1 of 14 Water from Lake Oroville began to flow over the emergency spillway Saturday morning as the lake reached full capacity. Water officials and engineers were surveying the area Sunday to determine their next course of action. PHOTO: Kelly M. Grow/ California Department of Water Resources

2 of 14 Water from the emergency spillway flowed swiftly along the uncontrolled land on Sunday, taking out a portion of this road. PHOTO: Kelly M. Grow/California Department of Water Resources

3 of 14 Here's a closer look at that road. PHOTO: Kelly M. Grow/ California Department of Water Resources

4 of 14 Heavy water flows from the 3,000-foot Oroville Dam spillway pushed debris into the Feather River as dirt, rocks and concrete were washed away. PHOTO: Florence Low/California Department of Water Resources

5 of 14 Water flows down the main Oroville Dam spillway were sitting at about 55,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) as water continued to rise on Lake Oroville. PHOTO: Florence Low/California Department of Water Resources

6 of 14 Once the lake reached the 901 feet elevation mark, water began cascading down the emergency spillway for the first time in the Oroville Dam's 48-year history. PHOTO: Kelly M. Grow/California Department of Water Resources

7 of 14 Water gushed down the normal spillway as helicopters surveyed the situation from above. PHOTO: Florence Low/California Department of Water Resources

8 of 14 About 188,000 residents in Butte, Sutter and Yuba counties were ordered to evacuate as water officials believed the emergency spillway was in danger of failing. PHOTO: Florence Low/California Department of Water Resources


9 of 14 People watched and took pictures of the water spewing out of the normal spillway as it flowed into the Feather River. PHOTO: Dale Kolke/California Department of Water Resources

10 of 14 The Oroville Dam emergency spillway sent water from Lake Oroville over uncontrolled land and into the Feather River. Crews worked for several days to clear out trees and vegetation along this land to help reduce debris flow into the river. PHOTO: Dale Kolke/California Department of Water Resources

11 of 14 This image depicts the powerful nature of the massive amounts of water spilling down the Oroville Dam spillway, which had erosion that was discovered Tuesday. PHOTO: Zack Cunningham / California Department of Water Resources

12 of 14 At its peak, Lake Oroville stood at more than 902 feet in elevation, causing water to flow down the emergency spillway. PHOTO: Dale Kolke/California Department of Water Resources

13 of 14 The water carved out is own paths along the uncontrolled land below the emergency spillway, to the north of the normal spillway. PHOTO: Dale Kolke/California Department of Water Resources