Earlier Dam Reports

2019 Dam Report 

All operational goals for the dam were achieved this year. The water level was maintained within plus or minus three inches of full pond from June until the dam was opened on Columbus weekend (given the heavy spring and late summer rains, more manual adjustment than normal was required). During the fall the dam is opened to the number one position to slowly lower the level for the winter. In early November the dam is set in the full open position. The safety floats in front of the dam were installed in early June and removed for the winter in November.

A general inspection of the dam structure was done throughout the year. The concrete work on the dam was found in good condition and not in need of any major repair work at this time. The earthen structure is also in good condition without any signs of erosion or weakness. The gate and operating gear remain in good working order without need of repair. The wood bearings were not lubricated last year but will be this summer.  The dam structure is in good condition and the dam life extension project is exceeding its goals. I think the life extension period can be extended by at least ten years at this time.

The west wall of the sluiceway however has an erosion problem at the water line that needs attention periodically. This is not a dam failure issue but a minor one that can be repaired as required. The cause of this problem was created by a repair made years ago that change the angle of the wall creating a pressure wear point. The next time concrete work is done on the dam this can be corrected for a minimal cost.

2018 Dam Report 

All operational goals for the dam were again met for 2018.The water level was maintained within plus or minus three inches of full pond from June until the dam was opened on Columbus weekend. At this time the dam is opened to the number one position to slowly lower the level for the winter. In early November 2018 the dam is set in the full open position. The safety floats in front of the dam were installed in early June and removed for the winter in September.

A general inspection of the dam structure was done in the fall. The concrete work on the dam was found in good condition and not in need of any repair work at this time. The earthen structure is also in good condition without any signs of erosion or weakness. The gate and operating gear remain in good working order without need of repair. However, the wood bearings need to be lubricated. This is scheduled to be done next summer. Barring catastrophic events,  the dam structure should not need any major repair for at least 20 years.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
1. The dam gate is opened to position one to slowly lower the lake water level for the winter on Columbus Day.
2. When the lake level has been lowered the dam gate is then fully opened for the winter on about the first or second week of November.
3. The dam gate is closed to raise the lake for the summer on or just before ice out.
4. The history of the dam is available on the Watchic Lake Association web site.
5. The dam is operated and maintained by the Watchic Lake Association dam committee.

David Bradbury, Dam Committee chair. Supported by David Ross, Don Drew, and Dale Rines

2017 Dam Report 

The dam functioned flawlessly for another year. The dam gate was closed April 12, 2017 just before ice out to raise the lake to the summer full pond level. Full pond was reached in about two weeks. The gate was opened ten times during the summer to maintain the lake level within plus or minus three inches of full pond. The highest level for the summer was plus 2.5 inches above full pond to minus 0.5 inches. The dam gate was opened to position one on October 9 to slowly lower the level for the winter. The gate was fully opened for the winter on October 31, a little early due to the storm. All of the operational goals for the year were meet, spring water level brought up early for nesting loons, level maintained within plus or minus 3 inches of full pond, and a continuous water flow from lake for the downstream ecosystem.

David Bradbury, Dam Committee chair. Supported by David Ross, Don Drew, and Dale Rines

2015 Dam Report 

David Bradbury

The dam functioned another year without problems. The gate was closed mid-April 2015 at ice out to raise the lake level for the season. Full pond level was reached the first of June. This was later than usual. The gate was open to position one June 28th for two days due to heavy rain. This was the only time the gate was opened during the summer. The lake level was maintained within one inch above full pond to one half inch below full pond for the summer. A steady flowage from the lake was maintained for the year once full pond was reached in the spring. The gate was fully opened on October 15th to lower the lake so that the new gate could be installed on October 30th. Normally the gate is only opened to position one in the fall to lower the lake slowly, then fully opened in November for the winter.

The new dam gate was installed October 30th after several years of discussion. The gate was constructed and installed by the dam committee members and Paul and Nancy McNulty. The lumber for the gate was donated by Hickory Hill Farm and the steel by David Ross. This completes all items included in the dam upgrade project.

During the winter of 2014-15 there was some spalling of the concrete on the west wall of the raceway. This is not a structural problem but a wear and maintenance issue. David Ross repaired the area with grout last spring. Spots like this will occur on the old concrete walls from time to time and will need to be repaired as a maintenance item.

