In California water news today, Oroville Dam releases increase ahead of heavy rains; Oroville Dam is about to face its next big test as new storm moves into the area; Damage to Oroville’s main spillway ‘was an accident waiting to happen’; Disturbing deficiencies seen in California’s dam safety efforts; ‘Flood fighting is in our DNA’: To live by the Feather River is to know its power and danger; Central Valley urged to be ready to evacuate quickly as another storm approaches; Will Don Pedro spill? Turlock Irrigation District warns this storm could make it happen; Specter of ’97 flood looms large near Tuolumne River as residents brace for new storm; Flood fears renewed as California braces for another storm; Californians jeer state’s decision to extend drought restrictions; and more …
In dam news today …
Oroville Dam releases increase ahead of heavy rains: “The water elevation at Lake Oroville continued to drop Sunday, nearing the state Department of Water Resources’ goal of being 50 feet down despite bouts of wet weather that have flooded highways and roads throughout the north state. As of Sunday afternoon, the elevation of the reservoir’s surface was 851 feet, which was down about 50 feet since water began flowing over the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam Feb. 11. Water releases down the damaged main spillway were measured at 60,000 cubic-feet per second, with inflow into the lake measured at 36,000 cfs. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Oroville Dam releases increase ahead of heavy rains
Oroville Dam is about to face its next big test as new storm moves into the area: “Engineers and construction crews worked furiously to fortify the Oroville Dam’s damaged spillways and crippled power plant on Sunday as forecasters warned that more heavy rain and possible flooding throughout Northern California were on the way. By Sunday afternoon, the California Department of Water Resources had released enough water from the Oroville reservoir to lower its elevation to 852 feet, creating enough room to absorb runoff from incoming storms — including one due to arrive Sunday night that could dump as much as 5 inches of rain on the site by Tuesday. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Oroville Dam is about to face its next big test as new storm moves into the area
In other news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
Disturbing deficiencies seen in California’s dam safety efforts: “The dam burst on a warm afternoon, unleashing nearly 300 million gallons of muddy water on a Los Angeles neighborhood. Five people died and dozens of homes were swept off their foundations and destroyed. In the aftermath of the 1963 Baldwin Hills Dam catastrophe, the state strengthened inspection regulations, helping establish California as a modern leader in dam safety. That reputation was called into question last week, however, as two spillways at the towering Oroville Dam north of Sacramento began to crumble in the wake of heavy rains and snowmelt, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate. Though the dam — the tallest in the nation at about 770 feet — had been regularly inspected and cleared as safe, both spillways eroded when carrying relatively small amounts of water. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Disturbing deficiencies seen in California’s dam safety efforts
‘Flood fighting is in our DNA’: To live by the Feather River is to know its power and danger: “The early settlers snatched up the rich, loamy land along the Feather River to grow grapes and orchards. Edward Mathews, an Irishman who fled the potato famine, was peddling vegetables and didn’t have the cash for that kind of soil. During heavy rains, the Yuba River would flow so hard into the Feather at Marysville, it pushed the Feather back north into Jack Slough, named for a freed slave who in 1861 sold Mathews 200 acres of its poor red soil. On that backwashed clay, the Mathews clan would scratch out a living grazing livestock. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: ‘Flood fighting is in our DNA’: To live by the Feather River is to know its power and danger
Central Valley urged to be ready to evacuate quickly as another storm approaches: “Forecasters with the National Weather Service offered a stark warning Sunday for just about everyone living in the soggy, soaked Central Valley. “Pretty much anybody needs to be prepared for the possibility that they may have to evacuate quickly,” said Sacramento meteorologist Brooke Bingaman. Though most of the Valley had avoided further flooding by Sunday evening, the worst may be yet to come Monday and Tuesday, Bingaman said. On Sunday, the weather service issued a flood warning in urban areas and along small streams through Thursday for the counties that make up the Sacramento and northern San Joaquin valleys, as well as for most of the counties that sit along the valleys’ rim. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Central Valley urged to be ready to evacuate quickly as another storm approaches
Turlock Irrigation District preparing to open Don Pedro spillway as early as 3pm Monday: “The spillway gates at Don Pedro Reservoir could open as early as 3 p.m. Monday, but no earlier, authorities said. The Turlock Irrigation District made the declaration late Sunday night due to “volatile changes in forecasts for upcoming storms,” an agency press release stated. “Landowners, growers and those living along the Tuolumne River, out of an abundance of caution, should undertake necessary steps to protect their property and livestock as Tuolumne River levels will rise quickly,” the agency stated in an 11 p.m. press statement. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Turlock Irrigation District preparing to open Don Pedro spillway as early as 3pm Monday
