I am sure they are doing everything they can now. But the reality is, the problem was caused by the damn operators, not the rain. You see the damn operators have internet connections just like the rest of us. And they get weather reports just like the rest of us. But they have been in a drought for a long time. And just like a wino likes a generous pour. The damn operators wanted to fill their reservoir up to the brim. The problem is they screwed up. The forecast was right. And the rain came just as it was predicted. The damn operators did not let the water out like the manual suggested. They were trying for a generous pour to the brim.
So, now they broke their damn, and their spillway, and a few hundred houses, road, towns, and whatever down stream. And now they want to call it a natural disaster. But really its operator error by a California employee.
But really its operator error by a California employers, moonbeam, his ratpack legislature and rat judges.
Yeah, that’s been in the back of my mind...were they releasing water heavy as it approached max? Was it the broken spillway sluice that made them stop dumping and let the water reach max? Did tree-plugged turbine intakes additionally hinder flow?
Wow another uninformed poster.
There was unexplained erosion under the spillway. This was bad maintenance not operator error.
In fact this problem was noted a dozen years ago and nothing was done about it.
The whole purpose of dams is to hold water behind them. That is what they were trying to do and got caught with too much still in the lake so they opened the spillway just as lakes do all over the country all the time.
This problem originated from a bad design or a contractor taking shortcuts. Only time and investigation will tell on that one.
Clue
Check out the vids and see if you see any sign of rebar in the rubble field.