[General] overflow feeding down

[kompstar]

Hello.

I’m having trouble understanding following sentence: „The overflow feeding down into creeks and streams.”

Source CNN Students News http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1603/17/sn.01.html

Here you are some context:
ELAM (voice-over): That warm Pacific water has brought unusual sea life to California. It`s also the catalyst for El Nino rainstorms.
(on camera): This reservoir north of San Francisco tells the story. It`s at full capacity for the first time in about a year. The overflow feeding down into creeks and streams. That`s great for the fish population and the river otters that live here.

 

[GoesStation]

The water that flows over the reservoir's dam moves into creeks and streams at a lower elevation.

 

[kompstar]

If "The overflow feeding down into creeks and streams." = "The overflow is feeding down into creeeks and streams."?

 

[teechar]

It's not well punctuated. They should have used an em dash instead of that full stop (period).

It's at full capacity for the first time in about a year—the overflow feeding down into creeks and streams.

Or said, e.g.,

It's at full capacity for the first time in about a year, with the overflow feeding down into creeks and streams.

 

[kompstar]

I don't still understand. I think it's because I don't know what "feed down" means in this sentence?

 

[teechar]

I still don't [STRIKE]still[/STRIKE] understand. I think it's because I don't know what "feed down" means in this sentence.

"Feed" means "to supply" in that sentence.
Reservoirs are typically located in areas of high elevation, so "down" is used to imply that the overflow water will flow down into the various creeks and streams.

 

[kompstar]

Everything is clear now. Thank you so much.

 

[GoesStation]

It's not well punctuated.

I wonder if the transcription was a direct copy of the journalist's script. I heard a National Public Radio announcer confess that their scripts are barely punctuated, which makes me wonder whether it's common in broadcasting to use, at best, unusual punctuation.

 

[teechar]

Speaking of which, the NPR website is great for listening practice. They provide the transcripts for many of their programs.

http://www.npr.org/transcripts/help_whichprograms.html