lake level

[Garcia]

Originally Posted by BillTex

I’ll say it (one last time in this thread). We are on a near-by dam controlled lake. We have experienced the same drought as you. Our lake has had none of these issues. Water level has been at +/- historical level all season.
Different feeders (springs, rivers, snow melt)? Maybe…
Mismanagement? Maybe…
Yeti? Maybe…
Aliens? maybe…

What lake?

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by BillTex

I’ll say it (one last time in this thread). We are on a near-by dam controlled lake. We have experienced the same drought as you. Our lake has had none of these issues. Water level has been at +/- historical level all season.
Different feeders (springs, rivers, snow melt)? Maybe…
Mismanagement? Maybe…
Yeti? Maybe…
Aliens? maybe…

Which lake is very important in this context. Even lakes that are dammed can be constant level lakes, as they balance inflows and outflows.... Winnipesauke is a Flood Control reservoir.... The water is held and then released as appropriate to control conditions down stream.... The lake is not meant to be a constant 504.32 feet..... as long as it is below 504.32 feet a minimum outflow of 250cfs has to be maintained, for down stream considerations. The amount below 504.32 feet is an indicator of how much water can be held back when mother nature strikes... My general observation has been that once below about 504 feet, the dam operators feel that they have sufficient capacity. and are happy to run at 250 cfs.......

[Biggd]

Spring fed lakes seem to be holding up much better. I help my buddy take his boat out of Stinson Lake in Rumney and his lake level was normal level.

[fatlazyless]

Did you know the last of the indigenous people living at their Weirs Beach fishing village were evicted and forcibly driven out by the year, 1696. They relocated to the shoreline area along the Saco River in what is now Fryeburg, Maine.

So, 329-years later in 2025, here we be and this year's Lake Winnipesaukee low water situation has got to somehow be directly related to the forced eviction ..... www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquadoctan ..... of these indigenous people back in 1696.

Some type of heap big revenge coming from the Smile of the Great Spirit or something, ugh! ...... ..... and double ugh! ...... and holy cowabunga! ...... ..... just imagine moving from Lake Winnipesaukee to Saco River.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by jeffk

This is silly.

The dam flow is automatically monitored and reported online hourly. Plus, anyone driving by the area can see the flow levels and confirm they are very low. Do you think dam operators are sneaking out at midnight, opening up the dam gates, and then shutting them before morning twilight so no one can see? That's pretty paranoid. Oops, it's a full moon tonight. Can't open the dam. Someone might see.

The power plant at the dam is, I believe, a smaller one, with regional impact only. This isn't a large corporation sitting in a locked room, counting their ill gotten money from opening the dam surreptitiously. Plus, I will bet power generation records match the dam flow rate. It would be kind of obvious if the dam started cranking out lots of power when the flow was supposed to be 200 CFS. Also, power generation is highly regulated. There are LOTS of eyes on it and odd fluctuations happening in the dead of night by evil dam operators in collusion with the evil power money hoarders would be noticed in a heartbeat.

Finally, the lake level is automatically monitored and reported online as well. We have had a long dry spell so there has been no significant impact of rain water coming into the lake. The lake level has been on a long slow decline that parallels a slow dam rate. It's obviously not one to one but it has been steady. At 200 CFS the lake level would drop about 3 - 4 inches a month and that is exactly what has happened. When we recently got a couple of inches of rain, the lake level bounced up and then resumed its steady decline, again doing what you would expect with the dam at 200 CFS.

The cost of electricity is a red herring. No one is getting rich off of electricity generation and speculation and discussion of electricity management has almost nothing to do with the lake level, beyond the minimal level required to keep the generators operating to prevent damage from non use.

Conspiracy theories can be entertaining but this one is full of holes.

Wow. Tell us more about how cfs flow rates can be verified by looking at the water from a bridge.

Yup only mega size corporations break rules.

It must be low rainfall and evaporation cause any other cause is a tinfoil hat conspiracy.

Yes, there's a mass outflow facility and they are above reproach. Nothing to see here folks... move along.

