Recovery and repair in Oroville

American flags set on a grave reflect in the water of the flooded Marysville Cemetery downstream from the Oroville Dam.

Water roars down the spillway at the Oroville Dam in California as a helicopter, dwarfed in size by the nation's tallest dam, flies repair materials above.

A civilian version of a military Blackhawk helicopter hovers over the Oroville Dam repair yard, picking up rocks to deliver to weak spots.

A sign on a fence in Oroville urges residents to support secession and the creation of a new state, the State of Jefferson. Due to northern California's low population, the area has only six state-level representatives, compared to 114 for the southern half of the state, which is home to populous cities like Los Angeles.

Signs on a fence in Oroville urge residents to support secession and the creation of a new state, the State of Jefferson. Due to northern California's low population, the area has only six state-level representatives, compared to 114 for the southern half of the state, which is home to populous cities like Los Angeles.

A sign on a fence in Oroville urges residents to support secession and the creation of a new state, the State of Jefferson. Due to northern California's low population, the area has only six state-level representatives, compared to 114 for the southern half of the state, which is home to populous cities like Los Angeles.

A rainbow arches above the Feather River where it crosses beneath power lines beneath the Oroville Dam. Workers severed the lines during the flooding fear, worried that a flood could rip out both lines and towers, causing even more damage.

Contractors race to repair the Oroville Dam, with trucks delivering rocks, which are then loaded into dump trucks to be hauled across the top of the structure to be placed in weak spots.

Trucks and helicopters fill the air with constant noise during repair efforts at the Oroville Dam.

Amanda Abelar, an evacuee from Marysville, takes a photo of the flooded town cemetery during a trip back to down to collect her belongings.

A civilian version of a military Blackhawk helicopter carries a load of stone from a work yard onto the Oroville Dam.

An engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers monitors water spilling from the Oroville Dam. The dam is controlled by the California Division of Water Resources, but the Army Corps of Engineers was providing assistance in monitoring and developing repair plans.

A truck hauling rock to repair the Oroville Dam passes signs urging area residents to secede from California and create their own state. The signs say secession would mean lower taxes and more individual liberty.

A resident of Oroville, Calif. points out along the top of the Oroville Dam, showing where the water level, marked with logs and other debris, crested during the height of the flood danger.

A civilian version of a military Blackhawk helicopter carries a load of stone from a work yard onto the Oroville Dam.

Silhouetted by the afternoon sun, a civilian version of a military Blackhawk helicopter flies back to a work yard next to the Oroville Dam.

Eldon Hofeling watches contractors load rocks being used to repair the Oroville Dam. The work continues 24 hours a day, making it hard for Hoteling and his wife to sleep in their own home. "I bet that if they put this effort into building it right the first time, they wouldn't have to do this," he says.