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February 16, 2017

Were old cracks repaired properly at California dam?

  • Federal regulators say independent consultants must assess what went wrong and recommend long-term fixes.
    • By JUSTIN PRITCHARD and ELLEN KNICKMEYER
    Associated Press

    Six months before rushing water ripped a huge hole in a channel that drains a Northern California reservoir, state inspectors said the concrete spillway was sound. As officials puzzle through how to repair it, federal regulators have ordered the state to figure out what went wrong at Oroville Dam.

    Earlier inspection reports offer potential clues, including cracks on the spillway surface that could either be cosmetic or indicate deeper problems. In recent years, construction crews patched cracks — including in the area where water burrowed a huge pit last week. If past repairs were not done properly, water could infiltrate and eventually tear through the concrete.


     
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