🚀 go-pugleaf

Michael K. Poimboeuf wrote:
> 
> Warren J. Paul wrote:
> ...
> >
> > Actually what is needed is a combination of solutions including
> > additional bypasses, levee upgrades, and more storage.  Structural
> > solutions have a role to play as part of an appropriate mix.
> ...
> >
> > Warren J. Paul, P.E.
> > Dam Engineer and Proud of It!
> 
> On the topic of what is needed, I could agree with most of the points in
> what I copied above - in principle. I think that the first post on this
> thread isn't that far from what Warren is suggesting. The key point of
> contention is that of storage. How much storage can we use, and still
> avoid the Probable Maximum Flood limit of the structure. That's where
> the statistics have to come into play. Unfortunatly, people are
> polarized on this topic, and when statistics come into play, both sides
> can begin to abuse them.
> 
> There are economic issues which make mis-operation of flood storage more
> likely. After all, money is water; But, water is also risk. We've
> learned that lesson (again) from the last storm, and the storms of '86.
> 
> If a number of us in California, Wisconsin, and Washington DC hadn't
> come together on this issue in the early part of this decade, with
> regards to the operation of flood control in the American River basin,
> we would have had a terrible calamity this year.
> 
> Some of those people that came together on this are engineers. Many of
> them were landowners and homeowners. Many them were watersports
> enthusiasts (both whitewater _and_ waterskiing). Some of them are even
> politicans & lobbists.
> 
> And then there was the Army. Once the Army had clear direction from
> Congress, they did an excellent job of rebuilding and repairing the
> levees along the American river below Folsum Dam, and Folsum Dam itself.
> They began operating the dam in accordance with the proper AEP and PMF
> statistics in mind.
> 
> Notice that despite a flow far in excess of '86 when the dam and levees
> almost failed, that instead of problems, the American River watershed
> was used as an example of flood control that worked as designed.
> 
> I believe deep in my heart that these efforts in the American River
> Watershed saved homes, families, and lives.
> 
> 
> ...and on a related thread (Re: California Flood Protection)
> Tom McCloud wrote:
> ...
> >
> >          It seems to me that no amount of dams or levees, or dollars
> > spent, is going to stop periodic flooding of land 17 feet below sea
> > level.  And the news of recent weeks makes it sound like nobody in
> > California learned any lessons from the earlier floods.
> ...
> 
> It's a good point; But, on the topic of being below sea level, levees
> can prevent most flooding, even in a situation like this. Perhaps
> someone from the Netherlands can pipe in here, but a majority of that
> nation's land is below sea level, and the levees there work quite
> nicely.
> 
> I'll paraphrase a statement I made in the American River Watershed
> hearings in '92 (I was the handicapped guy with Canadian/aka FDR
> crutches if you were there):
> 
> I was born in New Orleans Lousiana. One of my first childhood memories
> was when my grandaddy took me for a walk, and we went to look at the
> levee that protected our home. That was my first appreciation for the
> power of nature, and the ingenuity of engineers that kept my home dry.
> I hope that our Engineers in the west can do as good a job making the
> levees in California whole again, as the engineers that I grew up
> admiring.
> 
> Please people, let's work together on this. Let's do what's right for
> ourselves, each other, our children, and our land.
> 
> ...here's where the national anthem begins... but I'll leave that off so
> I don't overload newservers with a gigantic .aiff MIME enclosure...
> 
> --
> 
> --
> Michael K. Poimboeuf mkp@sgi.com
> Digital Media
> Desktop Systems Division
> Silicon Graphics Inc. Mtn View California
> ---------------------------------------------------------
Well as I said before Michael,  the delta has been flooding for as long
as I can remember.  We used to fish in an area known as Frank's tract. 
It was at one time a farm but the river took it back so it just became a
big pond.  Ryer island has flooded several times in my memory and from
the looks of things we are going to have floods this spring.  Further
more the land is constantly subsiding in the delta because once the peat
soil is exposed it burns up.  But of all the boondoggles, the Auburn dam
is the worst.  It is diguised as a flood control measure but is in
reality a pet project for speculators and developers.