More trouble for Oroville Dam
Debris caused a water log-jam
Got a week-long reprieve
to remove the debris.
A scene of increasing bedlam.
The Oroville Dam is in more trouble than thought. Between one half and one million cubic yards of debris is clogging up the diversion pool causing the power plant to be shut down until it is cleared. The debris is all from erosion from the failing spillways which shows the erosive power of water not properly channelled. In addition they continue work on the emergency spillway and will attempt to shore up the breach in the main spillway.
It is a race against time. The upstream dams are all full, so all the snow-melt will fill the Oroville Dam back in no time, and there is at least one more major rain event coming down the pineapple express. The snow-pack is already way over normal for the season, so both spillways will have to be used again, and soon.
Will they succeed with the task in time?
Keep the bags packed if you live downstream. And please, pray!
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 