Long time readers of the old TMF Climate Change board may remember discussions about the Oroville dam spillway failure in 2017. Heavy rains caused the lake level to increase. Operators opened the spillway gates, but the spillway concrete failed part of the way down the slope. There was also damage to the emergency spillway. In the subsequent years, the main spillway was rebuilt, as well as other improvements in the immediate area.
Now, with another heavy rainy season, the Oroville spillway is again in use. The following link to a TV news report has two different videos. The second video down (13 minutes), shows the water release in more detail, but the first video is pretty good, as well.
Old friends live nearby, so we’ve watched as the reservoir fills, hope they don’t lett too much out, let it get back to its upper levels… Folks in Sacramento are also keeping an eye on it, too…
Here is a live cam view of the spillway. The camera cycles between 4 or 5 different views. Only one of the views shows the spillway. Right now, it is still flowing. The weather forecast for the next several days predicts more rain in the area. I assume there will be a pretty big snow melt that will fill up the lake in the next few months, as well.
the residents of the great State of California have got to be thrilled at the amount of snowfall the mountain regions have had. We’ve had a very weak winter snowfall in the northern part of Lower Michigan ( snowbelt region ), but glad for the West that they’ve received huge amounts of snow.
I hope next winter is back to normal here as far as snowfall goes. I track my xc ski miles, and I’ll hit 500 after tomorrows ski, which is pretty pathetic. My preseason goal is to get in 1000 miles of skiing, don’t always get there, but definitely an average season will be far better than this one.
As the pundits say, there is always next year, lol.