Independent research and analysis of California's developed water systems
Risk Management Solutions estimated there is $21.8 billion in damageable property in the Oroville Dam inundation path. Dam inundation is not covered by standard insurance policies... areas with no flood insurance would include most cities.
Safety reviews of Oroville Dam's emergency spillway relied on two unpublished studies by the Department of Water Resources' Division of Engineering.
San Luis Dam is known to need an operating restriction of at least 50 feet to be within Reclamation's Dam Safety Public Protection Guidelines. However, because the dam is operated by the California Department of Water Resources, there appears to have been no formal consideration of an interim operating restriction to protect lives and property. The reservoir is full and is currently endangering over 200,000 people.
The Brown administration has requested the cancellation of two hearings by the state Senate since the Oroville spillway crisis began. The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee scheduled a joint hearing with the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management on "The Incident at Oroville Dam: What Happened and What Happens Next" on February 28, 2017. … Continue reading Brown administration cancels state Senate hearings on Oroville, WaterFix