Lake Level this Year

[LIforrelaxin]

So, as many of us are I am anxiously awaiting Ice-Out this year. Which unless we get a major cold snap of biblical proportions is probably going to happen very early this year. However I am very concerned about what this year could bring for lake levels. Normally there is lots of spring run off from melting snow, and the draw down of the big lake takes all that into consideration. The major melt off is not going to be what it normally is because haha there just isn't that much snow. Hopefully we will get some rain, which coupled with smart dam management will help fill up the lake. However I fear this years boating season could be hampered severely by low lake levels. As we all know, many boat ramps become unusable. As well many lake front home owners don't have enough water at there docks etc. to deal with a low lake situation all summer.

Luckily I have an extra dock section or two so if it got really bad I could always extend my dock. Desperate time call for desperate measures (please lets not argue the legalities of this we all know what they are). But I know most people can not, additionally if the low water starts causing problems at ramps it ruins things for day boaters, and some ramps have sharp drop offs...

Well hopefully I have given everyone something to think about and comment on....... A bad winter may lead to a not so great summer......

[LakeSnake]

01234567890

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by LakeSnake

A quick check of Bizer shows the lake is actually a little above normal for this time of year - I think we are in good hands with the Lakeport Dam Mgt team.

You maybe correct and at this moment the lake may be where it should be, but the melt off is not up in the mountains where it needs to be. The story will be told a month to six weeks from now when the lake usually tops off. I don't believe it is going to this year.

[chipj29]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

You maybe correct and at this moment the lake may be where it should be, but the melt off is not up in the mountains where it needs to be. The story will be told a month to six weeks from now when the lake usually tops off. I don't believe it is going to this year.

It is only March 12. We still have 2+ months of spring, which usually brings plenty of rain. If on May 12 the lake is still low, then you might have a legitimate concern, but I don't think you need to worry quite yet.

[gtxrider]

Looking at the DOWNINGSLANDING CAM the lake seems to be up. The old gas dock is just above the surface.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by gtxrider

Looking at the DOWNINGSLANDING CAM the lake seems to be up. The old gas dock is just above the surface.

Yes with the recent rain the lake is up and right now we appear to be in good shape. However knowing some about water tables, long term effects of a bad winter etc. I still remain skeptical...

I believe Chip does indeed have the piece of the equation that we need to allow to unfold some. I believe the amount of rain fall in April, and May could indeed have a huge influence either way on future of the boating season and the lake level for the year.

The dam operators only have so much control.... when water is needed down stream they have no choice but to allow water to flow... I have been looking at more then just lake level data, I have been looking at river flows etc. believe me this winter and its lack of snow has a ripple effect.

[robmac]

But with all the rain down in the southern part of the state I would think they have to slow the outflow at the dam.

[Island Girl]

since Friday....

[RI Swamp Yankee]

Quite a jump in this graph

http://des.nh.gov/organization/divis.../graph2010.JPG

[CanisLupusArctos]

There may be "not much snow" around the lake shores but this has turned into quite a winter for elevations above 1500 feet. Randolph NH had 39 inches of snow in the storm 2 weeks ago, and more since. Wildcat Mountain has had something like 5 feet of snow in the last 2 weeks and another foot from this current storm. Mt. Major is looking very white right now. It's a great time to go skiing!

Sooner or later, that snow is going to melt and run downhill. The lake is now 5 inches below my approximate-full mark.

[Bizer]

The lake has reached the full mark.
http://www.bizer.com/bztnews.htm#lakelevel

[CanisLupusArctos]

The weather station has received 0.70 inch of rain today and there is more on the way. The mountains are also getting rain from this, so snowmelt is beginning to occur there. Expect the lake to continue rising.

[HUH]

The lake looks about full..

[Lakegeezer]

The water flow at Lakeport dam today is over 1750 cubit feet per second, which is an emergency rate. The lake level is out of control again, at more than a foot above average for April 1. The level is 504.55 which is well above full lake (503.63), near a record high for this time of year (since 1982) and well above the planned limit for anytime during year (504.32). Typical for this time of year is 502.75 to 503.75. We are expecting heavy rain again this week and there is still snow in the higher elevations of the winny watershed. My beach is already eroding. Its a good thing that boat traffic is virtually nil. We could easily hit 505 by the end of the week - which should trigger a no-wake rule until the floods recede.

[NoRegrets]

I like the no wake time of the year. You can go out for hours and barely move the fuel needle!

I believe the last time we had a no wake condition it was posted "No Wake within 600 feet of shore". That was made interesting because many "bonehead" drivers had trouble with 150 ft and they still zipped by us at less than the 150 foot distance. No harm to us but it was wrong.

