A combination of planned maintenance and an unscheduled turbine outage at the Oahe Dam powerhouse near Pierre and Fort Pierre means water is flowing out of the outlet tunnels today (Sept. 16, 2024). John Remus is the chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Water Management Division. He says with two turbines already down for maintenance, the scheduled average daily release of 29,000 cubic feet per second is more than the Oahe Dam powerhouse can handle. With three of the seven turbines offline, Remus says the project is redirecting water that would normally come out of the powerhouse to come out of the outlet tunnels instead. He says by sending 8,000 cubic feet of water per second through the outlet tunnels, the Corps can continue their scheduled releases while also making needed repairs. Once the maintenance is complete and the turbines are brought back online, the outlet tunnels will be closed.