Lake Level Concerns
 

With the snow pack as it stands now measured in feet, and the Lake level higher than usual, should we be concerned with the potential threat of all this snow melting. I'm sure there are a few lake veterans out there that can shed some light (experience) with this. :confused:

The level is just about what 2000 was at this time and only slightly above '01,'02,'03'and 04. Historically the dam operators do a pretty good job. I would only worry if the melting is accompanied by a whole lot of rain

A picture is worth a thousand words...
 

Hope these help...


A chart of this year’s Lake level with parameters:

Here for best...

Or here for past years, as well...

A chart with Lake level history – past and present in various colors...

Hmmmmm...
 

The situation was looking really good; but now looks like it might be a good year for the prop shops... :rolleye2:

Sublimation
 

sublimation

n 1: (chemistry) a change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid

From watching the snow level in the yard drop while seeing no water running down my driveway, I think we are having another year of snow sublimation rather than melting. The sun is warm, we have had little rain, and the air temperatures are cool. The water is going into the air rather than into the lake. The same process happened 3-4 years ago.

cant they slow water down at the dam?
 

if the levels are low, and being that the lake is mostly spring fed, cant they just slow down outgoing water at the dam and let the level rise?

The lake's level is lower than normal for this date (March 25th), but the March temperature has been substantially below normal. Lower temperatures mean less melting than normal. For March 25th, the amount of snow waiting to melt is higher than normal.

Weather service discussion
 

There is a great discussion about the snowpack and potential for floods from the weather service at ftp://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/data/text/FGUS71/KGYX.TXT - in fact a whole lot of hydrological information at http://www.erh.noaa.gov/gyx/hydrology.html

The summary from their March 18'th report (update due April 1) says:

WHILE FLOOD POTENTIAL OVER THE NEXT 7 TO 10 DAYS OR SO IS ABOUT NORMAL...THE RISK OF FLOODING LATER THIS SPRING REMAINS HIGH. THERE IS A HIGH WATER EQUIVALENT IN THE SNOWPACK CURRENTLY AND IT IS POSSIBLE WE WILL SEE THE SNOWPACK INCREASE OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS. THE CONCERN IS WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED WE WILL BE GOING INTO THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH AND THE FIRST PART OF APRIL WITH A SIGNIFICANT SNOWPACK REMAINING AT A TIME WHEN TEMPERATURES CAN SOAR INTO 50S OR 60S AND THE CHANCES OF A HEAVY RAIN ARE GREATER.

ANYONE LIVING OR WORKING IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA SHOULD REVIEW THEIR FLOOD PLAN AND KNOW WHAT TO DUE IN THE EVENT FLOOD WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.

MAJOR FLOODING DOES NOT OCCUR FROM SNOWMELT ALONE. FLOODING IS DRIVEN BY RAINFALL...HOW MUCH AND IN HOW SHORT A PERIOD OF TIME. RAINFALL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE SEVERITY OF FLOODING.

If the current 10-day forecasts are true, we're looking at rain almost every day next week, with temps close to or above freezing even at night. I expect we'll see a much greater inflow in the next week.

If the lake is allowed to vary too much at this time of year, the ice clinging to many structures will cause a lot of damage.

History has shown us that the dam operators do a very good job managing the level give the extreme variations of NE weather.

Soil moisture, hmmmmm...
 

Forecast for soil moisture looks normal; not wet :eek:

The lake has risen six inches in the past four days.

Massachusetts is due to get lots of rain in the next 48 hours. That should add at least another 6" within a week.

Higher and higher
 

The lake has risen over 12" in the past week.

Those dam operators....They do a pretty good job. It seems like we have this concern every year, yet almost every year (exception would be June 98) we do pretty well! Even then, they were doing a good job, a feakishly wet June did everyone in!

... and still rising
 

I count 16 inches in 9 days. Bizer did a Monday update to their lake level chart which is usually updated on Thursdays.

http://www.bizer.com/bztnews.htm#lakelevel

I believe we are now a bit above average for the date.

Thanks Bizer

The lake is full
 

At 8:30 this morning, the lake reached 4.32 feet which, by definition, is "full pool" for Winnipesaukee. The lake has risen 21 inches in the past 17 days.

http://www.bizer.com/lakelog.gif

rising and rising
 

The water has come up almost 2" in the last 24 hours, and at 4.61, it is now (Sunday at 8AM) well above full pool of 4.32. The stream beside our place is running pretty strong, as are others I'm sure - and the ground is still very soggy. It looks like we are in for at least another small flood. Break out the sand bags and tell the dam operator to open the flood gates.

Everything's under control
 

My dock is taller than most, and the surface is just over the piling tops.

If it wasn't presently raining, I'd say this was a normal height for the season, and there's no reason for concern.

But isn't the lake outlet computer-controlled? :look:

Absolutely nothing can go wrong...go wrong...go wrong...go wrong...go wrong...go wrong...go wrong...go wrong....

