Oroville >> Inflows have increased to Lake Oroville that exceed the ability to move water through the Hyatt Powerhouse, and the water level has begun to rise, albeit slowly.

As of 5 p.m., the lake was at 860.29 feet, up just four-tenths of a foot in the prior 24 hours. That’s still more than 40 feet from the top of the emergency spillway weir.

Inflow to the lake has fluctuated between 12,800 and 16,400 cubic-feet per second in the past 24 hours, according to the Department of Water Resources web site. DWR said in a press release it is running 12,900 cfs out of the lake through the five operational units of the hydroelectric plant below Oroville Dam.

A sixth turbine there has been offline for several years; if it was working DWR has the theoretical ability to release as much as 16,950 cfs through the power plant.

The flow on the part of the Feather River through downtown Oroville is 5,000 cfs, according to the DWR press release. Another 6,000 cfs is being released into the river at the Thermalito Afterbay outlet downstream from town.

Contractors continue to work 24 hours a day remove debris that piled up below the main spillway after it began breaking up Feb. 7. DWR said 803,000 cubic-yards of material have been removed from the pile in the Diversion Pool that was originally estimated at 1.7 million cubic-yards.

DWR said the spillway may be brought back into use next week as lake levels rise due to melting snow.

Work is also continuing to reinforce the slope below the emergency spillway weir in case it needs to be used again. The slope began to erode dangerously after it was first used Feb. 11, triggering evacuation orders for more than 180,000 the following day.