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Report: California's Oroville dam’s main spillway must be repaired by November
Hotair ^ | 03/23/2017 | John Sexton

Posted on 03/23/2017 7:48:58 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

The Oroville dam has largely faded out of the news in the past few weeks but the crisis is not over yet. A report on the safety of the dam concluded: “A very significant risk would be incurred if the Gated Spillway is not operational by November 1.” November 1 is the start of the next rainy season. From the Associated Press:

Officials with the state Department of Water Resources, which operates the dam, fear a huge rupture that opened in the main spillway could expand to cripple the flood gates that send out controlled releases of water and keep water from spilling over uncontrollably.

In a statement, spokeswoman Maggie Macias said the agency’s objective is to have a fully functional spillway before the start of the next storm season.

“We’ll be working round-the-clock through spring, summer and fall to make that happen,” she said.

In case you’ve forgotten what the main spillway looks like, here it is:

Note the size of the helicopter in this image for scale:

So California has about 7 months to shore up all of this damage and repair the spillway in time for the next rainy season. And there is concern that repairing the visible damage will not be enough. Inspectors found water was leaking between the apparently undamaged sections of concrete, meaning even the sections of the spillway that look salvageable may need to be replaced or repaired before it can be used safely. The cost to repair all of this damage is expected to be in the tens of millions of dollars.

The report also says the emergency spillway should not be used under any circumstance and needs to be redesigned. If you recall, authorities briefly allowed water to flow over the emergency spillway last month and then saw evidence the ground below it was in danger of undermining the concrete. Though the Oroville dam itself was never in danger, 188,000 people were evacuated over concern the spillway could fail catastrophically, sending a wall of water into downstream cities and towns.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: dam; oroville; repair
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To: All; EarthResearcher333; abb; Jim 0216; WildHighlander57; meyer; Repeal The 17th; KC Burke; ...

Please ping the rest of the faithful.

The other Thread needs to be preserved for future research on this monster problem.

Please use this one for current data and upcoming data.

There is a huge rain storm hitting the bay area early tomorrow and more next week.

Throw in snow melt, and we have some possible dangerous factors impacting this damaged dam.

Pray for those living below this damaged dam and the workers.


21 posted on 03/23/2017 9:12:10 PM PDT by Grampa Dave ( Remember during Trump Tower Spydgate, there were No American fingerprints; just Obama's...!!!!:))
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To: SeekAndFind

Millions of illegals and not one an engineer.


22 posted on 03/23/2017 9:14:22 PM PDT by umgud
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To: crz

WWII was won in 4 years using 40’s tech.

Building a new spillway with access to +60 yr advancement in tech in 6 mo is a Yuge problem?


23 posted on 03/23/2017 9:20:44 PM PDT by Paladin2 (No spellcheck. It's too much work to undo the auto wrong word substitution on mobile devices.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I would sure like to get into some of those deep holes down in the riverbed at the base of the original spillway with my dredge.
To bad the stupid people in Sacramento outlawed dredging in the state.


24 posted on 03/23/2017 9:21:36 PM PDT by 5th MEB (Progressives in the open; --- FIRE FOR EFFECT!!)
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To: PAR35

Follow Nature... Pools and Chutes...


25 posted on 03/23/2017 9:26:27 PM PDT by Paladin2 (No spellcheck. It's too much work to undo the auto wrong word substitution on mobile devices.)
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To: b4its2late

MS-13 can’t redesign and build spillways?

Does Hussein know?


26 posted on 03/23/2017 9:28:15 PM PDT by Paladin2 (No spellcheck. It's too much work to undo the auto wrong word substitution on mobile devices.)
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To: ThunderSleeps

As I understand it the construction plans are supposed to be done in about a week.


27 posted on 03/23/2017 9:34:29 PM PDT by KC Burke (If all the world is a stage, I would like to request my lighting be adjusted.)
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To: kingu
You might want to re-think the plan if you take me up on the offer.

Hey, I didn't say it's a good plan, just that it's an alternate plan. The Dem idiots running the State can't take care of infrastructure, or protect the citizens. They might as well give up or get out of the way and let others run the State.

There's a lot of crappy things being done with our tax-dollars by these "progressives", including giveaways to illegals and transgenders, not to mention saving some irrelevant tree frogs and salamanders while flood-control infrastructure is not maintained putting folks in danger, including you. Probably better for you to move to higher ground, because the State ain't looking out for your safety.

28 posted on 03/23/2017 9:35:00 PM PDT by roadcat
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To: William Tell

“The Oroville Dam situation provides one aspect of this failure. We are dealing with repairs that could have been made ten years earlier at much less expense. Lack of judgement on the part of liberals has resulted in a situation where we must now spend many tens of millions by November or face the distinct possibility of wiping out a fairly large part of the state. Even if we spend the money, the weather may not cooperate by waiting until November or we may fail to get our money’s worth for the repair costs.”


Exactly.

Hey California, how’s that billion dollar bullet train to nowhere going?


29 posted on 03/23/2017 9:46:13 PM PDT by ForYourChildren (Christian Education [ RomanRoadsMedia.com - Classical Christian Approach to Homeschool ])
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To: cpdiii

“It would be very interesting to see the original engineering proposals for the damn”

again tons of great info in the main thread.....

