A dam that nearly burst, a needed pipeline shunted aside in a cynical political move, a poorly managed construction project. From DWR to DEC, only bumbling.

Outside of California, very few people probably saw the report released last week from the independent commission investigating the near-destruction of the Oroville Dam north of Sacramento. It didn’t generate much national press. This report, however, may be one of the most important analyses done in the last generation describing our country’s infrastructure problems. For those involved in the shale industry, it also shows the fallacy of believing that more governmental involvement in our natural resources translates into better results for our citizenry.

The Oroville Dam is the nation’s tallest. During the prodigious rains that struck California last year, the dam structure nearly buckled. By February 7, a giant crater appeared in its main spillway. Officials at the California Department of Water Resources, which built, owns and operates the dam, faced a choice of either i) continuing to let water run down the damaged spillway, or ii) restricting water flow over the main spillway and forcing water to flow over the emergency spillway, which never had been tested before.

Read more:

http://naturalgasnow.org/californias-dwr-cuomos-dec-incompetence-reigns/