Feeling the Effects of the Lack of Precipitation
by Dick Greenan
As of this writing, Great Pond, Long Pond, and Salmon Lake/McGrath Pond are full or starting to feel the effects of the lack of precipitation. We are getting some showers, but we need rain (preferably at night!) to bring our water levels back up and to keep them up. Sporadic light showers are a welcomed relief for our gardens and farmers but of little consequence for our water levels.
Both Great Pond's Belgrade Village dam and Long Pond's Wings Mill dam have been completely shut down for a few weeks now. Salmon/McGrath continues to have its one gate cracked just 3 turns to allow for the required 1 cfs flow. Great Pond is now exactly at full pond meaning, that the water level at the dam in the village isn't quite going over the stone spillway. Long Pond is now 1.44" below full pond and our neighbors on Salmon/McGrath and Snow Pond are at 3⁄10" and 1.5" below full pond, respectfully. So, you can see that the lack of precipitation is beginning to have an effect already on our water levels.
With town meetings delayed by COVID-19, the Dams Committee has come up short of the necessary funding for our 2020 scheduled projects, foremost being the long awaited repairs of Long Pond's Wings Mill Dam. Your Dams Committee could use all of the support you, as citizens, can muster at your respective town meeting to approve all dams-related warrant articles. The Wings Mill Dam project starts this coming July 15, so we need help — and now! Thank you one and all.
Enjoy this beautiful summer, weather and your vacation — and stay safe!
Dick Greenan is secretary to the Belgrade Lakes Watershed Dams Committee. He sumbitted this report on 6/11/2020.
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