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Officials Say Repaired Oroville Dam Spillway Ready For Test

State water officials are ready to release water from Oroville Dam via the new main spillway this week. It will be the first test of the flood-control spillway at the nation's tallest dam since it was rebuilt after crumbling during heavy rains in February o 2017. The loss of that spillway caused concern that dam might partially fail and forced the evacuation of nearly 200,000 who live downstream.

Even though the it held, the Oroville Dam eventually needed $1.1 billion in repairs.

The Department of Water Resources said last weekend that the spillway is now restored to its "full functionality."

The water released down the spillway will be limited, as DWR officials plan to allow no more than 20,000 cubic feet per second during expected rains on Tuesday. DWR says triple that amount could be released later in the week as more water flows into Lake Oroville.

The lake level has risen to about 50 feet (15 meters) from the top.


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