[John Mercier]

So why complain about the price of electricity if you want the dam to flow less water and produce less electricity?

[BillTex]

The consensus seems to be the lake is managed for a (very small) amount of power generation and not for the benefit/enjoyment of property owners (tax payers). Winni is a complicated eco system with many stakeholders. If the health of the lake was paramount, seems to me, everyone would benefit.
We are fortunate that our community has rallied around the health of our lake, understanding this benefits all stakeholders. We have programs/grants for septic, run-off, and other initiatives all focused on improving/maintaining water quality.
Maintaining the water level year round just makes sense and certainly makes for a more enjoyable summer.
I don’t’ know the details of the Winni lake management, but if I lived there, i would be getting involved. If you are a property owner, and your quality of lake life declines…you are at risk on many levels. It is difficult to understand why something so basic as maintaining the water level of Winni throughout the summer, has been so controversial. But then again, i am not on winni…

[John Mercier]

Because when too much water is withheld, the lake overflows and damage to the shoreline properties occurs.

No one knows for sure how "wet" the summer is going to be.

[thinkxingu]

Someone posted this pic of Lake Champlain on Facebook yesterday. That's rough.



Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

[ACME on the Broads]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Did you know the last of the indigenous people living at their Weirs Beach fishing village were evicted and forcibly driven out by the year, 1696. They relocated to the shoreline area along the Saco River in what is now Fryeburg, Maine.

So, 329-years later in 2025, here we be and this year's Lake Winnipesaukee low water situation has got to somehow be directly related to the forced eviction ..... www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquadoctan ..... of these indigenous people back in 1696.

Some type of heap big revenge coming from the Smile of the Great Spirit or something, ugh! ...... ..... and double ugh! ...... and holy cowabunga! ...... ..... just imagine moving from Lake Winnipesaukee to Saco River.

NO THX, too far away from Pop's!

[LoveLakeLife]

For a second there I wondered if that was the stretch between Ames Farm and Diamond Island. 🫨. Whew.


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

[TheTimeTraveler]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Someone posted this pic of Lake Champlain on Facebook yesterday. That's rough.



Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

..... put the local ferry boat right out of business and into mothballs.

[fatlazyless]

The red line ..... www.weather.gov/btv/lakeLevel?year=2025 ..... represents Lake Champlain's lake level this year, 2025, compared to historic maximum, average, and minimum levels going back to 1907.

Bernie Sanders' 1920 island summer house with a little over one acre on Lake Champlain, North Hero, Vermont ...... http://www.sfgate.com/realestate/sli...ome-133412.php ...... in August, 2016.

Cannot find a Bernie photo for October, 2025 to show today's much lower Lake Champlain water level. That boat lift looks to have four wheels on it for rolling out to deeper water!

Bernie is 84, born Sept 8, 1941, and he still goes water skiing on one ski, but not with today's low water levels ...... too many rocks to destroy the prop!

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

The red line ..... www.weather.gov/btv/lakeLevel?year=2025 ..... represents Lake Champlain's lake level this year, 2025, compared to historic maximum, average, and minimum levels going back to 1907.

Bernie Sanders' 1920 island summer house with a little over one acre on Lake Champlain, North Hero, Vermont ...... http://www.sfgate.com/realestate/sli...ome-133412.php ...... in August, 2016.

Cannot find a Bernie photo for October, 2025 to show today's much lower Lake Champlain water level. That boat lift looks to have four wheels on it for rolling out to deeper water!

Bernie is 84, born Sept 8, 1941, and he still goes water skiing on one ski, but not with today's low water levels ...... too many rocks to destroy the prop!

You have a lot of free time. Maybe you could drive to Bernie's house and take a picture to post here? Thank you in advance!

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

You have a lot of free time. Maybe you could drive to Bernie's house and take a picture to post here? Thank you in advance!

I have no clue what Bernie has for a motorboat? There's a long dock and a boat lift with a canopy frame but no boat in the photos. Would be interesting to learn how this year's Lake Champlain low water situation has effected his boating season?