  1. The dam is opened for the winter on Columbus Day, which will be the October 10th 2016, and closed at or just before ice out.
  2. The new gate has a wider summer spillway. This should under most conditions provide summer water level control without opening the gate.
  3. All labor and most material to operate and maintain the Watchic Lake Dam is done by Watchic Lake Volunteers

2014 Dam Report 

By David Bradbury

The dam continued to operate this year without any problems. It was closed April 16, 2014 at ice out to raise the lake level for the season. Full pond water level was reached the middle of May 2014. The dam was opened to position one on May 22 due to heavy rain and closed on the May 26. During the summer of 2014, the dam was opened to position-one 6 times for a total of 11 days. This maintained the water level from two inches above full pond to one inch below full pond for the summer, well within the plus or minus three inch goal.

On October 1, 2014 the dam was opened to position one to slowly lower the lake for the winter. November 3, 2014 the dam was opened to position three to maintain this lower level.

The dam gate, which controls the water flow through the dam, has not been replaced but is being scheduled for the not too distant future. Materials have been donated and prepared for installation by the volunteer Dam committee members.

All of the 2013 safety issues have been addressed and the remediation work completed.

The dam was closed on April 13 2015 which was a little before ice-out. The dam is closed and the water level monitored to ensure the healthiest habitat for loons.

For more details you can download the Watchic Lake Dam Committee 2014 Annual Report March 2015.

2013 Dam Report 

By David Bradbury

The dam operated flawlessly for the year. The dam was closed April 14, 2013 at ice out to raise the lake level for the season. Full pond water level was not achieved until June, due to the light spring run-off. During the summer the dam was opened 8 times to the first position for total of 23 days. This maintained the lake level within plus or minus 1 inch of full pond for the summer well within the plus or minus 3 inch goal. A steady flowage from the lake was maintained for the whole summer once full pond was reached in the spring. The dam was opened to the first position October 14, 2013 to lower the water level for the winter. By opening to the first position the rate of lowering the water level was spread over several weeks compared to several days if the dam had been fully opened. November 2 the dam was opened to the full open position for the winter season.

The gate had been tentatively scheduled for replacement in 2013. This did not get accomplished and will be rescheduled. No additional risk was involved by not replacing the gate in 2013, but it still has to be done in the next few years.

The WLA board of directors has been concerned about safety and liability at the dam for years. Liability insurance has not been available. The area around the dam has been used by locals not knowing the risk for years. The board then decided to remediate the risk as much as possible by improving safety at the dam. This work was completed in the fall of 2013, with new signs and buoys being installed

2012 Dam Report

By David Bradbury

The dam gate was closed on March 19, 2012, because of the early ice out. The Lake was at full pond on May 18 taking two months to fill, due to very light snow melt run off. The end of May came with heavy rains and the gate was opened on May 30 and not closed until June 10. During this time, we had additional heavy rains and the volume of water exceeded the capacity of the dam to drain water through the gate. The redesigned and lowered spillway could easily handle the volume. The water level was only at a maximum of 2 inches above the targeted level during the first week of June. Without the lowered spillway the lake level would have been considerably higher. For the rest of the summer the lake level was within the targeted range. The gate was opened to the first position on October 9 to lower the lake to winter levels at a slow rate. This was done to provide a more natural level change. On the October 28 the gate was fully opened for the winter.

The targeted level for the lake or full pond is the top of the dam spillway. We try to maintain this level within plus or minus three inches. While maintaining the level we also maintain continuous water flow out of the lake. This helps the lake water quality and is required for the downstream eco system. To accomplish this goal the top of the gate is 3 inches below the spillway when closed so that water flows over the gate when the lake is at full pond. When the lake level is more the 1 inch above full pond or a heavy rain is forecast the gate is opened. When the lake is back to full pond the gate is closed and water then flows over the gate. If the level is lowered below full pond we would not have the water to provide continuous flow out of the lake to maintain water quality and downstream health.

A visual inspection was made of the dam and the structure is in very good condition. A patch made in 1985 on the right wing wall fell out over the winter and will need minor repair. The lumber for the new gate has been cut and is drying in the gate house. We plan to build a new gate this summer and to install it next fall after the water level is lowered.