Way to Save a City

Today we are visiting the Orville Dam visitor center.  So much in the news all over the country, the Orville Dam spill way failure was front and center as you entered the plaza.
The tallest earthen dam at 770 feet was built in 1967 and became a threat in 2017 to the cities below Lake Oroville as soon as the main and backup spillways became overwhelmed by large amounts of water from all rain and snow this past winter.  Trying to even understand all the moving parts that go into the management of  the many dams and water ways along the forks of the Feather River and its inlets is mind boggling.  "Hats Off" to those who worked tirelessly and responsibly for the safety of the dam and the people below. 

The water has receded dramatically and repair of the spillways is well underway. The dam itself is a marvel.  The lake created by the dam at its maximum fill includes some 15,500 surface areas and 167 miles of shoreline.  That is a big lake.  And the recreational area around the lake is absolutely beautiful. 

The visitor center celebrates the wildlife and history of the area. Native people play a big part of this history.  As we walk through we see a special display for a man called "Ishi".
Ishi, described as the last surviving Stone Age Indian in the contiguous United States, is discovered in California in 1911.   Found lost and starving near Oroville, California, he was largely unfamiliar with white ways and spoke no English.  Authorities took the mysterious Indian into custody for his own protection. 

A Berkeley anthropologist worked to communicate with Ishi and eventually learned that he was a Yahi Indian, an isolated branch of the northern California Yana tribe. He was approximately 50 years old and was apparently the last of his people. Ishi said he had wandered the mountains of northern California for some time with a small remnant of the Yahi people. Gradually, accident or disease had killed his companions. A white man murdered his final male companion, and Ishi wandered alone until he reached Oroville.

For five years, Ishi lived at the Berkeley Museum. He and Waterman reportedly became close friends.  The University touted the learnings achived by this effort and Ishi spent much time describing his tribal customs and demonstrating his wilderness skills in archery, woodcraft, and other traditional techniques. He learned to understand and survive in the white world, and enjoyed wandering the Bay area communities and riding on the trolley cars. Eventually, though, Ishi contracted tuberculosis. He died on March 25, 1916, at an estimated age of 56. His body was cremated according to the customs of his people

Such an interesting story.  We have so much to learn, where ever we go.