My guess? Bernie has a 1980 Alumacraft 14' vee hull with a 15hp Evinrude tiller handle 2-stroke and boat and motor came with the house. Everything on the old aluminum boat still works good, and it mostly gets rowed by two rowers using four wood oars, Bernie and wife. The motor only gets used occasionally when the grandkids come visit just for a fun fast ride.

Bernie, row de boat ashore, Hallelujah! ......

[JayR]

As a nerd (and I know I have some fellow nerds on here) looking at those Lake Champlain graphs, it is a bit fascinating that on Champlain it is fairly average to have a four-foot swing between high tide and low tide each year. Sometimes five or six-plus, like they have now. So they must have to plan accordingly, hence BS's dock on wheels perhaps.

Meanwhile we are on page 3 of a huge months-long discussion because of the low water... and the difference isn't even 3 feet yet for us. It's pretty DAM interesting!

[Garcia]

Curious if this bit of rain makes a measurable impact on the lake level.

[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by Garcia

Curious if this bit of rain makes a measurable impact on the lake level.

Based on the marker I'm watching, not much. Maybe 1/4-1/2" max.

First time my boating season ended by lack of water, instead of time.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Garcia

Curious if this bit of rain makes a measurable impact on the lake level.

Well it did rain like heck here early this morning that's for sure! I don't think it's going to make much of a difference in lake level now as I think the surrounding dry ground is just going to soak it all up. There is more rain scheduled for early next week so maybe the lake will come up a bit by then...

Dan

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Well it did rain like heck here early this morning that's for sure! I don't think it's going to make much of a difference in lake level now as I think the surrounding dry ground is just going to soak it all up. There is more rain scheduled for early next week so maybe the lake will come up a bit by then...

Dan

It's not looking like very significant rain next week, but anything right now is welcomed.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by JayR

As a nerd (and I know I have some fellow nerds on here) looking at those Lake Champlain graphs, it is a bit fascinating that on Champlain it is fairly average to have a four-foot swing between high tide and low tide each year. Sometimes five or six-plus, like they have now. So they must have to plan accordingly, hence BS's dock on wheels perhaps.

Meanwhile we are on page 3 of a huge months-long discussion because of the low water... and the difference isn't even 3 feet yet for us. It's pretty DAM interesting!

Having lived right on Lake Champlain, in South Hero for almost 10 years..... Yes Champlain normally has a significant level change through out the year and or summer.... Because of this docks are floating or on wheels and get adjusted through out the year.....it is not uncommon for the shallow portion of a floating dock, at a boat ramp to spend part of the year high and dry....

It is all in what you are used too.....

Note by the definition used on this forum, Bernie is not an islander, you drive onto the Hero Islands, either via bridge in the north, or via the causeway in the south......

[pondguy]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

I have no clue what Bernie has for a motorboat? There's a long dock and a boat lift with a canopy frame but no boat in the photos. Would be interesting to learn how this year's Lake Champlain low water situation has effected his boating season?

My guess? Bernie has a 1980 Alumacraft 14' vee hull with a 15hp Evinrude tiller handle 2-stroke and boat and motor came with the house. Everything on the old aluminum boat still works good, and it mostly gets rowed by two rowers using four wood oars, Bernie and wife. The motor only gets used occasionally when the grandkids come visit just for a fun fast ride.

Bernie, row de boat ashore, Hallelujah! ......

I bet a weekend at Bernie's would be cool.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Biggd

Spring fed lakes seem to be holding up much better.

I help my buddy take his boat out of Stinson Lake in Rumney and his lake level was normal level.

Unknown how much water (spring-water) flows into Lake Winnipesaukee, but in front of my place, I recorded three major simultaneous surges from about 14-feet of Winter Harbor's bottom.

https://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums...ad.php?t=27101

Haven't seen it since then.

The elevation of the only land that could produce such a spring-water surge is only about 40-feet.

(Wolfeboro Airport's average elevation, minus 504').

[TiltonBB]

From the Laconia Sun:

The lakes are already down to the winter levels, so there is no reason to push it any further. He said DES staff are being careful, so people have time to get their boats out of the water, and ensure there is enough water in the lakes throughout the winter.

