Talent man shares footage from 1950s before Oroville Dam was built

Talent, Ore. — A Talent man who was living in the bay area at the time the Oroville Dam was built says he didn’t even want it built in the first place.

Decades-old footage shows Bryce Whitmore kayaking down Feather River when he was a part of the Sierra Club back in the mid-1950s.

“The Feather was our favorite river. And we were pretty devastated when the dam was completed and we could no longer enjoy that river,” Whitmore said.

Whitmore says he was shocked to hear about the Oroville Dam since he was so emotionally involved while it was getting built. Now he’s concerned for the people living there.

He says in his 90 years he’s seen other dam breaks, but none in such a populated area.

His hope is that everyone can make it back home safely.

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