: The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) and the United States Society on Dams (USSD) are nationally and internationally recognized organizations consisting of dam engineering professionals who are committed to advancing the profession of dam engineering and dam safety.
On behalf of the U.S. and international profession and in a spirit of cooperation and support, the ASDSO and USSD leadership created a joint volunteer task group to perform an international search for and selection of the members of the Oroville Spillway Incident Forensic Investigation Team.
It is important to emphasize that 1) ASDSO and USSD contacted the California Department of Water Resources (CA DWR) to offer this assistance; and 2) the team of forensic experts was chosen by the joint organizational task group not only for its expertise but also for its independence.
The Investigation Team is tasked with fully examining all aspects of the spillway incident and offering expert views to both the public and to stakeholders without direction from DWR or other parties of interest.
Pertinent data is being provided to the Investigation Team and is currently under review by the team.
The ASDSO and USSD joint organizational task group emphasizes the need for a comprehensive, independent investigation to ensure that the possible causes of the incident are evaluated based on the most accurate and complete information available.
This includes two members selected for their expertise in how human and organizational factors may contribute to dam safety incidents.
These factors are a critical part of the investigation and will be addressed in the Investigation Team’s final report, which should be complete this fall.
The preliminary memorandum released in early May was not intended to serve as a report but rather a list of possible candidate physical factors that may have contributed to the spillway incident, so that these factors could be appropriately considered in the design and construction of the repairs.
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