high water + upcoming holiday= trouble

[mishman]

Why is the DES not increasing the flow out of Winnipesaukee right now with the water so high and damage occurring to the shoreline and docks from increased boat traffic. I understand the down stream concerns to some extent but DES should be doing more to reduce the water level prior to the holiday weekend.

[John Mercier]

Supposedly where it should be for full pool with 600cfs release.

[Descant]

Full discussion under the "Lake Level" thread. I, for one am quite happy to see the level exactly where it is supposed to be.

[ishoot308]

The lake is not that high. Only a couple inches above where it should be. I’ll take it!!

Dan

[Biggd]

It's looking like we will have a stretch of dry weather coming up so it will go down under normal drainage.

[DesertDweller]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

The lake is not that high. Only a couple inches above where it should be. I’ll take it!!

Dan

Me as well. I couldn't use my boat last September. I'll take it.

[mishman]

I understand and sympathize with those who suffered low water problems last fall but according to the DES chart today, the lake is closer to six inches higher that average for this time of the year. Couple that with wake boats generating another 10-12 inch swells (minimum) and you can understand why I am concerned about my dock and the erosion that is impacting the shoreline. I recognize that managing the lake's water level is both science and art but for the life of me, I can't understand why the release level is not at least at 1,000 cfs to get the level back to average before the big weekend of heavy boat traffic.

[Winilyme]

Originally Posted by mishman

I understand and sympathize with those who suffered low water problems last fall but according to the DES chart today, the lake is closer to six inches higher that average for this time of the year. Couple that with wake boats generating another 10-12 inch swells (minimum) and you can understand why I am concerned about my dock and the erosion that is impacting the shoreline. I recognize that managing the lake's water level is both science and art but for the life of me, I can't understand why the release level is not at least at 1,000 cfs to get the level back to average before the big weekend of heavy boat traffic.

Have you considered reaching out to the DES and asking them your questions? If so, maybe report back what you learn to the forum.

[John Mercier]

https://nhdes.rtiamanzi.org/stations

Where are you finding an updated chart?

[ApS]

Originally Posted by mishman

I understand and sympathize with those who suffered low water problems last fall but according to the DES chart today, the lake is closer to six inches higher that average for this time of the year. Couple that with wake boats generating another 10-12 inch swells (minimum) and you can understand why I am concerned about my dock and the erosion that is impacting the shoreline. I recognize that managing the lake's water level is both science and art but for the life of me, I can't understand why the release level is not at least at 1,000 cfs to get the level back to average before the big weekend of heavy boat traffic.

This past weekend, boat traffic has been light but noisy.

Two wake boats on Winter Harbor have put their wakes over our dock and roiled the water with winter's downhill slide of shoreline sediment.

In my lifetime, I've never seen the lake so full of mud!

[tummyman]

Yesterday's DES report shows the lake at 3 inches above official full pond. It is also roughly 5-6 inches above the 43 year "mean" level. That is what the data shows. I don't know of anyone who cares about the 43 year mean level statistics. What matters is how much water in there relative to full pond. With an upcoming dry spell, +/- 3 inches will disappear fast. Stick to the 543.32 mean level measurement comparison to decide if the lake is at a reasonable level. DES doing a good job !

[tummyman]

Here is the link to DES official page for this 2026, updated more or less daily, for the curious......


https://www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files...-chart2026.pdf

[NHskier]

This morning’s DES report:

Winnipesaukee Operations
Tuesday, June 30th, 5 AM readings

The level of Lake Winnipesaukee is 504.58 (504.32 is full level).
The flow rate is 600 cfs. Flow will be increased to 1000 cfs.

[mishman]

I am not looking to get into a fight about water levels. I am just telling you what I am experiencing with the current above average water level combined with wave action impacting my dock and the shoreline.

Here is the graphic that illustrates the issue. The fact that DES is increasing water flow to 1000 cfs from where it was for the last week or so illustrates my point.

https://www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files...-graph2026.PDF

[John Mercier]

Copy of NHSkier's post

[SAB1]

Originally Posted by mishman

I am not looking to get into a fight about water levels. I am just telling you what I am experiencing with the current above average water level combined with wave action impacting my dock and the shoreline.

