Gates Closed Until Fall Drawdown
by Dick Greenan
Well, this is our final Dams Keeper Report for the season. Whoever said, "Summer in Maine is nothing but two weeks of bad sledding," isn't too far off the mark! It seems like summer should be getting longer with all of that global warming, but here we are regardless.
On behalf of the Dams Committee, I attended the Town of Belgrade's Seasonal Residents Meeting last week and received a very nice welcome with not one complaint about this year's dams operations. It's amazing how one wet summer can change people's perceptions! Two years ago at this meeting, there was a pole out in the Center for All Season's parking lot all tarred and feathered up with a "Reserved for the Dams Committee" sign on it! Looks like our Dams Committee just might survive another year after all!
As of this writing, Great Pond is up 2.5″ above full pond which is Great. Long Pond is currently at 1.25″ with our friends over on Salmon/McGrath still holding right at 1.5″, also above full. And our neighbors across town on Messalonskee are still right at 3.6″ below full. With the exception of the dam in Oakland, all of the other dam gates are closed, and, with only 0.14″ of precipitation forecast for the next ten days, they should remain closed until the fall drawdown in late October.
The 2021-22 fall lake drawdown should be calling for Great and Long Ponds to be drawn down to 1.5′ – 2.0′ and Salmon down to 1.0′ – 1.5′ by November 1. Weather permitting, the drawdowns usually begins after the Columbus Day weekend. You can access the 2021 Fall Drawdown Schedule this fall on your town's website.
Enjoy what's left of the summer of 2021 and your vacation! I hope it's been a memorable one. It has been for us. Thank you and see you next summer!
Dick Greenan is secretary to the Belgrade Lakes Watershed Dams Committee. He submitted this report on August 11.
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