Root Causes Analyses of the Oroville Dam Gated Spillway Failures and Other Developments

University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) | July 20th, 2017

We have performed forensic Root Causes Analyses of the Oroville Dam Gated Spillway failures and other associated developments as unfunded (approximately 3,000 pro-bono h

We have performed forensic Root Causes Analyses of the Oroville Dam Gated Spillway failures and other associated developments as unfunded (approximately 3,000 pro-bono hours) volunteers of the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) Center for Catastrophic Risk Management (CCRM) Oroville Dam Advisory Group (ODAG). We initiated this work on January 27, 2017. The results contained in this report have been developed based on the currently available public document and information sources cited at the end of this report, included in the Preliminary Root Causes Analysis of the Failures of the Oroville Dam Gated Spillway report dated April 17, 2017, and in the Legislative Oversight Report: Oroville Dam report dated May 11, 2017.  This report documents our analyses of the Root Causes of the initial failure of the Gated Spillway. Appendix A of this report provides summaries of the procedures and processes we used to perform the Root Causes analyses, background on the components that comprise Engineered Systems, and background on the Human and Organizational Factor malfunctions (errors) responsible for failures of Engineered Systems. Appendix B provides details of our analyses of the Physical and Organizational Root Causes of the initial failure of the Gated Spillway. The opinions expressed in this Report are ours alone. The opinions expressed herein are a fair and accurate summary of our opinions, based upon our experience, education, training, and expertise.

Root Creek Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Root Creek Water District | November 11th, 2019

Root Creek Water District Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Root Creek Water District | March 20th, 2023

Root Creek Water District Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Root Creek Water District | November 11th, 2019

The RCWDGSA covers almost 10,000 acres in southeast Madera County located southwest of the intersection of State Highway 41 and Avenue 12 along the banks of and just nort

The RCWDGSA covers almost 10,000 acres in southeast Madera County located southwest of the intersection of State Highway 41 and Avenue 12 along the banks of and just north of the San Joaquin River. In size, the GSA accounts for less than 3 percent of the land area within the Madera Basin. The District, which lies wholly within the GSA has recently contracted for surface water supplies from the Madera Irrigation District (MID) and the Wonderful Nut Orchards for up to 17,000 acre-feet (af) of surface water in a given year. The District has also recently completed the first phase of an agricultural conveyance and distribution system that has the ability to deliver surface water to approximately 2,500 acres of farmland. Since its completion, the system has delivered approximately 16,382af of surface water to date in the past three years.To accomplish these achievements the district has invested more than 12 million dollars. While large, the purchase and delivery of surface water supplies are crucial to the long-term groundwater sustainability of not only the District and the GSAbut also the region and the subbasin.

Royce Tipton and the Hydrology of the 1944 Treaty with Mexico

John Fleck | May 26th, 2025

Rules and Regulations of the Borrego Springs Watermaster

Superior Court of California, County of Orange | February 23rd, 2021

Ruling on Motions for Preliminary Injunction in Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District v. California Department of Water Resources

Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento | June 20th, 2024

Ruling on Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction, Case No. Bcv-22-103220-Gap, Bring Back the Kern et al v. City of Bakersfield et al

Superior Court of California, County of Kern | October 30th, 2023

Running Dry: Weathering the Great California Drought

Harvard University | December 1st, 2016

Essays include: "Physical Mechanisms of the California Drought" - Richard Seager "Droughts and the Global Economy: Lessons from California" - Jay R. Lund

Essays include: "Physical Mechanisms of the California Drought" - Richard Seager "Droughts and the Global Economy: Lessons from California" - Jay R. Lund "Addressing Variability: Adaptation and Innovation in California’s Water Systems" - Laila Kasuri "The California Case: Managing Groundwater in Irrigated Agriculture" - Josué Medellín-Azuara "The Hidden Health Consequences of Drought" - Rory Stewart & Erika Eitland "California’s Unconventional Energy-Water Nexus" - Jonathan Buonocore, Don Kriens, Susan Cahalan, Drew Michanowicz, Alexandra Gast, Kate Konschnik "The 2 R’s: What Brazil Can Teach Us About California’s Drought" -  Luis Augusto Bertoni Strengari "Carlsbad Desalination: A Leap in Water Prices, for the Better?" - Aldís Elfarsdóttir

SacPAS Fish Model: A model for emergence, migration and survival of Sacramento River salmon

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | November 1st, 2017