Following an independent report’s sharp criticism of its dam safety culture, California’s Dept. of Water Resources named a new director and restructured its executive team as work crews continue a $500-million project to repair the spillways at Oroville Dam.
The forensic report cited “long-term systemic failure” at the DWR and laid bare the agency’s decision-making processes during the February crisis. The investigative team cited inherent flaws in the construction and design of the tallest dam in the U.S. and pointed to the failure of agencies, regulators and the dam industry in general to recognize and address these weaknesses.