State says damaged Shasta County dam not an emergency
Shasta County officials say a dam damaged during storms earlier this year does not rise to the level of an emergency, according to state officials.
State says damaged Shasta County dam not an emergency Shasta County officials say a dam damaged during storms earlier this year does not rise to the level of an emergency, according to state officials. Check out this story on redding.com: https://www.redding.com/story/news/2019/12/10/cal-oes-says-damaged-shasta-county-dam-not-emergency/2631263001/
Shasta County officials are worried about the safety of Misselbeck Dam about 17 miles west of Redding, but state officials disagree. Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight
PHOTOS: Safety at Misselbeck Dam worries Shasta County officials
The spillway at Misselbeck Dam west of Redding has been deemed unsafe by state officials. Igo Ono Community Services District
State officials have deemed the spillway at Misselbeck Dam west of Redding has unsafe to use. Igo Ono Community Services District
Rainbow Lake in western Shasta County covers 113 acres. Google image
Shasta County officials are worried about the safety of Misselbeck Dam about 17 miles west of Redding, but state officials disagree.
Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight Published 6:12 p.m. PT Dec. 9, 2019 | Updated 10:16 a.m. PT Dec. 10, 2019
A dam Shasta County officials say is creating conditions of "extreme peril" after it was damaged during storms earlier this year does not rise to the level of an emergency, according to state officials.
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors had asked the California Office of Emergency Services to declare an emergency over the condition of Misselbeck Dam in western Shasta County.
Two 30-inch pipes used to let water out from behind the dam 17 miles west of Redding are plugged with debris and covered with sediment, forcing water over a 100-year-old spillway state officials have told the dam owners not to use because it is damaged and unsafe.
But on Nov. 27, Cal OES wrote a letter to Leonard Moty, Shasta County Board of Supervisors chairman, stating there was no emergency.
"As a result, Shasta County's request for a state of emergency and CDAA (California Disaster Assistance Act) funding to address the imminent threat of spillway failure at Misselbeck Dam are denied," the letter to Moty says.
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The spillway at Misselbeck Dam west of Redding has been deemed unsafe by state officials. (Photo: Igo Ono Community Services District)
The state's response to pleas for help from the dam owner, the Igo Ono Community Services District, has left officials there frustrated and perplexed.
"What really hurts our feelings with this letter we got today is we've been dealing with this for months. They've been stringing us along. They could have told us this four months ago," said Charlie Tucker, president of the community district board of directors.
The district has been trying unsuccessfully since last summer to get help from state and federal officials to help pay the cost of cleaning out the outlet pipes.
The district estimates the work would cost from $1.7 million to $2.1 million, more than the district can afford. The district provides irrigation water to 50 to 60 customers in the Ono area.
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To help the district qualify for federal and state emergency funds, the board approved a local emergency due to the dam back in July and renewed the declaration in November.
The emergency resolution says "conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property," exist at Misselbeck Dam.
Tucker said the outlet pipes are covered with about 20 feet of of sediment and other debris that were washed into the lake from the surrounding hillsides.
The 2018 Carr Fire left a burn scar covering 90% of the 12-square-mile watershed above 113-acre Rainbow Lake, according to a letter the district sent to the supervisors last summer.
District officials say the 2018 Carr Fire left hillsides devoid of vegetation that would normally hold in place soil, ash and other debris. All that debris and sediment washed into the lake and plugged the outlet pipes.
John Moore, also a member of the district board of directors, said funding has been denied because federal and state officials don't believe the issues at the dam are a result of the Carr Fire.
If the district can show a direct relationship to the fire, they would be more likely to receive financial help, he said.
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"If you take away the fire, we don't have all the runoff with leaves and sticks and sediment and whatnot," Moore said.
District officials have also enlisted the help of state and federal elected officials, who have written to the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Back in October, U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa wrote a letter to FEMA asking it to determine the problems at the dam be categorized as a "direct effect from the Carr Fire and eligible for federal disaster aid."
"Obviously, this is one of those items that we just need to see fixed and quickly," LaMalfa's chief of staff, Mark Spannagel said.
Moore said he didn't understand why the federal and state governments issued more than $10 million in grants to do erosion control to keep ash and other debris from being washed into Shasta County streams following the Carr Fire, but won't help the Igo Ono district recover from similar Carr Fire-caused damage.
State officials have deemed the spillway at Misselbeck Dam west of Redding has unsafe to use. (Photo: Igo Ono Community Services District)
Moore said the Western Shasta Resource Conservation District in Anderson received the money to do the work.
"But on our side of the ridge, we get the 'sorry fellas, but all this ash and debris is not due to the Carr Fire,'" said Moore, who is also a director for the conservation district.
District officials are worried that over the winter, more logs and debris will be washed into the lake and block water water from going over the spillway. If the water rises too high it could overtop the dam and cause it to fail, the board wrote in a letter to the board of supervisors.
The district says a study by the Office of Water Safety at Sacramento State University estimates that if water overtops the dam, the structure "would be destroyed for its entire height and nearly its entire width in a period of 6 minutes."
"Failure of the dam or spillway would endanger lives and property between the dam and Cottonwood," the district said.
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Several structures on Sunny Hill Road downstream of the dam would be inundated with 20 feet of water within 15 minutes of dam breach and multiple structures on Gas Point Road would be under 10 feet of water, the district said.
It would take about 2 hours for water flowing down the North Fork of Cottonwood Creek from the dam to reach the area of Lower Gas Point Road, and at that point the water would be about 17 feet deep, according to an inundation map made by Sacramento State.
It would take about 9 hours for the water to reach Interstate 5 where it crosses over Cottonwood Creek, the map says. At that point, the water would be about 8 feet deep.
Structures near the main stem of Cottonwood Creek and structures on Ponder Way and Denise Way would also see water up to 5 feet deep, the district said.
"The worst-case scenario is the dam breach occurring when Cottonwood Creek is already at flood stage, which is the more likely scenario given the current outlet works condition," the district said.
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Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight's resources and environment reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-225-8226 and damon.arthur@redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!
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