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WEBVTT GHT INMIND THAT THEY COULD BEEVACUATED AGAIN.FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEEVACUATION ORDER TO EFFECT,NEARLY 200,000 RESIDENTS OFBUTTE, SUTTER, AND YUBA COUNTIESHAVE NEW HOPE.>> WEHAVE CONCLUDED IT IS SAFETO REDUCE THE IMMEDIATEEVACUATION ORDER CURRENTLY INPLACE TO AN EVACUATION WARNING.MAX: THAT EVACUATION WARNINGALLOWS RESIDENTS TO RETURN ANDBUSINESSES TO OPEN, BUT THATCOULD CHANGE DEPENDING ON THECONDITIONS AT LAKEOROVILLE.>> THERE IS A PROSPECT THAT WECOULD ORDER ANOTHER EVACUATIONORDER IF CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE INTHE RISK INCREASES.MAX: THE MOVED TO REDUCE THEEVACUATION ORDER IS BASED ON ANUMBER OF FACTORS, INCLUDINGLOWER LAKE LEVEL THAN FORECASTIN THIS WEEK'S RAINS WHICH ARECONNECTED TO BRING SMALLINCREMENTAL INCREASES TO THELAKE.>> THESE STORMS ARE MUCH SMALLERTHAN WE HAVE SEEN THIS LASTWEEKEND.THE PEAK INFLOWS ARE BELOW THE100,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECONDOUTFLOWS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.MAX: THEN THE CONTINUED WORK ONREDUCING EMERGENCY SPILLWAYEROSION BY USING TONS OF WALKAND -- ROCK AND OTHER MATERIALS.>> PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS TORE-BOLSTER THAT AREA.MAX:INSPECTION WORK SHOWS THEEMERGENCY SPILLWAY IS NOTCOMPROMISED.THESE ARE IMMEDIATE CONCERNS.DWR SAYS IT IS ALSO TAKING INTOACCOUNT LONG-TERM OUTLOOK WITH AFOCUS ON SPRING RUNOFF.>> WE HAVE ADDRESSED THE CONCERNWE IDENTIFIED A COUPLE OF DAYSAGO, BUT WE ARE ALSO MOVING TO

Advertisement Mandatory evacuation orders lifted near Lake Oroville Butte County sheriff: 'Thousands of lives were protected' Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The mandatory evacuation orders that have remained in place for two nights have been reduced to evacuation warnings near Lake Oroville, where erosion and threats of failure have plagued two spillways near the dam. "Taking into account of the current level of risk, the predicted strength of the next round of inclement weather and the capacity of the lake to account for increased inflow associated with those storms, we have concluded that it is safe to reduce the immediate evacuation order to an evacuation warning," Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said during a Tuesday news conference. Nearly 200,000 people in Butte, Sutter and Yuba counties were evacuated Sunday evening as the California Department of Water Resources warned that a failure of the emergency spillway was imminent as Lake Oroville exceeded full capacity. Honea said that officials made the decision to reduce the evacuation orders because the situation at Lake Oroville had improved. Download the KCRA app to receive breaking news alerts regarding Lake Oroville. WHAT DOES AN EVACUATION WARNING MEAN? Although people are allowed to return to their homes, effective immediately, Honea added that another evacuation order could be issued at any time. "(The evacuation warning) allows people to return to their homes and resume their businesses," Honea said. "But we are telling them that they have to be vigilant. There is the prospect that we have to issue another evacuation order if situations change." Honea said that an evacuation warning allows for the possibility of inclement weather, increased lake levels or problems associated with the existing damage to the spillway could elevate the risks and lead to more mandatory evacuations. "Residents should be prepared to maintain situational awareness," Honea said. "This reduction to an evacuation warning properly balances the need for people to resume their daily lives, while at the same time, being prepared to deal with future increased threats." While many people were frustrated and inconvenienced by the evacuation orders, Honea insisted that evacuating residents allowed officials to assess the situation by reducing the lake level, deploy subject matter experts to examine the eroding hole at the emergency spillway, increase the releases through the main spillway and develop a plan to fortify the emergency spillway to prevent further erosion. "Thousands of lives were protected from the looming catastrophic failure of the emergency spillway by those who directed and facilitated the rapid and efficient evacuation of thousands of people and animals out of this area," Honea said. An evacuation center will remain open at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, but all other evacuation centers supported by Butte County will be closed. LAKE OROVILLE LEVELS As of noon Tuesday, the lake had dropped 15 feet to 887.94 feet elevation since it peaked Sunday above capacity at 902.1 feet. The California Department of Water Resources is still allowing nearly 100,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to flow out of the normal emergency spillway, which was the first spillway to develop erosion one week ago. "With the stability of the spillway, we are able to maintain those high flows to make additional flood storage in the reservoir with the anticipated runoff season, and the reservoir itself can absorb those inflows," said Bill Croyle, acting director of the California Department of Water Resources. The inflows continue to decrease and stand at about 19,000 cfs, leading to an average drop in Lake Oroville of 5 inches per hour, as of noon Tuesday. Water officials have their eyes set on a goal of reducing the lake down to about 850 feet in preparation for upcoming storms set to arrive in the area by Thursday. This is expected to happen by late Saturday or Sunday, Croyle said. HOW ARE REPAIRS COMING ALONG? The spillway has been stable for four days, and crews in the process of an "aggressive and proactive attack to address the erosion concerns," Croyle said Tuesday. Crews began dumping large 2-ton bags of rocks on the erosion-damaged emergency spillway Monday afternoon. Helicopters were seen carrying the bags and dropping them into the hole along the outside of the spillway, to the north of the normal spillway. The helicopter drops stopped Monday night, but picked up again Tuesday morning, as crews also began filling giant bags full of sand. More coverage: State knew 12 years ago that Oroville spillway could fail Thirty tons of rock per hour are being placed on the erosion hole at the front of the emergency spillway, with helicopters placing the rock about every one-and-a-half minutes, Croyle said. In addition to the helicopter operators, about 120 construction crews on the ground are working to shore up any erosion concerns. "We're not holding back on addressing the issue," We're drawing the lake down, and we're going to address the downslope of the spillway." Although both the normal spillway and the emergency spillway have suffered damage, Croyle insists the Oroville Dam is not in danger and is confident in the state of the infrastructure. "Our infrastructure is holding up very well, even though it's been damaged," Croyle said. "And if we can keep up these discharge rates of 100,000 cfs in the coming days, we will make good progress." WHAT ABOUT UPCOMING STORMS? As people begin returning to their homes around Lake Oroville and downstream along the Feather River, forecasters are predicting the next rounds of wet weather, projected to move in Thursday, won't be as strong as the storms that led to problems in Oroville. The peak inflows to Lake Oroville are expected to remain below the 100,000 cfs, which is what's being let out via the main spillway. "So what that means is that we'll see a small increase in water surface elevation later this week," Croyle said. "With the existing releases, we should get down to 850 feet later Saturday or Sunday." The combination of relatively low inflows, no major anticipated storms and snow levels dropping from 6,000 feet to 4,000 feet over the next couple of days, that will allow water managers to retain the water storage area at the reservoir. -- MORE ON KCRA.COM: ++California to get federal aid for Lake Oroville situation, January storms ++Aerial view shows emergency spillway at Lake Oroville ++14 incredible photos depict problems at Lake Oroville ++California asks Trump for federal evacuation aid ++Price gouging, scammers possible with Lake Oroville evacuations ++What a spillway failure would mean downstream ++Evacuation orders remain for more than 180K as officials monitor Lake Oroville