[robmac]

I remember it well.I was sitting talking to marine patrol about it while out in the Broads and there goes Captain Bonehead at about 60mph and the officer just shook his head and went off to educate him on what no wake means. And yes the fuel last quite awhile.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

The water flow at Lakeport dam today is over 1750 cubit feet per second, which is an emergency rate. The lake level is out of control again, at more than a foot above average for April 1. The level is 504.55 which is well above full lake (503.63), near a record high for this time of year (since 1982) and well above the planned limit for anytime during year (504.32). Typical for this time of year is 502.75 to 503.75. We are expecting heavy rain again this week and there is still snow in the higher elevations of the winny watershed. My beach is already eroding. Its a good thing that boat traffic is virtually nil. We could easily hit 505 by the end of the week - which should trigger a no-wake rule until the floods recede.

Lakegeezer I must correct you full lake is not "503.63" full lake is 504.32 feet above see level... just check the dam operation information on the DES website. As of tonight the lake is 504.53.... which is still with in the safety band the they publish of allowing the lake to fill to 504.80 feet during peak run off events.

I have been looking at a lot of the DES watershed data form many of the lakes and streams.... although there has been a significant amount of rain in a very short period of time which has cause many bodies of water to raise quickly. I have seen that all bodies of water have reacted and continue to react very quickly to the dam operations.

In short I don't believe we will spend very long with a full lake. As long as we can get a week or two of good warm weather the lake will come right down.

[Lakegeezer]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

Lakegeezer I must correct you full lake is not "503.63" full lake is 504.32 feet above see level... just check the dam operation information on the DES website.

Thaks for the correction. I can't find where I got that wrong, but very precise number. I noticed they opened the dam even more overnight and it is flowing at 1862 CFS as of 4AM today.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

"...We are expecting heavy rain again this week...which should trigger a no-wake rule until the floods recede..."

If this is another mis-cue by those dam people ( )...
I'll get particularly irked.

I'm generally happy to own an acre of "near-to-nature" lakefront property.

However...

1) When the lake is over-filled, a great deal of forest duff gets "redistributed" along shallow shorelines.

(Once redistributed along the shoreline, some would call this mud—or silt).

2) These become the nutrients that promote algae—the snails that browse on the algae—and thence to the outbreaks of "Duck Itch".

3) With a no-wake rule invoked due to this mis-cue—though still pending—I'd expect that folks living around Lake Winnipesaukee's bays and coves will experience a growth rate increase of milfoil.

4) It's a much-bigger "deal" than having to discipline the speed of over-sized boats—temporarily.

IMHO

[trfour]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

You maybe correct and at this moment the lake may be where it should be, but the melt off is not up in the mountains where it needs to be. The story will be told a month to six weeks from now when the lake usually tops off. I don't believe it is going to this year.

However, if anyone has any control beyond Mother Nature Herself, I trust the dam operator's. They do an exceptional job, and there is more than enough weather involved here for them to work with.

I really wouldn't worry to much about it.


Terry
____________________________________

[corollaman]

All the rain we got this weekend and the other two rainstorms we had this winter are equal to like 5 or 6 feet of snow, so that translates to 60-72 inches of snow, plus the 50 inches have had of snow, there ya go, it's more moisture than the last two winters. Since the ground is frozen, it all went directly into the lake.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

So, as many of us are I am anxiously awaiting Ice-Out this year. Which unless we get a major cold snap of biblical proportions is probably going to happen very early this year. However I am very concerned about what this year could bring for lake levels. Normally there is lots of spring run off from melting snow, and the draw down of the big lake takes all that into consideration. The major melt off is not going to be what it normally is because haha there just isn't that much snow. Hopefully we will get some rain, which coupled with smart dam management will help fill up the lake. However I fear this years boating season could be hampered severely by low lake levels. As we all know, many boat ramps become unusable. As well many lake front home owners don't have enough water at there docks etc. to deal with a low lake situation all summer.

Luckily I have an extra dock section or two so if it got really bad I could always extend my dock. Desperate time call for desperate measures (please lets not argue the legalities of this we all know what they are). But I know most people can not, additionally if the low water starts causing problems at ramps it ruins things for day boaters, and some ramps have sharp drop offs...

Well hopefully I have given everyone something to think about and comment on....... A bad winter may lead to a not so great summer......

Boy was I wrong to have any doubts in mother nature......

[NoBozo]

Looking at the Mount Cam..the lake is really getting high. Another six inches and the town docks will be going under.

The good news is the White Bob House that has been parked on the beach for a month is GONE. NB

[LIforrelaxin]

The Data currently shows that the lake is actually starting to slowly go down... Of course a rain shower or two could change that really quick.

[Bear Island South]

bring your boots if you are on the gas dock at Shep Browns, I had to walk through ankle high water up to the covered section, from there they have added raised sections.