[Photo CA DWP]
FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – California Department of Water Resources officials spoke at a press conference at noon on Wednesday, with the DWR Director Bill Kroyle saying the dam structure is “safe” and the spillway “has been stable for a number of days.”
Officials updated the situation at the Orville Dam saying they’ll be able to control the water flow even with more storms in the forecast, this week.
[Photo CA DWP]
“We’ll continue to manage the reservoir releases, as we look at these storms coming in we are feeling very good about the reservoir conditions, and in fact, as long as the weather kinda plays somewhere along the way it’s forecasted, we are looking actually at reducing the amount of water being discharged through the flood control spillway or some are calling it the main spillway. – DWR Director Bill Kroyle.
[Photo CA DWP]
150 National Guard Members are in the region to be used however DWR officials see fit.
Butte County Sheriff Korey Honea says even with the positive developments, it’s still considered an emergency situation.
“It’s important for people to be prepared. This is an opportunity for them to get things together so that if the risk level increases and there’s a need for us to issue an evacuation order they will have the things they need and they will be able to do that quickly and efficiently.” -Butte County Sheriff Korey Honea.
Helicopter work will continue as preventative action and they will continue evaluating the runoff, and how to manage it at the reservoir.
Starting Wednesday afternoon, Kroyle says the DWR will be taking lessons learned from this situation and incorporating them into their contingency planning for the future.
Click below to listen to the report from KMJ’s Liz Kern:
