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State officials release reports on Oroville dam after criticism

For the first time since construction of the Oroville Dam within the California State Water Project, water was released at 150,000 cubic feet per second during the February 1986 flood in Northern California. The Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range received a half-year's precipitation in 10 days from a series of intense Pacific storms, with the Feather, Yuba and American Rivers receiving the brunt of the rainfall. This aerial view looks east as water moves from the Oroville spillway into the Feather River. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate their homes when the Yuba levee was breached. Photo taken February 21, 1986. Norm Hughes / California Department of Water Resources

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California officials are releasing expert reports into the troubled Oroville Dam after criticism that officials weren't telling the public enough about risks from two damaged spillways and the rush to fix them.

The state Department of Water Resources on Monday released two reports from engineers and other experts that the state had previously refused to make public.

The reports say cracks in the main spillway might have led to the main spillway's failure in February. Authorities ordered nearly 200,000 people to evacuate on Feb. 12 after both of the dam's spillways began collapsing.

California lawmakers, conservation groups and newspaper editorials last week stepped up demands for state and federal officials to share more information about risks and repairs at the Oroville Dam.