Getting Back to Summer Water Levels
Welcome back to another summertime in the Belgrades and the eighth year of the Dams Keeper Report!
Although we are still recovering from May 1 storm, which brought 5½″ of rain in less than 24 hrs., our ponds are still reeling from its effects. Long Pond came up 18″ over a three day period!! As of this writing, we are slowly getting back to summer levels. Great Pond’s Village dam is still a whopping 5.40″ above full pond with Gate 1 now opened just 18″. Long Pond and its Wings Mill dam is 3.84″, also above full pond with Gate 1 now opened just 1 ft. Salmon/McGrath is right at 1″ above full pond with its calibrated valve opened just the mandated 1 cubic foot per second flow. Our neighbors on Messalonskee are presently down 5.52″ below full, which is commendable considering the amount of water the aforementioned ponds are sending their way!
With another drought forecasted, we are trying to begin our summer with all of the ponds at 3″ above full pond. If you recall, at 3″ above full, the water level shouldn’t float off anyone’s dock — of course, that is assuming that one has found all of one’s washed out dock sections! — and more importantly, not flood out any of our native hummock style loon nests.
Just like last year, this year’s long-term forecast is only for 77% of normal rain for May through July, with a slight increase 87% of the normal rainfall for August through November. This slight increase in rain, if we do get it, will be great news for our farmers, those with shallow wells and of course, our ponds.
Your Dams Committee will begin the extensive concrete remediation on the Village Dam most likely late August or early September. Although this is estimated to be a two-week project, we will have a temporary coffer dam in place so that we do not lose any of our precious water.
If you have a particular question 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.
Enjoy your summer and again, welcome back!
Dick
Dick Greenan is chairman of the Belgrade Lakes Watershed Dams Committee. He submitted this report on May 24, 2023.
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