Crews Readying For Wet Weather At Damaged Oroville Dam Spillway

OROVILLE (CBS13) — It's around-the-clock work for crews in Oroville working to secure the emergency spillway ahead of a series of storms.

"We want to make sure before this next system comes in, we get as much work done as possible," said Chris Orrock of the California Department of Water Resources.

About 125 construction crews are out placing 1,200 tons of material on the spillway per hour, all in an effort to strengthen the structure before it rains.

"We have crews out there putting giant boulders into some of the erosion spots, putting aggregate and then filling that with slurry so that it stops the erosion," said Orrock.

Earlier in the day, helicopters dropped bags of gravel on erosion points.

Officials continue to release water from the reservoir at 100,000 cubic feet per second. By Wednesday night the lake level fell an additional 5 feet and is now 26 feet below the emergency spillway.

There are signs of some progress, but certainly, we're not out of the danger zone yet. High winds can slow down efforts.

"If the wind gets too much and we can't keep a helicopter out there, then we will put them on the ground until we can fly again," said Orrock.

And while the Department of Water Resources says they're not too concerned about the next couple of storms, many residents remain concerned about their safety.

Jane Starling of Oroville says, "With the rains coming in, I think we're still in trouble."

"I believe they're not letting enough water out, to accommodate the storms that are coming in," says Jon Hoffman.

Meanwhile, the Butte County Sheriff's Office is reminding everyone that we're still in a state of emergency, and it's important to stay vigilant.