Here is the graphic that illustrates the issue. The fact that DES is increasing water flow to 1000 cfs from where it was for the last week or so illustrates my point.

https://www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files...-graph2026.PDF

Raise your dock then. It’s amazing how much complaining goes on when something isn’t right at one’s property. The water management on the lake has been going on before many of us were born. They do a pretty darn good job after a few decades experience and I think they know what they are doing. If you don’t like how it impacts you dock raise it or pull it. If your boat sits to high pull it. God forbid we have to put effort into something.

[Loub52]

Originally Posted by NHskier

This morning’s DES report:

Winnipesaukee Operations
Tuesday, June 30th, 5 AM readings

The level of Lake Winnipesaukee is 504.58 (504.32 is full level).
The flow rate is 600 cfs. Flow will be increased to 1000 cfs.

That’s consistent with the marker at the Aquedoctan (Weirs Bridge) this past weekend. It was just below the 505 mark.

[TheTimeTraveler]

Originally Posted by mishman

Why is the DES not increasing the flow out of Winnipesaukee right now with the water so high and damage occurring to the shoreline and docks from increased boat traffic. I understand the down stream concerns to some extent but DES should be doing more to reduce the water level prior to the holiday weekend.

I wonder what the water level will be by Monday, July 6th ? We are about to see a serious heat wave and I'm confident that they'll be plenty of evaporation over the next week or so!

[ApS]

Originally Posted by SAB1

Raise your dock then. It’s amazing how much complaining goes on when something isn’t right at one’s property. The water management on the lake has been going on before many of us were born. They do a pretty darn good job after a few decades experience and I think they know what they are doing. If you don’t like how it impacts you dock raise it or pull it. If your boat sits to high pull it. God forbid we have to put effort into something.

Our piling dock was built of PT wood nearly 50 years ago. The builders couldn't know of the introduction of Winnipesaukee's oversized boats. (Especially that "wake-boats" would become a thing).

But it's not just that wakes are washing across our dock. As I've posted over many years, our entire Winter Harbor shoreline is sliding into the lake--which is made much worse by an overfilled lake and oversized plastic boats.

[jeffk]

Originally Posted by SAB1

Raise your dock then. ...

It's a lot of work and expense to change a dock height. Further, if we have a moving target because of sloppy planning, what do we do, adjust it mid year?

We have a target high water level, 504.32. We have a general drawdown plan. Docs are at a level to work with those plans. If DES manges to the plans, there is no problem.

Mother nature is the issue. My assertion is that, given the constraints of our inability to make rain happen as we would like and the impacts of too much rain in a short timeframe, DES could make a few changes in proactively managing the water flow from the dam.

It will never be perfect but when I see too much water in the lake with high summer activity here and downstream conditions not too bad, I wondered a few days ago, WHY haven't they bumped the output a bit? NOW, they have. Why couldn't it have been done before the last batch of anticipated rain around June 20? The lake would have been down 2" more by now; a small change but in the right direction.

[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by SAB1

Raise your dock then. It’s amazing how much complaining goes on when something isn’t right at one’s property. The water management on the lake has been going on before many of us were born. They do a pretty darn good job after a few decades experience and I think they know what they are doing. If you don’t like how it impacts you dock raise it or pull it. If your boat sits to high pull it. God forbid we have to put effort into something.

My dock has had no problems with its height for 62 years. Now in the last three, what has changed that would cause me to have to raise my dock? The weather or the management at Lakeport?

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by jeffk

It's a lot of work and expense to change a dock height. Further, if we have a moving target because of sloppy planning, what do we do, adjust it mid year?

We have a target high water level, 504.32. We have a general drawdown plan. Docs are at a level to work with those plans. If DES manges to the plans, there is no problem.

Mother nature is the issue. My assertion is that, given the constraints of our inability to make rain happen as we would like and the impacts of too much rain in a short timeframe, DES could make a few changes in proactively managing the water flow from the dam.

