Hi Jeff...
The hillside damage on both sides of the spillway is catastrophic.
From what I can see of the backwash going toward the dam, my guess is
that the powerhouse is going to be out of commission for a long time.
This is truly an ongoing financial and ecological disaster of the first
degree. More rain is on the way in a few days and there is
no slack left to take it up.
The continuing erosion is raising the entire bed of the river between
the spillway and the lower diversion dam a couple miles down river.
A fine kettle of fish, to say the least.
Knowing what I do about construction, I am not convinced that the spillway
can be re-built before next winter. Even if it is, the concrete will still
be too green to withstand a serious release event.
The only options available for next winter are all unpleasant. The
best bet is to get the tunnel at the base of the dam open again and drain
the lake as much as possible all summer. This event is going to
seriously impact water deliveries over the foreseeable future and is going
to make for an interesting year or two at best. The long term environmental
damage to the river and the environs around the dam is already off the
charts.
Water From Destroyed Spillway Roars Around Eroded, Exposed Granite
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