On the evening of Sunday, February 12, 2017 approximately 188,000 people living downstream of Northern California's Oroville Dam were ordered to evacuate after engineers discovered a hole that was eroding near the top of the 770-foot-tall Dam . The critical condition of the dam has current residents concerned as to whether or not they should flee the site or to stay and hope for the best.
Reported by USA Today’s article “140,000 Calif. residents ordered to evacuate below endangered dam spillway,” by Greg Toppo, “The Oroville Dam is the tallest dam in the United States, and is a critical piece of the state’s water system.” The Dam, which was completed in 1968 and is located east of Sacramento, in the foothills of the Sierra.
The water has risen rapidly this winter as the Feather River and its tributaries have gushed down swollen after storms that brought heavy rain and snow. The storms, which came after more than five years of severe drought, have led officials to release water from various dams across Northern California, ” States USA Today.
Concerns have risen due to the development of a hole eroding the dam. According to Fox News, “Water levels at the dam were dropping on Monday. California Department of Water Resources officials said flows into the lake were just under 45,000 cubic feet per second. Outflows remained high at nearly 100,000 cubic feet per second.”
People living in cities such as Oroville, Gridley, Live Oak, Marysville, Wheatland, Yuba City, Plumas Lake and Olivehurst were are all ordered to evacuate during late Sunday. Many of the locals reported how they felt extremely frustrated, panicked, and angry due to the lack of information that they received. Many of the residents said that they wished they were informed earlier instead of being told that they have an hour before the dam could potentially fail.
This dam plays a major part in the State Water Project. It is the largest reservoir and stores water for the dry spring and summer months that California endures under rough weather conditions. Especially now more than ever this dam in needed due to the droughts that take place annually in California during the summertime.
According to the California Department of Water Resources, “The erosion at the head of the emergency spillway threatened to undermine the concrete weir and allow large, uncontrolled releases of water from Lake Oroville. Those potential flows could overwhelm the Feather River and other downstream waterways, channels and levees.”
Just a small damage in the dam can cost millions to fix, making the dam a financial issue as well. “Repairing the main spillway could cost between $100 million and $200 million.” William Croyle, the Department of Water Resource's acting director said Saturday. “But the damage costs appears to be mounting with the additional erosion damage to the emergency spillway.”
This frightening event has many residents, along with state officials, worried for the current and future state of the dam. As the investigation continues onward, many residents are considering whether or not to take precautionary measures and leave, or to stay and wait, hoping the situation will improve. While the dam itself remains intact, erosion damage to the emergency spillway raises the potential of the structure failing releasing uncontrolled waters. Until further notice, the dam is closed off while investigators determine the best course of action.
