Oroville Dam's Spillway Has Cracks: KQED

OROVILLE, CA -- There are apparently cracks in the Oroville Dam spillway. KQED reported this week that federal regulators asked state officials to cracks on the California dam's new concrete spillway.

"Federal regulators have asked the officials who operate Oroville Dam — and who are in charge of the $500 million-plus effort to rebuild and reinforce the facility’s compromised spillways — to explain small cracks that have appeared in recently rebuilt sections of the dam’s massive concrete flood-control chute," the NPR-affiliated station reported.

However, in response to the inquiry from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, California's Department of Water Resources said the cracks were "anticipated."

"The letter said the agency found 'the hairline cracks are a result of some of the design elements included to restrain the slabs and produce a robust and durable structure,'" KQED reported, adding that it "is not expected to affect the integrity of the slabs.”

Earlier this year, 200,000 people were evacuated from their homes because of damages at the spillway at Oroville Dam.

Photo credit: California Department of Water Resources

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