504.32 Where Are You?
 

Does anybody else feel that The NH Dept. of Water Resources is dropping the lake elevation too much? All last week they had the flood gates wide open with a 1602 CFS rate of outflow. I know that the deviation from norm is +1.42 for this time of year, but nothing normal about this year! Ice out 10 days or so earlier than ever before. The spring melt is done, there is no snow left anywhere. I'm used to seeing full lake of 504.32 when I open up the island house and this year I'm not sure we will ever get there.

3 inches low.
 

Lake is at 503.99. That's 3 inches, approximately, below full lake.

Looks like we might be coming into a rainy pattern the next couple of weeks. But if you want the water, there seems to be plenty in the Nashua in northern Mass you can come and get.

Is it due to the timing of ice out this year which is very early? Perhaps it is being dropped to get ready for the spring rain?

lake level
 

http://des.nh.gov/organization/divis.../graph2016.jpg

At or higher than it normally is at this time of year.

Looks like we are way over average levels for this time of year (and have been since January or before). The average doesn't get to full lake until May. We were over the 1982 - 2015 maximum levels until the recent drawdown, a wise action. The average amount of monthly rain builds into the summer. There should be plenty of water to build slowly to full lake levels by May.

Whew, another crisis averted. :rolleye2:

I just drove through Meredith, the water is high- right to the bottom of the dock itself.

The people who draw the lake will do a great job as always..

Agreed. Also the lake is at a good level for this date. And the outflow at Lakeport has very little effect on lake level as has been noted many time on threads like this over many years. Mom Nature is the one in control. Complaints? Speak to her not the Lakeport dam managers.

There you are! 504.32 and rising. I guess I should trust the people managing the dam.

I love this time of year, full lake, cold water and salmon on the surface.

yeah but...
 

While the lake is at a nice level for summer, it is above the statistical norm, with spring only started. It is not a normal year though. The snowmelt (what little there was) is over. Often, April or May brings a significant multi-day rainstorm and keeping the lake this high, this early, risks floods and increased erosion. Lake water quality has been trending better over the past 5-6 years, but this year could be different due to the winter ice-out. All needs to play out, but hopefully, increased erosion due to flooding above full pool isn't part of the equation. In the dam operator we trust. This morning, the discharge rate is up to 742 CFS - nice!

I think they dam operators are doing just fine this year.... the lake is full, the lakes down stream are full.... there is plenty of room to deal with rain storms through May.... All and all I don't think there is anything for people to worry about....

504.33 right now
 

Full Pool and then some!

IG