City of Oroville Sues DWR for Damage Allegedly Caused by Oroville Dam Failure

January 24, 2018

City of Oroville Sues DWR for Damage Allegedly Caused by Oroville Dam Failure

On January 17, 2018, the City of Oroville (City) filed suit in Butte County Superior Court against the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).  The suit is based on DWR’s alleged mismanagement that caused the Oroville Dam’s main and emergency spillways to fail in February 2017, leading to damage and evacuations in the area.  The City’s complaint details allegations of DWR’s long-term failures in maintaining, managing, and repairing the Oroville Dam and its spillways, despite being notified of several failures and experiencing prior incidents.  The City alleges that as a result of DWR’s mismanagement, the City suffered damages to infrastructure, incurred evacuation costs, deferred substantial resources and personnel to emergency response, and lost revenue from sales and tourism.  The City filed its suit to recover these damages after the State of California rejected the City’s claim for damages filed under the Government Claims Act. … Read More

Written by Lauren D. Bernadett

Somach Simmons Dunn (00864836xBA9D6)