Rain Needed
As of this writing, we have received just 0.64″ of precipitation in the past ten days with just 0.22″ forecasted for the next ten! Great Chamber-of-Commerce weather, but we are still very short of our normal 3.25″ of precipitation for the month. The forecast for August is now just 2.28″, resulting in another 26% loss in the precipitation department. Hopefully, Mother Nature can help our farmers, gardeners and dam operators with a little bit more rain! We’ll let you know when enough is enough!
Great Pond is still exactly at full pond. Long Pond is just 0.36″ below full, basically full pond. Upper Long Pond, nine miles from the Wings Mill Dam, is 2.5″ below full. Salmon is now 2.25″ below full and also feeling the heat. Our neighbors on Messalonskee with their electricity generation needs and those blessed with A/C, are today down to 4.92″ below full. Although we are basically at full pond across the board, it feels as if the water levels are lower due to starting our recent summers at 3″ above full pond. So, Salmon actually feels and looks like 5.25″ below full.
While you’re looking out for the rocks near shore, you might give an even wider berth and and observe Maine’s 200′, no-wake-zone law. In Maine, a “boater safety zone” mandates that all boats maintain headway speed, which is essentially no wake, within 200 feet of the shoreline. This applies to Great Pond’s Mill Stream into the Village, Long Pond’s Ingham Stream, the Taconnet and Chute’s Island thoroughfares, etc. This rule applies to both the mainland and island shores. Additionally, a new law, effective August 9, 2024, specifically addresses wake boats and wake surfing, requiring them to operate at least 300 feet from the shoreline and in water at least 15 feet deep when engaged in wake-surfing activity. These laws are there for a multitude of reasons.
If you have questions regarding our dams and/or water levels, please email your inquiry to dickgreenan@outlook.com, and we will try to answer your question either in this column or via email — but please keep them simple!
Enjoy your family, your vacation, and this incredibly beautiful weather and please stay safe!
Dick Greenan is the Rome representative on the Belgrade Lakes Watershed Dams Committee. He submitted this report on July 24, 2025.
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