Originally Posted by tndrbstr
Originally Posted by Snake River Marksman
It doesn't appear as though the spillway is part of the actual dam itself but is instead part of the surrounding landscape?

[Linked Image]


Originally Posted by irfubar
Snakeriver,
Correct the spillways are on an adjacent ridge, separate from the dam.


And for good reason. As bad as the damage looks to the primary spill way there is no threat from it to the main dam structure.
I have seen another image that shows an emergency spill way to the left of the damaged one. Over nothing but raw terrain. That seems to be a Hail Mary situation to save the main dam structure. There is a lot of stuff we can control at this point, but how much water ends up coming down that water shed is NOT one of them.


The geometry I'm seeing, and the repeated call out of "30 feet" indicates that that spill wall over the un clad "ridge" is 30 feet in height, and the sucker sure looks like it could blow out.

Hope not.

ALL predicated on the two OTHER routes of drainage being able to carry the high volume runoff anticipated.

GTC

Member, Clan of the Border Rats
-- “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”- Mark Twain