Quote:
Originally Posted by upthesaukee
I love humor, but I'm sure Newcomers question was serious.
Unlike a lot of other lakes, Winnipesaukee is not "drawn down" per se. The outflow from the Big Lake goes through the various lakes to the Winnipesaukee River and then to its confluence with the Pemigewasset River to form the Merrimack River. The controlling of the outflow is a delicate balance between ensuring adequate levels to provide for the spring runoff in the vast Winnipesaukee watershed while providing an adequate flow for dams and power stations downstream. It's a delicate balance to say the least. As others have said, it will likely go down to about 1.5 ft below full lake.
That being said, be careful anchoring so as to avoid snagging the large rubber stopper on the lake bottom. The results there could be catastrophic. 
Dave |
I have to question your first statement. Newcomer has been a member of the Forum for 12 years.
Second, I believe the stopper was installed as a WPA project to allow draw down/bypass for repairs to the Lakeport dam. I recall signs near the Laconia Water Works saying no anchoring, no swimming in the area of their intake. As part of the Winnipesaukee River Basin sewer project in the 60's, the stopper was replaced with anti-backflow mechanicals so the wasrewater treatment facility in Franklin would not backflow effluent into Paugus Bay. Nowadays that system in Laconia is all maintained under the federal MS4 program (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System).
https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/...mwater/ms4.htm