Archival footage of California Gov. Ronald Reagan at the formal dedication of the Oroville Dam on May 4, 1968:
Of note, construction of the dam began in 1961 under Gov. Pat Brown, father of California’s current governor, Jerry Brown.
From the Archive: A look back at Oroville Dam’s construction. https://t.co/6Bbpa9AXs0 pic.twitter.com/jOmFqTKBhX
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) February 14, 2017
Gov. Brown has requested the assistance of the federal government to deal with the ongoing crisis as crews work to shore up the structure ahead of upcoming storms:
24/7 – crews working hard to get ahead of the incoming storm this week. #OrovilleDam @CBSSacramento @GoodDaySac pic.twitter.com/LwvUnPKkFW
— Sean Bennett (@tvseanb) February 14, 2017
And they're off: two helicopters taking turns grabbing concrete blocks and bags of rocks and dirt, placing them at #OrovilleDam spillway. pic.twitter.com/7TSXUwFrEs
— Jonathan Bloom (@BloomTV) February 14, 2017
Helicopters brought in to help stem the Oroville Dam spill https://t.co/f2joPouogr pic.twitter.com/aIeBUHQZb2
— Ruptly (@Ruptly) February 14, 2017
.@knxbaird in #Oroville: Crews are scrambling to repair the damaged spillway at the #OrovilleDam before the rain rolls in pic.twitter.com/CLWWOHzlfY
— KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO (@KNX1070) February 14, 2017
So, will dropping bags of rocks into the holes work? Peter Gleick, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Science, says nope:
I'm glad they're placing rock to shore up Oroville emergency spillway but if water overtops it again, they'll do fuck all. (Technical term.) https://t.co/8qnD6tt9FD
— Peter Gleick (@PeterGleick) February 14, 2017
Gulp.
Currently, the water level behind the dam is 15 feet lower than it was on Sunday when the emergency spillway started to erode, leading to fears that part of the dam could collapse and flood low-lying areas:
Levels at #Oroville Dam nearly 15 ft lower than Sunday's peak. Showers due in Wed, possible 6hr period of heavier rain Thurs AM, drier PM pic.twitter.com/24YwLnLBAo
— Rob Mayeda (@RobMayeda) February 14, 2017
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Related:
UPDATES on the potential failure of a spillway at the Oroville Dam in Calif. [photos, video, livestream] https://t.co/1SlDREG6Ht
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 13, 2017
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