It will never be perfect but when I see too much water in the lake with high summer activity here and downstream conditions not too bad, I wondered a few days ago, WHY haven't they bumped the output a bit? NOW, they have. Why couldn't it have been done before the last batch of anticipated rain around June 20? The lake would have been down 2" more by now; a small change but in the right direction.

I would guess FEAR.
FEAR that a dryer summer would leave them open for the complaints at the end.

Also not enough data to really determine soil saturation and absorption in detail. Dramatic changes to shorefront and run-off means that historic models are not as effective.

But being within three inches is pretty good as compared to other lakes both in DES jurisdiction and outside of it.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by ApS

Our piling dock was built of PT wood nearly 50 years ago. The builders couldn't know of the introduction of Winnipesaukee's oversized boats. (Especially that "wake-boats" would become a thing).

But it's not just that wakes are washing across our dock. As I've posted over many years, our entire Winter Harbor shoreline is sliding into the lake--which is made much worse by an overfilled lake and oversized plastic boats.

That is a legislative issue.
They could restrict movement beyond wake speed by extending the 150 foot rule; and could implore Marine Patrol to write more tickets.

[fatlazyless]

For working on docks, Harbor Freight sells a $99, five foot tall farmer's Jack in their trailer towing section. It is similar to the bumper jack that used to come with a 1967 Chevy Nomad wagon or some old car. It looks very well constructed and intended for use on a Jeep off-road rock hopping dynamic recovery.

Is this an easy-peasy method to uplift an underwater dock or what? Raise up the individual dock legs using the 5' jack, and place a 2" or 4" or 6" concrete block under each leg as needed to make it dry above the lake surface and level as possible.

If nothing else, will give you something to do, today, on a 95-degree day ........ .

[8gv]

I have the HF farm jack.

I used it to lift deck sections for a project.

It is now sitting idle and available if anyone here needs to borrow it.

Bring your muscles because it is heavy!

[mishman]

8gv

I would love to borrow your jack but later in the summer when the water goes down a bit more.

[8gv]

I am in Laconia but the jack resides in Belmont in a storage unit with my other "important" stuff.

[fatlazyless]

Working on your dock? Is best to wear a full wet suit including neoprene boots because the duck itch lurks under the rocks and gets released when the rocks get moved around in rough, wavy shallow lake water. It gets stirred up or something!

You need to actually experience a bad case of duck itch on your skin, similar to poison ivy, to appreciate how bad it can really be. It is b-a-d! ...... thinking back to July, 2012 ..... yuck! ..... duck itch!

[The Real BigGuy]

I have a farm Jack but it doesn’t hep when the outer end of your dock is in 16 ft of water!

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

I have a farm Jack but it doesn’t hep when the outer end of your dock is in 16 ft of water!

....... what I call an IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION ....... boo-hoo-hoo!

My dock water depth runs about 2.5 to 4.5-feet ...... totally perfect for my brand new 5' farmer's jack, plus this is the oldest, all beat-up 30' aluminum dock in the world! Every square foot has three different patches or repairs done by fatlazyless dock repair over the last 34-years ...... !

Is it time yet to replace it with a fancy-dancy 30' hinge dock that gets cranked up in November, and cranked down in April?

[ApS]

The farm jack has a removable top and bottom. Lag-bolting the stand (the upright part) through the holes increases its awesome versatility.

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

I have a farm Jack but it doesn’t hep when the outer end of your dock is in 16 ft of water!

You can bolt a 12' 2x4, $6.82, to 5' farm jack to give it working range 13-17' for under ten dollar with two bolt set-ups.

And, this farm jack is made in West Virginia.........

[Biggd]

So now what's the verdict on the lake level. With this streak of dry weather, will we be complaining about low water level soon?

[TheTimeTraveler]

Originally Posted by Biggd

So now what's the verdict on the lake level. With this streak of dry weather, will we be complaining about low water level soon?

Who knows. We may have someone complain about the high tides during a very windy day, lol.