Moving some of the state’s 13,000 miles of levees back from rivers to make floodplains would allow dam operators to release more water without endangering population centers. The reservoir level was well below maximum, operators having drawn it down using another spillway that is also damaged. The more than 180,000 people downstream who were evacuated in response to fears of a flash flood are back home. Advertisement Continue reading the main storyBut the episode was a reminder of the pressures on the major dams among the 1,400 dams of various sizes in the state, where water levels are actively managed to control floods, make electricity, provide water for drinking, irrigation and recreation, and keep the dams and the people below them safe. Dam operators follow specific rules on releasing water, set by state and federal regulators, which require leaving room for anticipated storms.

Source: New York Times February 28, 2017 10:01 UTC