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Lake Oroville

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/13/2017 : 06:09:19

Don't we have some that sail on this lake? Oroville Tim?

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2017 : 13:18:59

quote:
Originally posted by islander

Don't we have some that sail on this lake? Oroville Tim?

Yeah, that's him. I was wondering about his boat today too after seeing the news about Lake Oroville.

Tim, how's it going over there?

Seth
"Outlier" 1987 Catalina 25 SR/SK/Traditional Interior #5541
"Zoo" 1977 Morgan Out Island 30
"Nomad" 1980 Prindle 16
"Lost" 1988 Catalina Capri 14.2 (sold - yay!)
"Marine Tex 1" Unknown Origin POS 8' Fiberglass Dinghy
https://whichsailboat.com/2014/07/27/catalina-25-review/

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5377 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2017 : 17:49:10

I think I misunderstood the issue. Last year California was literally drying up and groundwater levels were dropping by 100s of feet each month. Then the winter storms commenced, and you know what they say: every drought is broken by a flood.
Now the lake behind Oroville Dam is full. The Army Corps of Engineers have designed most Impound reservoirs with large earthen and concrete dams - sometimes one often several - depending on terrain.
I assume this dam is one such dam which is functioning correctly: once the water level exceeds the top of the dam, it spills over the top into the spillway and runs off into a dry riverbed.
The problem, apparently is that the water was eroding the watercourse. The worry seemed to be that the erosion would undermine the dam itself. Taking an abundance of caution the local civil authorities ordered the evacuation of citizens living downstream from the dam.
If the dam burst (as Billy Crystal said in City Slickers "there's gonna be bursting?!?!") then all bets are off. It'll be a catastrophe. If not, then lake levels will be very high - probably exceeding the level of any fixed docks while floating docks might be okay.
I think we all hope that the civil authorities find a quick and effective solution to the problem. If that happens then life will go on for a lot of folks.
Bigger picture: there are defective dams all over the U.S. Many have outlived their usefulness and should be demolished. Problem is that most of them have been abandoned and go unmaintained. There are no funds to pay for removal so many citizens unwittingly live in the path of catastrophe.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2017 : 21:28:54

I'm afraid the boat isn't the issue--the town is. Apparently they have until Wed. to drop the lake level enough to do a makeshift repair to a spillway before the next storm arrives. Failing that, there's a good chance the whole thing blows and the town of Oroville (evacuated) could be like Johnstown, Tenn. And then there's Yuba City and others downstream... If boats end up in the mud above the dam, that will be forgotten compared to the devastation below it. They don't expect to be able to do the real repair until summer when they can drop the level much further.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 02/14/2017 06:54:35

oldengineer1949
1st Mate

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USA
75 Posts

Response Posted - 02/14/2017 : 08:32:17

History Nazi here ... Dave, apologies but it was Johnstown, Pennsylvania (I grew up just outside of Philadelphia). However, in any case it was a tragic event, and hopefully the folks in California can stave off this potential disaster.

Al and Bernadette, "Pualani Nui", '82 C25 SR/SK, homeport MCB Quantico

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 02/14/2017 : 23:21:17

quote:
Originally posted by oldengineer1949

History Nazi here ... Dave, apologies but it was Johnstown, Pennsylvania...

Brain fart--I knew that. I don't even know why I wrote Tenn. Anyway, when we mess with nature on a very large scale, we'd better be very careful! (In this case, warnings were ignored.)

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5377 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2017 : 11:31:33

I watched the incredible efforts the water commission was mounting on bringing in giant concrete blocks by copter and monster truck, repairing the base layer of earth under the dam and drawing down the lake level. Seems as if the authorities are attempting to stabilize the situation.
The oncoming rain storms are definitely bad news but I wonder what the effect of any sudden seismic activity would be? Downright biblical I'd reckon.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1778 Posts

Response Posted - 02/18/2017 : 13:48:54

Just returned from CA and Oroville is quite the conversation for locals and visitors alike, but the authorities are, IMHO, way over confident in it's ability to hold. As I understand it, the water level had dropped during the draught so low that most recreational activity was not possible and no water was touching most of the dam, hence, the soil has become brittle. Come the rains and structural issues are magnified. Anyway, this week's storm is more intense in SoCal but it's still raining a lot near Oroville. They keep releasing water from lake but that appears to be causing flood problems in itself. Locals are advising friends in the area to get out -- I just hope they do as this looks like it is going to be a mess regardless.

Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 02/18/2017 : 19:53:03

Earthquakes, mudslides, floods, wildfires... I've been there a lot, but I've always had some concerns about California. My northeast location is fairly seasonal (not like MN), has winter ice/snow events and some power outages, and is subject to a hurricane every 50 years or so, but the earth, ground, and vegetation on it basically stay where they're supposed to be, and neighborhoods don't wash or burn away. (Nor do twisters wreck us, as in the Great Plains.)

Hope things are "stable" for our friends (and everyone else) in California!

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

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