Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,606
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    ArlyDude
    Newest Member
    ArlyDude
    Joined

West Coast storm attack 2017


janetjanet998

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 102
  • Created
  • Last Reply

 

 

DWR investigates concrete erosion at Oroville Dam

the spillway area...

Dam operators planned to increase the water release to 70,000 cubic feet per second to make room for runoff in the midst of the current storm, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

Someone spotted the problem about 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, leading to DWR officials to severely cut back on water releases from 50,000 cfs to 5,000 cfs as officials investigate what happened, officials told KCRA 3.

The flows into Lake Oroville stand at 130,000 cfs, which could lead to problems in the next few days if water officials can't start increasing outflows, according to KCRA 3 meteorologist Mark Finan.

 

http://www.kcra.com/article/water-release-causes-damage-at-oroville-dam/8687944

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oroville DAM spillway update

No danger to public or dam itself but this has never happened before

but  a HUGE hole in the spillway.(250 feet long, 80 feet wide and 30 feet deep)...they have stopped the outflow, minus some leakage, down the spillway..lake at 82% capacity

I noticed even with the minimal leakage the water is muddy meaning its still eroding slightly

5000 cfs per second is being released thru the power plant, work is being done overnight to increase that to 15000, inflow is coming into the lake at 100,000 cfs

another wet 48 hours then a long dry break

the DAM will be full in 3-4 days(I think more like 2-3)....then they will have no choice but to release water back down the spillway which is the better of two bad options(water flowing over the DAM)

they talked about quick repairs and something about boulders....no way...no infrastructure to get them in there,,almost sounded like  Tepco and Fukushima in that regards

55,000 cfs was being released at the time the highest in ten years but well below that max in previous heavy rain events(140,000 in 1997)

 

There is an emergency spillway that has never been used before.....

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There must be strange white stuff in the midwest and a blizzard in the NE......it's dead here

 

anyway

just heard they are going to do a test run of 20,000 cfs to see what happens to the spillway

lake is a hair below 869 feet and rising a half foot per hour(900 feet is full pool)

 

In any event either

a: they are going have to let out water down the spillway destroying it more

b: let it flow over the emergency spillway that has Never been used or tested before(dam but in 1968)

long term the problem is flood control for future storms in the weeks ahead....they would usually let a lot more out of the lake then what is coming in dry days between storms

 

also flash flood warnings in Nevada for dam failures and I saw in one of the warnings last night the most runoff in one river since 1962

61.9 inch is now the 8 station rainfall index well ahead of the 192-83 pace

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED  
FLASH FLOOD WARNING  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV  
525 PM PST WED FEB 8 2017  
  
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ELKO NEVADA HAS EXTENDED THE  
  
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...  
  A DAM BREAK IN...  
  EAST CENTRAL ELKO COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN NEVADA...  
  
* UNTIL MIDNIGHT PST THURSDAY  
  
* AT 516 PM PST, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CONFIRMED MEDIA REPORTS A   
  FULL DAM BREACH AND FAILURE. WATER IN THE RESERVOIR CONTINUES TO   
  RAPIDLY EMPTY AND IS HEADING DOWNSTREAM. ONGOING FLASH FLOODING   
  WILL CONTINUE AND COULD POTENTIALLY GET WORSE. AS ADDITIONAL WATER   
  FLOWS INTO THE DAKE RESERVOIR, OVERTOPPING COULD OCCUR. THIS COULD   
  LEAD TO UNEXPECTED AND ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING MOVING DOWNSTREAM   
  TOWARD STATE ROUTE 233 NORTH OF MONTELLO. THE RAILROAD NEAR THE   
  UTAH AND NEVADA BORDER WILL CONTINUE TO BE IMPACTED. THIS IS A   
  DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH   
  FLOODED ROADWAYS AND SEEK HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. DUE TO   
  UNCERTAINTY IN HOW THE FLOOD WAVE WILL PROGRESS, IT IS STRONGLY   
  RECOMMENDED TO STAY AWAY FROM THE AREA. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, MUWX said:

From everything I've seen, their is absolutely no danger of the dam failing 

correct for now,

but trouble ahead....in the days ad weeks ahead

you either continue eroding the hillside around the spillway or let it over the emergency spillway and erode there..they are hoping bedrock is closer to the gates of the spillway 

They have underestimated inflow and the rate of rise on the lake..

talk now is to go up to 55,000 cfs down the spillway.....with another 12,000 thru other means for a total outflow of 67,000

 

As a mentioned 2 days ago This news conferences sort of reminds me of TEPCO and the nuclear diasater in Japan 

 

only a hair over 13 feet to go until 901 feet and over the emergency spillway..lake in rising 3/4 a foot per hour with inflow of 190,000 and outflow of 47,000

inflow has likely peaked and will slowly fall

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They now believe the emergency spillway won't be used

65,000 cfs is now coming down the damaged spillway..they had to shut down the power plants because the water was backing up so they lost 12,000 cfs release

as you can see in this video the spillway is eroding back towards the gates....

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you can also see in the video above they are clearing trees along the emergency spillway....yesterday they said they thought this area was bedrock but obviously its not ....just loose red dirt

lots of trucks coming in laying concrete ...I guess they are using it for areas bewteen the spillway and emergency spillway.....

They also said steps are being taken to protect the large power transmission towers...so the said expect to see helicopters or something...WTF are they going to do though???

