Evacuees In California Can Return To Their Homes Following Major Dam Crisis

OROVILLE, Ca. (CBS) -- 200,000 people can now return to their homes near the nation's largest dam in Oroville, California.

Officials say the water level at the lake behind the dam is now low enough to accommodate the expected rain.

From the air and the ground, crews are feverishly working, using massive bags of rocks and gravel to fill the eroded base of the Oroville Dam's emergency spillway.

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On Tuesday morning, state officials reported some good news. The water level in Lake Oroville is continuing to drop at a rte of about eight feet per day.

The hope is to have the lake level fall a total of 50 feet before the heavy rain starts this week.

The main spillway divers excess flow from the lake. Last week, it started showing signs of stress. Concrete gave way, opening a massive hole the size of a football field.

Officials used the emergency back up, releasing a massive surge of water, but the spillway is also badly eroded.

In the meantime, a report has surfaced from 2005, warning the state of California that if the emergency spillway was used, it could cause significant erosion. An independent panel is now reviewing the report.