Bill to Ramp Up Dam Inspections Now Law in California
In fallout from a near-catastrophe one year ago at the nation’s tallest dam, California Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed legislation amp up inspections of “high-risk” dams.
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California Lawmakers Boost Dam Checks After Near Disaster
Legislation sent to Gov. Jerry Brown Monday would beef up dam inspections a year after a near disaster prompted evacuation of nearly 200,000 residents downstream of the tallest U.S. dam.
Read moreCalifornia Sued Over Near-Catastrophe at Oroville Dam
Almost a year after fleeing the nation’s tallest dam’s crumbling spillways, the city of Oroville sued California on Wednesday over the near-catastrophe that jolted public trust in the state’s aging infrastructure.
Read moreReport: Complacency & Human Error Led to Near-Catastrophe at Oroville Dam
Decades of human error, and design and maintenance mistakes on the nation’s tallest dam culminated in the failure of its spillways during California’s history-making rains in 2017, according to a report released Friday by investigators.
Read moreReport: Design Flaws Led to Near-Collapse of Oroville Dam
For decades, water seeped below the spillway of the nation’s tallest dam unnoticed by operators, slowly eroding critical infrastructure until the spillway crumbled during heavy storm releases this past February, investigators said Tuesday.
Read moreDam Managers Made Missteps in Handling Crisis
Late in the afternoon of Feb. 12, Sheriff Kory Honea was at the emergency operations center for the tallest dam in America when he overheard someone say something that stopped him in his tracks: “This is not good.”
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Dam Repairs Continue as New Storm Pounds California
Just five days after water cascaded over Lake Oroville’s untested emergency spillway and sent 190,000 residents scrambling downstream, officials said Thursday they have decreased reservoir releases ahead of another round of storms in order to aid maintenance efforts.
Read moreFederal Disaster Aid Coming for California Floods
President Donald Trump on Tuesday approved federal disaster aid for California due to statewide flooding and a mass evacuation caused by damage to the nation’s tallest dam, at Oroville.
Read more190,000 Evacuated as California Dam Spills Over
Nearly 190,000 Californians were evacuated this weekend from areas below the nation’s tallest dam at Lake Oroville, as erosion threatened the dam’s main spillway and a backup, emergency spillway was opened for the first time in the dam’s history.
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