What a spillway failure would mean downstream

O.
YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL
OF THIS, BUT GIVE US YOUR
PERSPECTIVE FOR --.
MARK: WE WERE SEEING THIS
YESTERDAY, AND THE DIFFERENCE IS
AMAZING.
WHILE THAT IS UNSETTLING TO SEE
THAT AMOUNT OF WATER COME DOWN,
IT IS TIME TO TALK ABOUT FOSS
ABILITIES DOWNSTREAM AND WHO
NEEDS TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS.
HERE IS THE RIVER DOWN OROVILLE.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AREAS NEAR
HIGHWAY 70.
ALL OF THIS BETWEEN HIGHWAY 70
AND HIGHWAY 99, INCLUDING THE
TOWN OF BIGS, A RELATIVELY SMALL
TOWN, BUT YOU COULD BE IMPACTED
BY IT AS WELL.
ITS THERE IS A RISE ON THE RIVER
OF AT LEAST A FEW FEET.
DIRK AND I WERE CHECKING THE
OUTFLOW OUT OF OROVILLE, WOUND
100,000 CFS, EARLIER IT WAS
AROUND 60,000, SO THAT IS AN
INCREASE ON THE RIVER.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND 100,000
IS A MANAGEABLE AMOUNT OF WATER
COMING OUT.
THE CHANNEL CAPACITY HERE IS
210,000.
I KNOW WE CAN GET BOGGED DOWN
WITH WHAT THAT MEANS AND HOW
MUCH GALLONS, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT
THE NUMBER, IF IT IS 100,000,
AND THE RIVER CAN HANDLE
210,000, YOU GET THE IDEA IT IS
MANAGEABLE.
WE ARE GOING TO SEE A RISE.
THE FEAR IS THERE IS A FAILURE
OF THE EMERGENCY SPILLWAY, AS WE
HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
INSTEAD OF 100,000, THAT WOULD
GO UP SHARPLY, THAT WOULD BE THE
FEAR.
THAT IS WHY THE EVACUATION
ORDERED -- ORDERS HAVE BEEN
ISSUED.
SO THAT IS MANAGEABLE, BUT IF IT
IS OVER 160,000, THERE IS A
RAPID RISE ON THE RIVER.
NOT ONLY COULD THAT REACH
CHANNEL CAPACITY, BUT IF IT
DOESN'T, WE CAN ALSO SEE
PRESSURE ON THE LEVEES WE HAVE
NOT SEEN IN YEARS.
ALONG THE RIVER IN 1997 WHEN
THEY HAD TO RELEASE A LOT OF
WATER IN THAT EVENT, WE SAW A
FLOW OF 160,000.
CHANNEL CAPACITY, 210,000, THEY
PUT OUT 160,000, MANAGEABLE
AMOUNT.
BUT BACK THEN, OROVILLE WAS
EVACUATED BECAUSE OF THE FEAR OF
LEVEE FAILURE.
THAT MAY BE PART OF THE ISSUE
HERE, THAT HIGHER FLOW COULD PUT
PRESSURE ON THE LEVEES DOWN TO
GRIDLEY.
A LOT OF YOU IN SACRAMENTO MAY
BE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AMOUNT,
BUT KEEP IN MIND EVEN IF THERE
IS A MUCH LARGER AMOUNT THAN
100,000 CFS COMING DOWN HERE,
BEFORE THAT WOULD GET TO
SACRAMENTO, IT WOULD BE DIVERTED
INTO THE BYPASS AT THE THREE
MOUNT WHERE -- THREE MOUNT --
FREMONT WEIR.
THAT IS A BRIDGE WE WILL GET TO
IF SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS.
BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU IN
SACRAMENTO, I WOULD NOT BE
CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.
THERE
IS 100,000 COMING DOWN
HERE, THAT IS MANAGEABLE.
IF THERE IS A FAILURE OF THE
DAM, WE WILL SEE THE NUMBERS
SPIKE, AND THAT IS THE FEAR.
FOR THOSE OF YOU BETWEEN HIGHWAY
70 AND 99, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE
THAT NEED TO TAKE PRECAUTION OR
EVACUATE.
THAT GIVES YOU A BETTER IDEA OF
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE, BUT WE DO
HAVE TO WATCH THIS VERY CLOSELY

What a spillway failure would mean downstream

Latest Posts