Rain Swells California’s Troubled Lake Oroville

OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) – The water level behind the troubled dam at Lake Oroville is rising for the first time since authorities ordered an emergency evacuation more than a week ago. But officials said Tuesday that the lake still has plenty of room to take in heavy recent rainfall. Department of Water Resources Director Bill Croyle says the water level at Lake Oroville is expected to peak 45 feet below capacity by early Wednesday before the level begins dropping once again. Croyle says he expects crews to be done fixing the eroded emergency spillway around March 1, making the structure safer if the lake overflows as it did Feb. 11. He says officials are considering all options for a long-term fix to the lake’s damaged main spillway, including repairing, replacing or moving it.

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