HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter From Jerry Antonetti with Questions for DWR Butte County Board of Supervisors meeting April,11,2027 1 of 2
DWR is still being very secretive about any detailed questions that are being asked by a need to know
audience that DWR screens that is held at their facilities
Yet they are asking for public input as part of their community outreach...You and 1 should suspect
their methods and lack of Public Information.
This Spillway failure is very serious and critical to the downstream lives of thousands and the potential
loss of Billions in damage,...questions need to be asked and DWR needs to respond without the
smoke and mirrors response that we are now being fed I I I
I can come up with 10 questions off the top of my hat that needs answers by DWR and I am
requesting the Butte Board of Supervisors to get some answersl11
Like:
1. What are DWR plans to provide access to the spillway side of the river other than that little
bridge that cross over the Radial Gated structure??
2. Is DWR going to do any consolidation and Curtin grouting on the up-stream side of the Radial
Gated and Emergency Spillways??
3. Why not use the old railroad grade that was used to construct the Dam as your primary access
other than destroying the surface streets/roads??
4. Build a low level removable bridge from the south side of the river to the construction area of
the Spillway on the North side using the old Railroad Grade that was used to construct the
Dam in the first place. Untold damage to County/City/State highways would be minimized??
S. Build a railroad shoo-fly connecting the existing Feather River Canyon Railroad just north and
above the diversion dam in the area of the railroad bridge that crosses the river.This would
providing a connection to the old existing rail road grade and tunnel that was used to build
the Dam and spillway. Rail access to the existing major railroad in the area and the use of the
old abandoned Round House area in Oroville could be used as a major construction
equipment and supply's marshaling yard connecting the old reconstructed railroad on the
existing grade to the foot of the spillway with a second construction marshaling area for all
necessary items such as tons of materials needed,a concrete batch plant,carpentry shops
etc.??
5. Where will your Concrete Batch Plant be located??How is it planned to deliver the concrete
to the placement sight??
7. Will the Trunnion Anchors for the Radial Gates and the Gates themselves be reconstructed as
they are now 50+years old??Like the Folsom Dam Radial Gate failure in 1995.
S. Will the first 1500 feet of retaining walls and the entire spillway slab be removed and
reconstructed with new under drain system under phase one??
V
9. When will all 6 of the underground Dam Generators be able to function as constructed
allowing revenue from electricity and a means to provide addition flood control at 15,000 CFS
along with the Spillway??
10. Thermalito Power Plant has been down since November 2012 because of fire that probably
could have BEEN prevented"IF"DWR had not used remote operator's,(no personnel on
sight)that might have prevented afire that caused the loss of the plant.The ability to
generate electricity and the loss of revenue over all of these years plus the cost to rebuild this
Power Plant amounting to millions needs an investigation and public disclosure. It is said that
the Power Plant is still two years+2019 from being operable again,...why so long?????
I would like the Board to ask DWR to Please provide the answers to this list of question's and send an
email back to me with their response.
Thank You:
Jerry Antonetti
530-589-1803
ja-01@sbcglobal.net
Click on this link for the latest Oroville Spillway update;