+Image [1] Original Design proposed to the public for funding - a combined high capacity spillway - Artist’s concept painting.

+Image [2] Original Spillway design with Combined Flood structure - 620,000 cfs total capacity (370,000 cfs main flow + 250,000 cfs emergency flow).

+Image [3] Original Spillway model testing reveals “Fins”, “Standing Waves”, and “monster splashing” (up to 100+ ft re: model scale) @ 620,000 cfs total capacity (370,000 cfs main flow + 250,000 cfs emergency flow).

+Image [4] 3rd round of “fixes” in model testing still reveals challenges @ 620,000 cfs total capacity (370,000 cfs main flow + 250,000 cfs emergency flow).

+Image [5] California Department of Water Resources steps in and makes a “command decision” (”political engineering”) when faced with this design crisis challenge.

+Image [6] Failure is introduced from the “a political engineering decision” with flawed rationale/justification (excludes full scrutiny in engineering thoroughness).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3524221/posts?page=2596#2596


30 posted on 03/23/2017 9:48:16 PM PDT by janetjanet998
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To: SeekAndFind
They don't have 7 months to rebuild it. To do so means they have to shut down use of it for that time. Which they can't do as the damn dam keeps filling up to a point where their in danger of having to use the ESPILLWAY again.
With the snowpack at 280%. And other dams at or near capacity, there's nowhere to put the excess flow. The water elevation in the dams in the state have been maintained at to high of an elevation because of the drought and the idiotic thinking that it was never going to rain again.

Now their stuck.

Also they built the spillways on material that is not pure bedrock. That and a lack of maintenance screwed them.

Ed

31 posted on 03/23/2017 9:54:41 PM PDT by husky ed (FOX NEWS ALERT "Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead" THIS HAS BEEN A FOX NEWS ALERT)
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To: oldasrocks

The EPA might have to get involved, all that rock is serpentine, which is asbestos. They have been monitoring the air and found asbestos


32 posted on 03/23/2017 10:02:12 PM PDT by Psycho_Runner (I never voted for change, I prefer folding money.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Start lining it with steel and bring in the gunite crews!


33 posted on 03/23/2017 10:11:36 PM PDT by US_MilitaryRules (I'm not tired of Winning yet! Please, continue on!)
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To: SeekAndFind

In a more pragmatic age, it would be rebuilt by convicted felons roped together forming a human chain placing stone blocks hewn from a nearby quarry and rolled into position with logs on timbers. Beats having them working out and watching sports on flatscreen TV’s in the common area.


34 posted on 03/23/2017 10:21:57 PM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: SeekAndFind

COMING SOON!!

California Collapsing: Dam, Just Dam!!

An Irwin Allen production

A Speilberger MoonBeam ‘Calamity Crisis’ is the ‘New Normal’ Film

-

Join with us around the campfire as the dam cracks..

Listen to stories of missed opportunities..

When Brown was a color and not a state of mind..

and pine for the days when the woods were green..

or at least as full of green as the pocketbooks of Gaian followers.


35 posted on 03/23/2017 10:37:50 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Monthly Donors Rock!!!)
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To: Grampa Dave

Fortuitous indeed that MoonBeam is in DC conducting official business.. battling climate change, nuclear proliferation, yaknow, what really matters to demoncRats here.

He’s the closest thing we have had in the way of a King Rat in the Gub mansion in awhile.. and to think Newsom, Villanutjob, are just a couple that stand in the wings.. at least V knows how to fill potholes.

Hopefully this next blast will not be as intense, but.. Take care!!


36 posted on 03/23/2017 10:41:55 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Monthly Donors Rock!!!)
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uh ohh... when da Murky Nooz says pooooeeeeyyyy..

Editorial: DWR’s handling of Oroville Dam crisis keeps getting worse

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/23/editorial-dwrs-handling-of-oroville-dam-crisis-keeps-getting-worse/


37 posted on 03/23/2017 10:49:18 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Monthly Donors Rock!!!)
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To: b4its2late
But at least they’ll have a nice train.

Nope. Won't have that either, but will have spent a ton of money on nothing!

38 posted on 03/23/2017 11:08:50 PM PDT by BAW (It is Yuge!)
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To: SeekAndFind

**Only 12 inches thick, the concrete spillway is heavily patched, at some places by clay stuffed into holes below the concrete.**

What rocket scientist decided that would work?

Oroville 3/22/17 Update: Rockbolts and Repairs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Idm-w4Bxa-g


39 posted on 03/23/2017 11:44:26 PM PDT by blueplum ("...this moment is your moment: it belongs to you " President Donald J. Trump, Jan 20, 2017)
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To: BAW

Why can’t Moonbeam double, triple, quantiple or whatever it takes, increase High Speed Rail funding, set up a track to the top of the spillway, and devote the trains to loading up with water cars, and speeding their way to all over CA to supply it with water?

We know Moony wants to spend more. A Win Win, if I ever saw one.


40 posted on 03/24/2017 12:16:34 AM PDT by C210N
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