With the water levels behind America's tallest dam actually dropping a bit after peaking at 895.14', the California Department of Water Resources (DWR...but better known as the "Dull-witted Rambos") appear to have survived their unconscionable and rash gamble that they could fill up the Oroville Dam without it collapsing, despite all the rumors of various problems.
Despite the fact there has been no catastrophe this spring--even at the level of two years ago, when the mains spillway collapsed and 180,000 people were forced to evacuated-- DWR is NOT to be congratulated for their penchant for once again putting profits far above public safety. Several experts in dam construction and repair have repeatedly pointed out the LIES that DWR has been spreading regarding the safety level of the structure, which they continue to claim is "just fine."
It is not fine that:
- Huge cracks continue to grow on the gate house structure.
- Mud and dirt continues to mix with the massive amounts of water leaking from the gates.
- The huge green spot on the main dam face continues to grow and many professionals have stated DWR is lying about it being from a "spring" rising up hundreds of feet from the base of the dam and causing the growth.
- The obvious leaks on the mergency spillway that appeard where the ES was re-clad with new concrete are a major concern.
- The water leaking down, STILL, from under the ES and the gatehouse structure is a MAJOR concern that will need to be addressed when the water levels drop low enough to grout those leaks.
- All the upstream reservoirs are at or near capacity while DWR was allowing Oroville to fill up.
(Uh...this is NOT normal leakage from a gate structure, despite what DWR claims.)
There is next to NOTHING that DWR has done this spring that has been "safe" and/or reasonable, and the California State Legislature (or the feds) definitely need to step in here to better regulate how this old and crippled dam is being run. Putting lives at risk by filling this dam up this spring despite all the above (and more) has proven that DWR simply CAN NOT be trusted to operate this dam.
On the positive side, there is plenty of dry weather ahead now, all the remaining snow pack that is in the Oroville catchment is really in the Almanor catchment (a subset) and Almanor Dam can easily handle what little is left to come in. Short of a freak "Pineapple Express" (or manufactured weather event) suddenly dumping a large amount of rainfall over the catchment in a very short period of time, OR a major seismic event, DWR and the people of the northern central valley have dodged another bullet.
STILL, somebody has got to stop these DWR lunatics from firing bullets at the public every spring.