Oroville Lake Dam

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
15,692
1,971
113
Mid Michigan
Was just reading about this Northern California lake's dam failing. Something about the emergency spillway eroding away? If any of our membership is downstream of this, prayers and luck to you that you get out and away safely.
 

DAVe3283

Heavy & Slow
Sep 3, 2009
3,733
305
83
Boise, ID, USA
My parents live downstream of it. My brother is currently helping them pack critical things then head to his house which is above the lake.

There's a whole back story to all this that should come out in the next few weeks. It was a whole lot more preventable then they are letting on right now...

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dmaxerLLY

Member
Aug 10, 2007
52
0
6
California
www.instagram.com
I have a few friends up north, very sad to see....First time in 48 year history that the emergency spill way was used. They were releasing well over 50k CFS then after a short while the water flowing out eroded a truck size hole in the spillway surface, in effect they cut the release so damage could be assessed. Well long story short they should have never cut back the outflow, the lake is still rising over the emergency spillway and a warm wet storm is projected to come in Wednesday night...

View of emergency spillway, dam to the right.
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Started releasing a large amount
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Release flow cut back to assess damage
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Heavy rains come and Oh shit moment screw it we have to release as much as possible

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Now they are predicting the emergency spillway may fail...
 

SmokeShow

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2006
6,818
34
48
43
Lawrenceburg, KY
I design structures like that for a living, albeit the ones I design are rarely even required to be classified, but man that'll give a design engineer a knotted up stomach. Good night that sucks. Anyone know how long the dam & spillways have been in place?
 

DAVe3283

Heavy & Slow
Sep 3, 2009
3,733
305
83
Boise, ID, USA
Construction started in 1961, competed May 4, 1968. Maintenance has been neglected in recent years...

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c20elephant

C20ELEPHANT
Apr 25, 2013
2,065
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Phoenix, Arizona
That sort of stuff never happens in California, oh wait, it does however burn, slide, shake, rain and everything else in between I worked for General Engineering Contractor back in 1993 after the Topanga Canyon Malibu fire and abated/demolished 175 homes in 45 days running 6 days a week, 12 hours a day, 100+ men. I don't recall how much equipment was used during this time to beat the liquidated damages contract of 60 days.

We accomplished/completed the contract in 45 days with bonuses attached for early completion. It is hell running that much activity for myself and one other lead superintendent.

But wait there's more, before we were completed this happened, the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. We did manage to be picked/selected in a lottery type contract award for some of this clean up shortly after the completion of the Malibu contract......
 

2004LB7

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 15, 2010
7,143
2,234
113
Norcal
I'm in Folsom (Sacramento area) supposedly the emergency spillway was predicted to fail at 6pm Sunday and mandatory evacuations started. Nothing for the Sacramento area. Spillway(s) are badly eroding but haven't failed completely yet.

Thay are now preparing to drop large rocks and bolders with helicopters on the eroded areas to by more time.
 

ALLY Fox

Old Man Truck
Dec 14, 2010
434
0
0
Oregon 7S5
Gov Moonbeam has been too busy handing out free stuff to non citizens worry about stupid things like repairing the tallest dam in the nation....
 
Oct 16, 2008
948
12
18
Idaho
Gov Moonbeam has been too busy handing out free stuff to non citizens worry about stupid things like repairing the tallest dam in the nation....

Made it to post #13 before linking the dam repair negligence to immigration and political issues. The internet is moving slower than usual this Monday morning. :rofl: