For the first time since dam construction and lake filling in 1968, water is overflowing out the emergency spillway. Since the regular spillway eroded Tuesday, CA Department of Water Resources and dam management have cleared trees off the slope to help limit large debris moving downstream as water moved downslope. Here’s a video that shows the entire layout of the spillway, slope, and Feather River channel at the base. The spillway is 1,700 feet long.
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To provide perspective of this, check out the men in the lower right of this photo below. That’s the edge of the emergency spillway across the top of the photo.
The erosion problem with the normal spillway was covered here on Thursday, also check the comment thread there for more details. DWR now admits that damage in the spillway had been noted five years ago and was repaired, apparently not well enough as that is the area where the spillway concrete first began to fall apart on Tuesday.
This is the setting.
Here is the scene on Thursday when water releases into the regular spillway resumed. By midday Friday the area to the right of the actual spillway had eroded all the soil down to bedrock and the water wasn’t brown anymore.
All the experts say there is no threat to the dam, the city of Oroville and any others downstream. The overflow won’t be more than the Feather River channel can handle although the water will carry a high sediment load.
Lake Oroville is full to the brim and also a glorious mess but today is sunny and sparkling. We have a break of 3-4 days before the next series of rainstorms are expected.
What’s your scene today?
Here’s the video today from above (Peewee’s private plane). The emergency spillway is not flowing as much now but the downstream water is dark brown as far as one sees — including the afterbays.