Placer County officials began Monday removing a bridge which sank under the American River after a dam failure washed out the structure in 1964. Water rushed through the Hell Hole Dam on Dec. 23, 1964, after a five-day storm gushed 22-inches of rain into the reservoir. The construction for the project went slower than anticipated, and was incomplete in anticipation of flooding season, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. … On Monday, Placer County officials began removing 750 tons of bridge debris, such as 10-feet tall and 200-foot-long girders.

Other dam news:

• Lake County Record-Bee (Lakeport, Calif.): PG&E dam removal proposal explained on podcast