Water Flowing Over Emergency Spillway at Tallest US Dam
Water started flowing over an emergency spillway at the nation's tallest dam, on Lake Oroville, for the first time Saturday after erosion damaged the Northern California dam's main spillway.
Officials hoped to avoid using Oroville Dam's emergency spillway, fearing it could cause trees to fall and leave debris cascading into water that rushes through the Feather River, into the Sacramento River and on to the San Francisco Bay. Crews prepared for several days, clearing trees and brush.
Water began running over the emergency spillway around 8 a.m., according to California's Department of Water Resources. It was the first time the emergency spillway has been used in the reservoir's nearly 50-year history.
Water was expected to continuing flowing over the emergency spillway for 38 to 56 hours, agency spokesman Eric See said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. In addition to the emergency spillway, water is also flowing through the main spillway that was significantly damaged from erosion, he said.
Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/water-flowing-emergency-spillway-tallest-us-dam-45426912
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Mere inches away from the water at Lake Berryessa’s Monticello Dam reaching the Glory Hole spillway for the first time since 2006, locals flocked to the site Friday for the opportunity to witness the momentous occasion.
It is a spectacular sight to behold when it does go!
That is, once they muck it out
Totally off topic: John Fogerty used to summer on Putah Creek at Cody's Resort below the dam, the inspiration for the song Green River
I mean, what about Hoover Dam?
Hoover dam looks really, really high because it's so narrow. Oroville dam is huge, but rather uninspiring to look at.
Note: The spillway having all the problems is at the far left, and not even part of the dam (The emergency spillway is even farther to the left, out of view).
Thanks for the photo and explanation. 
