4 ms·

This is my understanding: the regular spillway suffered damage while it was being used, and had to be shut off. I don't think it's clear whether that was due to

This is my understanding: the regular spillway suffered damage while it was being used, and had to be shut off. I don't think it's clear whether that was due to some kind of oversight or it "just happened". If the damage had not occurred, everything would've been fine, but it forced the use of the earthen emergency spillway, which eroded faster than anticipated. There had been calls to upgrade the emergency spillway to concrete, but these were not pursued for reasons of cost. So it was a combination of unexpected damage to the regular spillway and inadequate construction for the emergency one.

Moru 10y ago
There is often the case of why was there so much water in the first place. I dont know much about this dam but here in Sweden the companies running water dams have been known to save up too much water in expectation of better prices. This leads to emergency dumping of water if it rains too much and the downstream areas gets flooded. Not this badly but a few houses gets water in the basement sort of flooding. Dont underestimate water and human greed.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- ktRolster 10y ago
  In California, sometimes they save up too much water, but it's because rain patterns are hugely variable. They don't know if the next big rainstorm will be next year or next month. So sometimes they get it wrong, but better to have too much water than too little.
  - tqkxzugoaupvwqr 10y ago
    But if you save too much and your dam erodes, you get neither. No storage for droughts, and no storage to dampen increased rainfall.
  - Moru 10y ago
    Too little water means no power, too much water can cause what we saw here and worse things downstreams.
dredmorbius 10y ago
There was previously observed damage to the primary spillway noted in 2005. A $100m repair was requested of state and federal (FERC) authorities, during the GOP-lead Bush and Schwarzenneger (national and state) administrations, but was rejected. Present damages now exceed $100m, and repairs are likely to be several times the initial estimates.
- CodeWriter23 10y ago
  So Brown and the CA Democrats are off the hook for ignoring a $100M repair, because Ahnold didn't fix it? IMO that makes them both the same. Actually, it makes the current administration worse because the increase in damage happened on their watch.
  - dredmorbius 10y ago
    http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/charity.html http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/charity.html

Moru 10y ago

There is often the case of why was there so much water in the first place. I dont know much about this dam but here in Sweden the companies running water dams have been known to save up too much water in expectation of better prices. This leads to emergency dumping of water if it rains too much and the downstream areas gets flooded. Not this badly but a few houses gets water in the basement sort of flooding. Dont underestimate water and human greed.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
ktRolster 10y ago
In California, sometimes they save up too much water, but it's because rain patterns are hugely variable. They don't know if the next big rainstorm will be next year or next month. So sometimes they get it wrong, but better to have too much water than too little.
- tqkxzugoaupvwqr 10y ago
  But if you save too much and your dam erodes, you get neither. No storage for droughts, and no storage to dampen increased rainfall.
- Moru 10y ago
  Too little water means no power, too much water can cause what we saw here and worse things downstreams.

dredmorbius 10y ago

There was previously observed damage to the primary spillway noted in 2005. A $100m repair was requested of state and federal (FERC) authorities, during the GOP-lead Bush and Schwarzenneger (national and state) administrations, but was rejected. Present damages now exceed $100m, and repairs are likely to be several times the initial estimates.

CodeWriter23 10y ago
So Brown and the CA Democrats are off the hook for ignoring a $100M repair, because Ahnold didn't fix it? IMO that makes them both the same. Actually, it makes the current administration worse because the increase in damage happened on their watch.
- dredmorbius 10y ago
  http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/charity.html http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/charity.html