A temporary section of the new Lake Oroville main spillway project fell over last week after two iron braces failed to hold it in place. But the Department of Water Resources says the spillway was not damaged.
The section was a grid made of rebar that was to be used as a guide when pouring concrete. Tony Meyers, the project manager for the Department of Water Resources, says the weight of the grid caused the telescoping braces to bend and fail.
"The braces were engineered by a registered engineer. They're all good,” he said.
But he added that there was “one caveat”: “The manufacturer's specifications that if the braces, if they are extended past 30 feet, need to have a secondary brace on them.”
The wall was higher than 30 feet, however, and the braces did not have a secondary brace to support them.
Meyers says the structure took about 10 seconds to fall and people working nearby were able to move to safety. No one was injured.
DWR says it chose to disclose the incident in the interest of the public receiving accurate information.
Crews are working to replace the top section of spillway after completing the bottom two sections last year. This incident has not delayed construction.
Water breached the ground beneath the main spillway in February 2016. After DWR stopped releasing water from the lake, it over-topped the emergency spillway, which caused the evacuation of about 180,000 people downstream.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today