On: Images and video showing extent of Oroville dam damage

[Moru]

There is often the case of why was there so much water in the first place. I dont know much about this dam but here in Sweden the companies running water dams have been known to save up too much water in expectation of better prices. This leads to emergency dumping of water if it rains too much and the downstream areas gets flooded. Not this badly but a few houses gets water in the basement sort of flooding.

Dont underestimate water and human greed.

[ktRolster → Moru]

In California, sometimes they save up too much water, but it's because rain patterns are hugely variable. They don't know if the next big rainstorm will be next year or next month. So sometimes they get it wrong, but better to have too much water than too little.

[tqkxzugoaupvwqr → ktRolster]

But if you save too much and your dam erodes, you get neither. No storage for droughts, and no storage to dampen increased rainfall.

[Moru → ktRolster]

Too little water means no power, too much water can cause what we saw here and worse things downstreams.