does anyone have the date the lake will be lowered this year?

[8gv]

I thought my dog was going to drink it all but she left some lake for you to enjoy.

[XCR-700]

Originally Posted by 8gv

I thought my dog was going to drink it all but she left some lake for you to enjoy.

No worries, dogs are very responsible animals, that usually return most of the water they drink to the aquifer, thought it tends to have a bit of a yellow tinge to it once they are done with it

Once it drains through the soil it all balances out, and it helps to give any sand it passes through a nice natural amber coloring

[upthesaukee]

I love humor, but I'm sure Newcomers question was serious.

Unlike a lot of other lakes, Winnipesaukee is not "drawn down" per se. The outflow from the Big Lake goes through the various lakes to the Winnipesaukee River and then to its confluence with the Pemigewasset River to form the Merrimack River. The controlling of the outflow is a delicate balance between ensuring adequate levels to provide for the spring runoff in the vast Winnipesaukee watershed while providing an adequate flow for dams and power stations downstream. It's a delicate balance to say the least. As others have said, it will likely go down to about 1.5 ft below full lake.

That being said, be careful anchoring so as to avoid snagging the large rubber stopper on the lake bottom. The results there could be catastrophic.

Dave

[Phantom]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

That being said, be careful anchoring so as to avoid snagging the large rubber stopper on the lake bottom. The results there could be catastrophic.

Dave

SO THAT's what it was !!

My wife thought she had pulled up a tire

[Descant]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

I love humor, but I'm sure Newcomers question was serious.

Unlike a lot of other lakes, Winnipesaukee is not "drawn down" per se. The outflow from the Big Lake goes through the various lakes to the Winnipesaukee River and then to its confluence with the Pemigewasset River to form the Merrimack River. The controlling of the outflow is a delicate balance between ensuring adequate levels to provide for the spring runoff in the vast Winnipesaukee watershed while providing an adequate flow for dams and power stations downstream. It's a delicate balance to say the least. As others have said, it will likely go down to about 1.5 ft below full lake.

That being said, be careful anchoring so as to avoid snagging the large rubber stopper on the lake bottom. The results there could be catastrophic.

Dave

I have to question your first statement. Newcomer has been a member of the Forum for 12 years.

Second, I believe the stopper was installed as a WPA project to allow draw down/bypass for repairs to the Lakeport dam. I recall signs near the Laconia Water Works saying no anchoring, no swimming in the area of their intake. As part of the Winnipesaukee River Basin sewer project in the 60's, the stopper was replaced with anti-backflow mechanicals so the wasrewater treatment facility in Franklin would not backflow effluent into Paugus Bay. Nowadays that system in Laconia is all maintained under the federal MS4 program (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System). https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/...mwater/ms4.htm

[Bizer]

They don't "draw it down". They do reduce the flow to Opechee which usually causes the level to rise slightly in the latter half of October. From the DES website

Not included in this schedule is Lake Winnipesaukee. Unlike the other lakes in this schedule, Lake Winnipesaukee is not purposely drawn down in the fall. Instead, in the fall after Columbus Day, the releases from Lakeport Dam are reduced from a normal minimum of 250 cubic feet per second (cfs) to a flow between 30 and 50 cfs for a period of up to two weeks to allow for maintenance of the dams and hydropower facilities on the Winnipesaukee River. The flow of 30 to 50 cfs is the minimum flow needed to maintain the downstream aquatic life during this period. This year the reduction will begin on October 14th.

By the middle of the fall, Lake Winnipesaukee is, on average, 15 inches below its springtime full level due to evaporation and releases from the lake that have occurred over the course of the summer. As a result of the reduction in the amount of water released from the dam after Columbus Day, the lake level does not drop for the remainder of the month of October and is generally maintained at this level through the month of December. Depending on the amount of snow on the ground in the winter, the lake level may be lowered further beginning in January to a depth of two feet below the normal full level.

[XCR-700]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

After almost 57 years of boating on Winnipesaukee you guys are only now telling me about the stopper,,,

I cant believe this. I feel totally cheated. And now you tell me I need to be careful with my anchoring. And we just got a bigger boat AND anchor!

Please tell me we have makers around the stopper, and it better not be those stupid clear top markers, I can never see them

This is why all the Chinese restaurant employees do all their fishing in their restaurants aquarium, its so much easier than boating.

And I thought we were a (boating) family. So disillusioned,,,

[Descant]

Nobody is kidding you.
The No Anchor Zone is well marked. The markers are submerged and as the water level drops (Oops, is drawn down) the markers appear. Of course, some years the draw down is minimal and nothing is visible. There really aren't many people who want to drop an anchor in the channel going to Lakeport Landing. Again, years ago, there was a Laconia public dock next to the Laconia Water Works. There was even a launch ramp there, and the yacht "Scamp". The city sold the lot/dock to Irwin Marine and the Scamp was scuttled at the north end of Paugus Bay. Different times. The Scamp left us in the late 50's; the lot was sold by the city in the 70's. Diver 1111 has the Scamp located on his list of sunken wrecks. I think it was about 75 feet long. My recollection is that Jim Irwin Sr. owned it, taking it in lieu of fees owed. He then gave it to a local group of Sea Scouts. My memory may be a little off on detail. I was only aboard the Scamp once as a youngster. Sorry for the digression. Nevertheless, don't go swimming, diving, anchoring in the area of the Laconia Water Works intake.