Page - 60 - in Book of Full Papers - Symposium Hydro Engineering

operations, and management of the facility were critical to assessing risks, mitigations, and potential response actions. Taking a new look at this information is critical to assessing risk and consequences. Fortunately, DWR had immediate access to consultant experts, who were familiar with the facility and the issues of concern. Dam owners should identify critical consultant resources prior to an incident as part of their risk reduction program. Protection of CEII information is critical for national and economic security, as well as for public health and safety. However, protection of this information will likely be in conflict with efforts to increase communication and transparency. CEII policy review, following policy and third-party education, should reduce this conflict. Finally, while the Oroville Dam facility is an amazing example of engineering for multiple benefits, this incident is an example of how critical infrastructure can have unanticipated impacts on those benefits and the costs to respond and recover from a major incident. This incident has refocused California on the need to improve infrastructure and ensure its safety and reliability. California has turned the corner on this conversation, and now it is time for action. SUMMARY The Oroville Spillway incident was unprecedented in many ways. This “no notice” event brought many difficult challenges and risks that needed to be assessed, verified and mitigated during an historic hydrologic setting. Public safety (responders and the public) has to be the highest priority at all times. The incident required the dam owner, to work side by side with regulators, subject matter experts and contractors in real time to respond and recover from this incident. Maintaining a high level of transparency with the regulators and the public throughout the response and recovery phases allowed decisions and actions to be taken to mitigate or eliminate risks to the public and infrastructure. DWR, FERC, USACE, Cal Fire, and Butte County Sheriff Office quickly and successfully integrated into a unified command organization structure. The California emergency management plans demonstrated that multiple agencies and their contractors could be activated and respond to major catastrophic events in a matter of hours. There are many lessons that can be learned from this event. A new look at infrastructure risk management, security, emergency action plans, emergency training and public education is required. This incident is also an example that large complex infrastructure projects can be designed and constructed in an expedited manner. To repair, replace or improve today’s critical infrastructure in a timely manner, processes to complete projects must be streamlined. This paper recognizes the hundreds of people who participated in this challenging emergency and in some cases at great personal risk to work for public safety. 60