Construction of the Oroville Dam

Completed in 1968, the Oroville Dam, which made recent news about California flooding, is the tallest dam in the U.S. and impounds the second largest man-made lake – Lake Oroville. We uncovered a documentary video of the 7-year project produced and directed by Mark S. Lambert.

The project included the construction of two 4,400’ concrete-lined diversion tunnels to channel the Feather River around the dam site, and an 11-mile rail line to move earth and rock to the site. The video shows a fascinating range of construction equipment, including a rig to pick up and empty a pair of earth-filled rail hopper cars.