There'd better be a serious problem with the Hyatt Power Plant pen stocks, as that has been the only way any water has been allowed out of the Oroville Dam since the questionable "successful test" of the newly-construction main spillway abruptly ended three weeks ago. Otherwise, DWR is being even more foolhardy and irresponsible THAN EVER in now letting NOTHING OUT of the dam while inflows remain at well above 10,000 cubic feet per second.
(Courtesy of sciencefriday.com)
Four the last four hours plus, Oroville Dam (writing at 7PM ET) has been filling up at the same rate as two weeks ago during the height of the snow melt...i.e. two feet per day. It will thus pass 886' of water elevation by tomorrow morning--a mere 15' from overtopping the emergency spillway.
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryF?s=ORO
I've searched for some press release or statement from DWR that explains this dangerous new development, but I don't see anything on the web.
This is now moving well into Russian Roulette territory. Even an unexpected failure of one of the many small upstream reservoirs, or an unexpected rainy day, and the emergency spillway could quickly come into an unplanned and untested usage...
I will post further updates as/if I get any additional information.
=======
Late update: An hour after posting this article, the outflows were restored. Maybe somebody just leaned on the wrong switch....?