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...b4c7f8e4c.html

[garysanfran]

At what point does a lake become a pond?

[Descant]

In NH, anything over 10 acres is a "great pond" and the waters of all great ponds are state waters.

[fatlazyless]

In the beautifully rugged and wild State of Maine, just east of N.H., the Maine ponds can be huge in size if they are shallow.

Lake or Pond??? ..... www.maine.gov/dep/water/lakes/lkepond.html

In Maine what differentiates a pond from a lake is the ability for sunlight to penetrate through the water to the bottom. If sunlight travels all the way to the bottom, it is a pond. If sunlight will not travel all the way to the bottom, it is a lake.

New Hampshire and Maine are different in many ways. Here's the New Hampshire difference..... http://www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files/...0-01/bb-49.pdf ..... between a pond and a lake.

[ishoot308]

As of today, the lake is 25 1/4” below full pool…

Dan

[Cobalt 25]

Friends of ours in Paugus say it's the lowest they have seen it at their dock in 45 years.

[jeffk]

On the DES website you can adjust the plot timespan.

Since 2010, similar low points
Oct 2016 502.29
Nov 2020 502.28
Nov 2024 502.12
Oct 26 2025 502.24

The decimal values might be a few hundredths off since it's hard to place the cursor precisely in such a data filled graph but the numbers show this year's number isn't that unusual.

What is unusual is that the lake level dropped much sooner than normal because of the lack of rain, intruding into the normal boating season.

[ACME on the Broads]

Same for us on LI !

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by jeffk

On the DES website you can adjust the plot timespan.

Since 2010, similar low points
Oct 2016 502.29
Nov 2020 502.28
Nov 2024 502.12
Oct 26 2025 502.24

The decimal values might be a few hundredths off since it's hard to place the cursor precisely in such a data filled graph but the numbers show this year's number isn't that unusual.

What is unusual is that the lake level dropped much sooner than normal because of the lack of rain, intruding into the normal boating season.

Its a problem. But not really a great solution.
And so many other issue for the Legislature and Departments to focus on that I think sticking to the current management plan will be what they do.

It does risk the revenue generated from Meals & Rental (Rooms & Meals), which is a decent part of the NH budget. But with the dam funding in question, along with the highway funding, and figuring out what changes have to be made on the educational funding issue now that the courts have ruled. I think they may have their plate full to go into the in depth discussions that would need to happen to make a dramatic management plan change.

[LIforrelaxin]

so this morning I went to the DES website and looked at the lake level and dam output. The Dam is running at 50 cfs, as per the NOP this time of year....The lake is at 502.24 just a couple of inches lower then the operating band. For those that continue to fuss over the lake getting low to quick, the operation band for the lake allows it to be as low as 502.32.... if you dock doesn't accommodate that then its time to either realize some seasons might be shorter then others.... or make accommodations in your dock to allow for low water.

This is one of the reasons I never would chose to have a permanent dock structure. because you are limited to 30 feet of length... Season docks get 40.... myself I always tried to keep an extra dock section on shore so I could go out to 48' if the water got really low.....Had I not moved, this year I might have actually put that additional section in, to allow me to finish out the season comfortably. That would have made it on the second time in almost 40 years I would have had that thought..... I would say to everyone that is complaining the DES isn't doing their job.... Get Real, Get Over it, and realize that there is more involved then just making sure that the level at the lake stays high enough past Labor day.....

As a note, I routinely boat into Oct. I can personally say the number of people boating in Sept. and Oct. on Winnipesaukee.... is really limited, and they must all be on this forum.....

[Biggd]

I'm a fair-weather boater, I only boat in perfect weather. This was the first time in 11 years that I had to move everyone to the back of the boat to power off the sand. Taking my boat out a month early allowed me to get a jump start on my fall/winter projects. No complaints from me.

[Garcia]

It was a great weekend to be out on the water and on the island. Yes, the water is low, but on the flip side, I saw just a couple boats and not another soul on the island. I wish I could have spent the week!