Oroville, CA - possible dam failure, up to 100K "bugging out"

[Captain O]

The Carter years were a joy.
Gas rationing didn't bring out the best in people.

View attachment 342970

I was there.

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

I was there.

So was I. Could only buy gas every other day in Oregon, if they had any. It didn't help matters any after waiting in line to buy gas you got near the gas pump only to find out they had run out. A lot of water and crap in the gas because the storage tanks were run so low and not topped off. Ah, the bad old days.

 

[Ura-Ki]

 

[Flopsweat]

If this turns into an Incompetence in Government thread, it's going to run another 100 posts.

 

[Diamondback]

If this turns into an Incompetence in Government thread, it's going to run another 100 posts.

ONLY another hundred? lol

 

[Flopsweat]

ONLY another hundred? lol

LOL, should have gone with "at least".

 

[ATCclears]

If I had to bet, I'd bet against the dam surviving on or before the end of next week.

Super-soaker: Atmospheric River taking aim on beleaguered #OrovilleDam

 

[Caveman Jim]

My neighbors have house in AZ and WA and every year they leave AZ and take there small trailer and travel two or three weeks or more and take the long way or what ever and end up in ANACORTES WA for the summer for 3 or 4 months then they leave and take another few weeks driving a different route but end up in AZ for the winter LOL MUST BE NICE

Snowbirding is a lifestyle for the old and adventurous. I have kicked this around but it always gets the "we can't afford two houses" nix....

 

[Caveman Jim]

This is true then there is snoqumie pass I90 here in WA it's not a disaster but they have been working on this part of I90 for as long as I can remember and have only made it worse every winter there are avalanche that close the road for day 's at a time this year has been very bad so far they been lucky that nobody has been killed in the snow mess they have created

Ya see, here is the methodology that TPTB use to plan for improvement. There had to be a certain number of deaths that happen before they decide Yep we are now forced to fix it....
Hwy 8 in McCleary is the perfect example of this GOV action.
I'll try & find it later.

 

[Brutus57]

This is fake news...The date stamp says 2/16/2017......That's tomorrow.

Brutus Out

 

[Flopsweat]

If I had to bet, I'd bet against the dam surviving on or before the end of next week.

Super-soaker: Atmospheric River taking aim on beleaguered #OrovilleDam

It's not the only water problem in CA: Oroville Dam isn't the only piece of California flood infrastructure under strain

 

[CountryGent]

If this turns into an Incompetence in Government thread, it's going to run another 100 posts.

Indeed. I couldn't help but think of this quote:

"Arrogance, ignorance, and incompetence. Not a pretty cocktail of personality traits in the best of situations. No sirree. Not a pretty cocktail in an office-mate and not a pretty cocktail in a head of state. In fact, in a leader, it's a lethal cocktail." - Graydon Carter

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

Since the area was the first gold rich area tapped in California I would think that catastrophic flooding would likely unearth a lot of previously untouched gold deposits. Maybe enough new gold to pay for repairs and upgrades to the infrastructure if it happens, Think of it as natures mega hydraulic mining project. As much as I dislike California and love to make snide jokes and comments about it, I hope it doesn't happen.

 

[Brutus57]

Yeah, I live in Kali now. And folks seem to be really nice in northern Kali. I hope they can fix it but I am not counting on it. They've known for at least 12 years it's a disaster waiting to happen but liberal gubbermint has done squat.

Brutus Out

 

[Certaindeaf]

 

[CountryGent]

Yeah, I live in Kali now. And folks seem to be really nice in northern Kali. I hope they can fix it but I am not counting on it. They've known for at least 12 years it's a disaster waiting to happen but liberal gubbermint has done squat.

Brutus Out

I hear you; I've spent some time in Northern California and found the same. They are, generally, good folks there. The weather is very nice and some of the areas are absolutely breath-taking. Alas, it is under the insane legal system in Sacramento.

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[Provincial]

Surprising we put so much trust/reliance on the government to maintain our infrastructure, etc. Whether on the county, state or federal level, incompetence and flat out ignoring of problems seems to be common. Seems many government agencies would rather spend the $$ available on pet projects such as big art installations, rather than keep their constituents safe.

A few that come to mind, outside of this Oroville Dam issue:

* 2007 Collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis
* 2015 EPA release of toxic pollutants into waterways that affected Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and the Navajo Nation - EPA admitted they were at fault but claimed immunity from paying any damages
* 2014 - current Flint Michigan water crisis - lead poisoning - still not resolved
* 2013 I-5 bridge collapse near Mt Vernon, WA

Our infrastructure is failing at a rapid pace and it seems little is being done to prevent it. I know a guy that works for Clackamas County, part of the bridge crews that maintain the bridges all over the county. He has confided in me that they are in a generally sorry state of repair and all they are doing is minimal patching of bigger issues.

What bugs me the most is any time the politicians are pressed on these issues, they always cite lack of funds, yet their pet projects seem to be overflowing with all the money they need.

Bridges and Dams can't vote.

 

[nammac]

Bridges and Dams can't vote.

This is true, but what does it say about a populace that keeps voting the same incompetent lackies back in, term after term, after term...

That's just insanity...

 

[Provincial]

This is true, but what does it say about a populace that keeps voting the same incompetent lacked back in, term after term, after term...

That's just insanity...

My point exactly!

 

[tc556guy]

Most of Cali is engineered around "we'll fix it when we have too" and not prevention or mitigation. Having worked with FEMA, Cal OES and a turd-load of local agencies in the people's republic, they all used the same approach: It's too expensive to mitigate the risk so we'll wait till it fails and get Fed Funds to do it over again.

And on cue, Governor Moonbeam is asking for Federal funds to effect repairs....