:)

Lakegeezer: A live view of the DAM CAM this morning at Lakeport ( :D ) would indicate that the flood gates have indeed been opened!! ;) ;)
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...akeportdam.jpg

Prop shop lover?
 

The soil moisture for May and July are still looking average. We may need this extra water to avoid the prop shop this summer. :eek:

You'll also notice that the dam operators seem to on top of the situation.

Will we have a "No Wake" lake?
 

I arrived at Bear Island yesterday to find the water level very high. It was even higher today when I put in the outer dock. Another three inches and my crib dock will be under water.

The public dock at Shep Brown's is at water level. A few more inches and they will be talking making the whole lake no wake like in 1998.

Bear Islander

Yes, it was startling how quickly the lake rose this weekend! I was up there yesterday and today doing Spring cleaning on the boat (she went in Thursday). When my wife and I left a little before 3:00 PM, the water was washing over the lowest point on the town docks.

We'd hoped to be able to take her out for our first cruise of the year this weekend, but the weather didn't cooperate, and the sudden fog that blew in was the last straw. :( At one point I couldn't even see Bear Island from the docks. :eek:

Silver Duck

This was a terrific warm, sunny April (!) day through about 3PM. Got lots of boat and dock work done today. Lots of fisher-persons actually catching fish.

Lake's up another inch on the dock from yesterday, which puts the lake's surface in the middle of the stringers, but not slapping the bottom of the planking as yet. A big wake would wash across the top surface of it.

Another boat trip around my area shows today's gentle waves washing over another dock not far away. A wind storm now could do some damage to docks that weren't damaged by the ice!

Things are normal at the dam.
 

CLICK HERE for Citizen article

"Lake Winnipesaukee being above full "is not uncommon," Fay continued, nor is the rate of water flowing over the Lakeport dam unusually high."

Aps,

The lake today is about 5 inches above full (.4 x 12 inches). Correct me if I'm wrong, the bottom of your dock must only be a couple of inches above the water at full lake. Isn't this kind of low? Seems to me wakes and waves would be washing over your dock all summer. The bottom of my dock is about a foot and a half above the water at full lake.

Our docks may be comparable: The lake level was 10 inches below the highest walking level of my dock at Noon today. A big wake could wash across the walking surface. It's not perfectly level, due to previous amateur ice damage repairs. (Mine) :)

Mine would be among the last in my neighborhood to sink below the surface as they did in '84 and '98. (I have photos taken of flooded neighbors' docks in '84 -- which was before my present dock was installed).

It drizzled most of last night and part of the morning. The level was above all of the pilings themselves a few days ago, and the cross-members (6X8's) atop the pilings are mostly submerged today. (The dock obviously can't be easily adjusted for height -- and wouldn't want to).

Until about late August, parts of my dock are splashed by big wakes hitting the immediate rocky shore and splashing backwards onto the walking surface.

It's all a compromise: it's a big stretch down to get into boats towards the end of the season.

The winds have been variable. When the wind is just right, waves make continuous -- and friendly -- "clip-clop-clip-clop" sounds of invisible passing horses on the undersides of the dock.

Floods in Belmont!
 

Help! they have opened the flood gates and those of us below the big lake are drowning!! We have ducks swimming in our woods and, with the lake creeping up its foundation, next door looks more like a house boat than a cottage, .

Chris, at (almost in!) Silver Lake, Belmont

High Tide at Silver Lake
 

Click for WMUR article
and
The Video

"Homeowner Jim Sawicki said that the swollen lake doesn't have millions of dollars in luxury property, like the others do."

Silver Lake Flooding - Hope Things Get Better Soon
 

Winnipesaukee River isn't considered a natural outlet? :confused:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...ilver_Lake.jpg

The charts are showing that the water level is going down, is the flooding getting any better downstream?
How bad was the flooding of Silver Lake in 1984 & 1998?
At what point above full reservoir would a no wake zone be called?

Can someone please shut off the rain? :( Rain, rain, stay away...

Looks like more this weekend :(

The lake level is slowing going down. Its .27 above full lake. Hopefully the rain predicted this weekend will be drizzle & not amount to much.

The river only has a narrow outlet and can't take the amount of water that's being sent our way without swelling over the edges.

The water was starting to recede slowly before the rain came this weekend. So far it's hasn't risen any further - we'll see if they open the gates wide again tomorrow!

We moved to Silver Lake in 1999 but neighbors say our area was cut off and formed an island in the big flood and they had to canoe down the road! I guess everyone got hit bad in that one.
Chris

Lake Wentworth Dam
 

One of the sources of Lake Winnie water is Lake Wentworth. The dam at Crescent Lake controls the water flow. Last fall Wentworth was lowered to an extreme degree to allow for bridge and shoreline repair.

Check this site for info on the dam.

http://www.lwa.org/index.php

Choice Lake Level from the side menu

Although the lake level is a bit higher than the median for this time of year, it appears it is close to if not back to normal for the time being. Hopefully, the rain predicted will not raise it significantly.

The lake is now below the median height for this time of year per the Bizer site.