Oroville – Work is underway right now at the Oroville Dam spillway, but many questions remain. How much will it cost? Will repairs be complete in time for the rainy season? Will life under the shadow of the dam return to normal?

The best answer is that it’s a work in progress.

So far, an estimate for repairs has reached $500 million, said Erin Mellon, communications and outreach adviser for the state Natural Resources Agency. The hope is that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will help pay for 75 percent of eligible emergency response and repairs, Mellon said.

The remainder of the costs, “once all is said and done, will be the contractors’ obligation,” said Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors.

The Department of Water Resources “owns and operates and maintains the State Water Project and state water contractors are charged each year for the cost to do so. This will be a cost of operation and maintenance,” Pierre explained.

“We are dealing with an unprecedented emergency. We know we will have responsibility (for the costs),” she said.

She said her group’s main concern is safety of the community near the dam. The costs will be what they are, and will be known in the future, she said.

“It’s not something we can control. As we proceed, the picture will be more clear.”

The Trump Administration has already approved a disaster declaration for the spillway damage. California leaders are working with the state Office of Emergency Services to provide information about funding eligibility, Mellon explained. So far, spending has reached $150 million, she said.

If the funding comes through from FEMA, it would include costs to reconstruct roads, but would not cover habitat restoration, which is located outside the Oroville Dam facility footprint, she said.

When construction of the dam was planned, agreements were made with the 27 public water agencies that are members of the State Water Contractors. Collectively, those groups provide water to 26 million people and 750,000 acres of farm land. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California receives about half the water from the State Water Project, about 1.2 million acre-feet of water a year, on average.

In exchange for the long-term water contracts, State Water Contractors agreed to repay bonds to build the dam, and interest, as well as costs to operate the facility, http://tinyurl.com/7v89sf4.

VIEWING PLATFORM

As plans continue for repairs to the spillway, the Department of Water Resources has confirmed that a viewing area will be provided for people to watch the work in progress.

Currently, a webcam is in place, providing rotating views of machinery and workers. Mellon said she wasn’t certain when a place would be established for people to view the location in person. There are details to work out, most notably public safety, as well as coordination with agencies involved, she said.

“DWR is going to make that happen. They’re committed to getting a viewing platform up,” she said.

The question of a viewing platform has “come up at every single community meeting,” she noted. “This is something people want and its an important part of the process.”

Contact reporter Heather Hacking at 896-7758.