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On Milliken Dam safety and the absence of pollywogs

Posted by: Maven on December 6, 2009 at 8:02 am

From the Napa Valley Register, this rebuttal to a recent commentary:

“The Your Turn opinion piece titled “Safety concern at Milliken Dam,” published Sunday, Nov. 29, was alarming but not factually based.

Following are the facts regarding the design and operation of Milliken Dam:
• Structural engineering experts specializing in dams performed extensive engineering and hydraulic analysis on Milliken Dam beginning in 1999. Their recommendation, made in December 2004, was to core holes and install steel sleeves through the dam to allow passive water flow and maintain the level of the reservoir behind the dam 16 feet below the crest to alleviate seismic concerns. This solution means the outlet valve does not have to be manually operated to drain water to the recommended 907 foot level. This approach was approved and licensed by the California State Water Resources Division of Safety of Dams, the entity that oversees and regulates all dams in the state of California.

• The dam was designed for water to overtop the crest. The dam has functioned this way during the past 80 years. Now the water will shoot out of the holes, dropping the water level, and the potential for scour at the base of the dam is reduced. … “

Read more from the Napa Valley Register by clicking here.

December 6, 2009 · Filed Under Northern California

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