Video: See gorgeous views of Oroville and Folsom dams releasing water
Video shows recent water releases at Oroville and Folsom dams as officials open the spillways for flood control purposes.
The Oroville dam release of March 10, 2023, came as a series of storms increased the facility’s water elevation to 840 feet, 60 feet shy of its maximum.
That dam was the center of a 2017 crisis when torrential rainfall damaged the main spillway. Extensive repairs followed.
The Oroville dam footage shows the spillway flowing at 15,000 cubic feet per second, fairly small compared to its capability of 270,000 cubic feet per second.
Meanwhile, the Folsom dam released up to 30,000 cubic feet per second of water on March 10-11, 2023. Folsom Lake is fed by the American River.
The dams are operated by the Department of Water Resources.
This story was originally published March 14, 2023 at 9:46 AM.