Will Don Pedro spill? Turlock Irrigation District warns this storm could make it happen: “The big test is coming. California Conservation Corps crews were feverishly working Sunday to re-enforce the most vulnerable levees south of Manteca as the first rain from a powerful Pacific Storm started pelting Northern California. The San Joaquin River at a measuring station near Vernalis south of Manteca at the confluence of the Stanislaus River remained at “danger stage.” San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services spokesman Tim Daly told the Associated Press that means water levels keep approaching the top of levees. “When the water gets that high and more water is coming, there is just too much pressure and levees can break. They can be topped,” Daly said. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Will Don Pedro spill? Turlock Irrigation District warns this storm could make it happen
Specter of ’97 flood looms large near Tuolumne River as residents brace for new storm: “Elizabeth Herroz flips between two photos on her phone. One of her house in January 1997 and one today. Water inundates the single-story home just south of the Tuolumne River in the former, and in the latter it is dry with gray clouds overhead. “Right now the water down the street is really, really high. My son-in-law was raised in the house we are in. And they had to move in ’97 because the water was 4 feet in the house,” she said. “So we aren’t taking any chances. We don’t want our stuff to get wet. We’re pulling out tonight.” … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Specter of ’97 flood looms large near Tuolumne River as residents brace for new storm
Flood fears renewed as California braces for another storm: “Some Northern California residents are preparing for another powerful Pacific storm by patrolling levees for signs of danger, reviewing evacuation plans and filling hundreds of sand bags. One resident near Tracy, which is 80 miles east of San Francisco, said that though the levees appear in good shape, they decided take charge after the San Joaquin River started rising. “We have a levee response team, a sand bagging team, teams to check on what walkers checking on the levees find,” said San Joaquin River Club resident Paula Martin, who is helping coordinate emergency plans for the private neighborhood of 800 homes. … ” Read more from US News and World Report here: Flood fears renewed as California braces for another storm
Californians jeer state’s decision to extend drought restrictions: “California’s decision to extend drought restrictions despite historic rain and snow has met with splashback from some waterlogged residents. The State Water Resources Control Board voted to keep the cutbacks in place at its Feb. 8 meeting, much to the shock of Californians grappling with flooding, mudslides, flash floods, sinkholes and torrential downpours. “I’m imagining they announced this while using their snorkels,” cracked Mark Larson, talk-show radio host at KCBQ-AM in San Diego. Republican state Sen. Ted Gaines said residents need a “sanctuary from unelected bureaucrats who won’t call off the drought when people are all but having to canoe to work because of the rain.” … ” Read more from the Washington Times here: Californians jeer state’s decision to extend drought restrictions
Flooding, feet of snow, and high winds to batter Northern California into Tuesday: “Heavy rain, mountain snow and high winds will pound the northwestern United States early this week, with the most significant impacts targeting Northern California. Storms have resumed their track across the region following a brief break from heavy precipitation to start the weekend. A widespread 2 to 6 inches of rain can fall across the San Francisco Bay region and part of the Sacramento Valley through Tuesday. However, local amounts topping 8 inches are possible, including over the Santa Cruz Mountains and over the Feather River Basin. “While the storms will bring the risk of mudslides and avalanches, the greatest threat to lives and property will be from flooding,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. ... ” Read more from Accu-Weather here: Flooding, feet of snow, and high winds to batter Northern California into Tuesday
In commentary today …
George Skelton: Does California really need more dams? We’re running out of places to put them: “You hear this every time there’s a drought or deluge in California: “Why haven’t they built more dams?” Truth is, they’ve built a bunch. And they’re about done with it. Tally them up. There are more than 1,400 dams in the state. At least 1,000 are major and 55 can hold 100,000 acre-feet or more of water. One acre-foot is enough to supply two average households for a year. There are 36 reservoirs that can contain at least 200,000 acre-feet. Eleven can hold 1 million or more. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: George Skelton: Does California really need more dams? We’re running out of places to put them
Learning from Oroville: Water Board proposes climate change resolution: Juliet Christian-Smith writes, “Earlier this week, while areas downstream of Oroville Dam were still under an evacuation order, California’s State Water Resources Control Board released a draft resolution for a comprehensive response to climate change. It resolves that the agency will embed climate science into all its existing work, both to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and to build resilience to the impacts of climate change. In doing so, the state water board demonstrates how public agencies can respond more proactively to the challenges that global warming is bringing our way. … ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Learning from Oroville: Water Board proposes climate change resolution
Plenty more news and commentary in the weekend edition …
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- OROVILLE DAM, Monday am: Pictures and video from the weekend as work continues
- RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for February 20, 2017
- CALIFORNIA WEATHER BLOG: Potentially dangerous flood event this week across wide swath of Northern California
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About the Daily Digest: The Daily Digest is a collection of selected news articles, commentaries and editorials appearing in the mainstream press. Items are generally selected to follow the focus of the Notebook blog. The Daily Digest is published every weekday with a weekend edition posting on Sundays.
