The letter — signed by mayors of the city of Oroville and six other communities downstream, county leaders, state lawmakers and others — comes in the wake of a February spillway emergency at the dam that forced the evacuation of 188,000 people.
That ongoing emergency "dramatically highlights the fact that those who suffer the greatest consequences from dam malfunction or failure have little or no say in the construction, operation or maintenance of that structure," said the letter, also signed by members of local chambers of commerce and other community groups downstream.
Asked Tuesday for comment, the governor's office and state Department of Water Resources, which operates the dam, cited steps the state was taking to keep the public informed on the battered dam, and the number of other agencies the state was working with as it repaired the damage.
"Protection of lives and property is our top priority, and our objective is to repair the Oroville spillways by November 1 so we can continue keeping downstream communities safe next winter and every winter thereafter," the statement said, in a reference to the autumn start of the next rainy season. "We will continue to work with the community and local leaders in addressing their questions and concerns."
