the last time it flooded. After the catastrophe is already upon us, recriminations fly, trillions of pixels are wasted on heavy-handed think pieces, and we forget again, only to wonder why an entirely preventable tragedy managed to find us the next time one comes.
Re: Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years ago
#3Do we know if this has the potential to flood the old ICBM complex at Sutter Buttes?
Re: Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years ago
#4Does this mean that a lawsuit after a catastrophe would much more likely succeed?
Re: Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years ago
#5“It is important to recognize that during a rare event with the emergency spillway flowing at its design capacity, spillway operations would not affect reservoir control or endanger the dam,” wrote John Onderdonk, a senior civil engineer with FERC, in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s San Francisco Office, in a July 27, 2006, memo to his managers.
“The emergency spillway meets FERC’s engineering guidelines for an emergency spillway,” he added. “The guidelines specify that during a rare flood event, it is acceptable for the emergency spillway to sustain significant damage.”
tl;dr: in case of flood, anything goes so long as the main dam wall remains functional?
Re: Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years ago
#6It reads like they designed the spillway to withstand this much water, provided that the ground it rests on doesn't move.
Was it a sink-hole under the spillway or the force of water broke the concrete and then created the hole?
Re: Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years ago
#7As of midnight, the reservoir level was at 899.77 feet, and flow over the emergency spillway has stopped. If the level is above about 900 feet, the excess goes over the emergency spillway. Peak was around 902 feet. Data feed from dam sensors here: [1] Google Maps view of emergency spillway under normal conditions here: [2] Compare with drone footage from yesterday.[3] Main spillway (which has gates) is back in use.
Things look a bit better than a few hours ago.
[1] http://rdcfeeds.redding.com/lakelevels/oro.cfm [2] https://goo.gl/maps/mzwyXvRvZAv [3] http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article132154774.html
Re: Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years ago
#8This is what California always does. We forget about what happens in a drought as soon as the rain comes, and as soon as the rain comes, we realize we forgot about what happened the last time it flooded. After the catastrophe is already upon us, recriminations fly, trillions of pixels are wasted on heavy-handed think pieces, and we forget again, only to wonder why an entirely preventable tragedy managed to find us th…
Indeed, and in Australia too, but even sillier in floodplains you see a few very old houses built on stilts seemimgly floating above flood waters and next to them suburbs of roof tops of submerged modern houses built for miles around.
Re: Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years ago
#9As of midnight, the reservoir level was at 899.77 feet, and flow over the emergency spillway has stopped. If the level is above about 900 feet, the excess goes over the emergency spillway. Peak was around 902 feet. Data feed from dam sensors here: [1] Google Maps view of emergency spillway under normal conditions here: [2] Compare with drone footage from yesterday.[3] Main spillway (which has gates) is back in use. T…
The outflow hasn't changed so I'm not convinced that the flow over the lip has stopped. #armchairanalysis
Re: Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years ago
#10Do we know if this has the potential to flood the old ICBM complex at Sutter Buttes?
I'm not sure about the specific location of said complex, but the Sutter Buttes in general - being buttes - are at a much higher elevation than the surrounding portions of the Central Valley.