SacramentoMike
Not Safe For Work
First of all, don't believe "It Never Rains in California." Lately, it does. A lot. Right here, for example, we're over double the average rainfall accumulation for this date--and already well over the average for the full rain season, which runs through June. And it's still raining now. I'm hoping it lets up tomorrow, cuz I'm planning to ride up to Lake Oroville, the second biggest reservoir in the state by volume, with the highest dam in the U.S.
There's a concrete spillway so they can let lots of water out in an emergency, and baby, they've got an emergency right now. A couple days ago, a hole 185 x 250 feet, and 45 feet deep, appeared in the face of the spillway. It's now grown to at least twice that size, and is eroding dirt on the sides of the spillway at a scary pace. They have no choice but to release water--a LOT of water, because the reservoir is within a couple percent of completely full, at which point it will run over the TOP of the spillway, completely unrestrained. They are saying the dam isn't threatened by this, but it still looks awful scary.
So I'll take a ride--about 75 miles--and try to get a look at it. It's definitely a rare sight. I'll take some pics, but here's a link to what it was doing today. BTW, the spillway is 1700' long, so the hole didn't look all THAT big in the first pics that came out, but check the two workers in yellow rain gear way over on the right, below. And of course all that bare dirt is new erosion.
By the way, in the spirit of Old Michael--and whatever happened to him?--I'll check in the morning in case anybody feels like riding up there with me. I don't leave early. Ever. By 10 a.m. or so?
There's a concrete spillway so they can let lots of water out in an emergency, and baby, they've got an emergency right now. A couple days ago, a hole 185 x 250 feet, and 45 feet deep, appeared in the face of the spillway. It's now grown to at least twice that size, and is eroding dirt on the sides of the spillway at a scary pace. They have no choice but to release water--a LOT of water, because the reservoir is within a couple percent of completely full, at which point it will run over the TOP of the spillway, completely unrestrained. They are saying the dam isn't threatened by this, but it still looks awful scary.
So I'll take a ride--about 75 miles--and try to get a look at it. It's definitely a rare sight. I'll take some pics, but here's a link to what it was doing today. BTW, the spillway is 1700' long, so the hole didn't look all THAT big in the first pics that came out, but check the two workers in yellow rain gear way over on the right, below. And of course all that bare dirt is new erosion.
By the way, in the spirit of Old Michael--and whatever happened to him?--I'll check in the morning in case anybody feels like riding up there with me. I don't leave early. Ever. By 10 a.m. or so?
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