If you notice the erosion is eating away at the spillway back towards the dam..I suspect the water is coming straight down and backsplash is eating away under it..it the collaspes and the process repeats

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They have reduced the outflow from 65000 cfs to 55000 cfs.....they are concerned erosion is getting to close to the large transmission towers

inflow not falling that fast really and the lake is still rising at 1/4 foot per hour with less than 3 feet to overspill

to rub salt in the wound moderate rain is developing right over the DAM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I began watching the water level in Lake Oroville a couple years ago when I saw a photo at the peak of the drought.  I was interested in how the lake responds during a wet pattern.  The water has really been pouring into the lake over the last month.  They increased the outflow(via the now-damaged spillway) during the lull following the deluge a couple weeks ago just to keep the water level from increasing beyond 850 ft.  Once the latest series of storms moved in, the inflow grew even larger and the water level quickly rose another 30+ ft.  It didn't help that they were forced to drop the outflow to analyze the spillway damage.  The rest of the season will certainly be interesting if the wet pattern continues.  Models currently show another lull through Wednesday, with another series of storm moving in beginning Thursday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it was obvious it was going to spill over... now they are say around 36 hours of spillage...

it will be dry until later in the week but it will warm up melting some of the snowpack.....

although the dam and both spillways are built on mountain bedrock..that whole huge hillside was man made...they brought it in by railcar for years ti build up

it is now eroding away 3 ways

1. the damaged spillway

2- the emergency spillway

3. the feather river itself..since the diverters that turn the water into spray are not working as designed, the river is eroding the bottom of the hillside

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They are still saying no risk to dam at a presser just now ...the worst that can happen is more erosion.....

but some  the dirt was moved in for a reason and now its slowly eroding away

I don't really get their thinking..... there is huge pressure on a dam, especially  full,  and the reinforcing earth is slowing being eroded away

 

I believe they should start bringing in more dirt/rocks/cement  ASAP

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

OROVILLE, Calif. - An immediate evacuation from the low levels of Oroville and areas downstream is ordered.

A hazardous situation has developed with the Oroville Dam auxiliary spillway. Officials say that operation of the auxiliary spillway has lead to severe erosion that could lead to a failure of the structure.

Failure of the auxiliary spillway structure will result in an uncontrolled release of flood waters from Lake Oroville.

In response to this developing situation, DWR is increasing water releases to 100,000 cubic feet per second. Immediate evacuation from the low levels of Oroville and areas downstream has been ordered.

http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/butte/evacuation-orders-for-low-levels-of-oroville/330519833?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_KRCR7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED  
FLASH FLOOD WARNING  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA  
435 PM PST SUN FEB 12 2017  
  
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A  
  
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...  
  A DAM FAILURE IN...  
  SOUTH CENTRAL BUTTE COUNTY IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...  
  
* UNTIL 415 PM PST MONDAY  
  
* AT 419 PM PST,  DAM OPERATORS REPORTED A HAZARDOUS SITUATION IS   
  DEVELOPING WITH THE OROVILLE DAM AUXILIARY SPILLWAY. OPERATION OF   
  THE AUXILIARY SPILLWAY HAS LEAD TO SEVERE EROSION THAT COULD LEAD   
  TO A FAILURE OF THE STRUCTURE. FAILURE OF THE AUXILIARY SPILLWAY   
  STRUCTURE WILL RESULT IN AN UNCONTROLLED RELEASE OF FLOOD WATERS   
  FROM LAKE OROVILLE.  
    
  IN RESPONSE TO THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION, DWR IS INCREASING WATER   
  RELEASES TO 100,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND.   
  
IMMEDIATE EVACUATION FROM THE LOW LEVELS OF OROVILLE AREAS   
DOWNSTREAM IS ORDERED. FROM OROVILLE TO GRIDLEY...LOW LEVEL AREAS   
AROUND THE FEATHER RIVER WILL EXPERIENCE RAPID RIVER RISES.  
  
  THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. REPEAT THIS IS NOT A   
  DRILL.  

  
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...  
  OROVILLE, PALERMO, GRIDLEY, THERMALITO, SOUTH OROVILLE, OROVILLE  
  DAM, OROVILLE EAST AND WYANDOTTE.  
  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, MUWX said:

What was the reasoning for taking out the trees below the emergency spillway? I feel like that only increased the erosion 

I thought the same thing

so debris/trees  wouldn't go into the river was the reasoning

they also didn't want the controlled spillway going over 55,000 bfs..it was 65 but they cut it back

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They are lucky this last train of storms ended when it did.  If they had a few more days of 150+k cfs inflow to the reservoir, they'd really be in trouble.  They have now upped the damaged main spillway's outflow to 100k cfs in an attempt to get the water back below the emergency spillway, and then to get the lake down as much as possible before the next multi-day round of heavy rain arrives on Thursday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/10/2017 at 4:09 PM, janetjanet998 said:

you can also see in the video above they are clearing trees along the emergency spillway....yesterday they said they thought this area was bedrock but obviously its not ....just loose red dirt

l

 

 

 

 

 

oops...

There was almost an info blackout yesterday.....no official  video or live shots of the emergency spillway...but i saw on youtube a shot from a distance and noticed the road that goes to the boatramp completely eroded away...and it was undercutting bad...but then at the press conference in the afternoon they said "mininmal" erosion and Im like WTF?

the good news is that 100,000 continue to spill of of the controlled spillway ehich means it must not be doing any more great damage at those rates

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...