Lake drawdown

[angela4design]

I think this is great, to ask residents what they think about lake drawdown, but why only those two? I understand, it's a privately held dam, but it seems like a survey would be useful for the Big Lake too. Anyone?

From today's Laconia Daily Sun:

18-inch drawn-down of Lakes Waukewan and Winona to begin about Nov. 9
State asks for lake level input via online survey form

MEREDITH — The New Hampshire
Department of Environmental
Services (DES) and Hampshire Hospitality
Holdings, Inc., owner of the
Lake Waukewan Dam, have arranged
to complete a winter drawdown of
Waukewan and Winona lakes. This
drawdown, which is likely to begin on
or about November 9, will result in a
water level elevation of approximately
539 feet. As a reference, June and July
2009 average water level elevation
was approximately 540 feet and six
inches.

Lake Winona, whose level is also
influenced by operations of the Lake
Waukewan Dam, is likely to drop a
similar or slightly lesser amount. The
dam owner will endeavor to hold this
level throughout the winter months
so as to provide for additional storage
and a reduced potential for flooding
from spring runoff.

Additionally, DES has held two public
information meetings to accept public
comments on the management of water
levels for Lakes Waukewan and Winona.
These meetings, which occurred in
Center Harbor on September 28, and
in Meredith on September 29, provided
DES and the dam owner with information
and opinions on current and future
water management practices.
DES has expanded its efforts to
garner additional comment from lakeshore
residents and lake users by
developing an online opinion survey
form. This form may be accessed on the
DES website (www.des.nh.gov ) under
What’s New on the homepage. DES will
also partner with area lake associations
and interest groups, as well as with
local municipal officials, to insure that
word of the opinion survey reaches as
many people as possible.

Ultimately, DES, after evaluating
the responses, together with other
information already and as yet gathered,
will issue an interim operating
plan to the dam owner that will be
exercised through the 2010 recreational
season. After that time, mostly
likely by mid-August 2010, DES will
again reach out to the affected population
to discuss the best long-range
plan for managing the levels of both
Lake Waukewan and Lake Winona.

DES intends to issue the interim
operating plan by February 1, 2010,
so surveys should be completed and
received by DES by December 18, 2009.
Please take the time to fill in the survey
completely so that we may characterize
your interest appropriately.

[LIforrelaxin]

A4D,

You ask a very good question.

Now my disclaimer these are my opinions, no fact here just opinion

The reason you don't see a statement like that about some of the other lakes in the Area, Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam etc. is that they already of watershed plans in place and have for many years. Becuase the stick to these established plans that are very much public knowledge and information can be retrieved form DES themselves there are no issue, to notify the public about unless, they deviate from the norm. These are also Dams controlled by DES.

now what you are seeing as the notification of something that is not normally done. It is not completely controlled by the state, therefore the state can't claim that this will be normal operation. The dam you will notice in the article is privately owned. Now my guess is that this is something that DES is working on with the DAM owner to try and improve conditions in the watershed this comming spring, and provide hopefully
more constant lake levels accross all lakes in the area. You may find that this becomes a annual accourence down the road, and eventually isn't publicised this way anymore, it will get then recorded as an annual event with DES......

[Weirs guy]

its a case of a private dam owner trying to please the dozens of "customers" he has, from bob who just bough on waukewan to the head of des. imagine a public forum for winni, it'd be standing room only and take weeks to get through all the opinions!

[wifi]

Originally Posted by Weirs guy

..... imagine a public forum for winni, it'd be standing room only and take weeks to get through all the opinions!

Its interesting that there is private control over the Meredith public water supply (Waukewan)

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by wifi

Its interesting that there is private control over the Meredith public water supply (Waukewan)

Humm now that is interesting, Didn't realize that Waukewan was the public water supply..... which makes it even more interesting that they allow swimming, motor boating etc. on / in a body of water that is supposed to be a public water supply.

[TomC]

...and its everyone's waterpark.. I think all the contaminants are removed in processing prior to the water coming out of your faucet...

[Weirs guy]

Originally Posted by TomC

...and its everyone's waterpark.. I think all the contaminants are removed in processing prior to the water coming out of your faucet...

technically paugus bay is laconias water supply, or the "tailpipe of winni" where EVERYTHING collects.

you are correct they clean it before we drink it.