Its that time of year again…
The Watchic Lake dam gate will be lowered on Columbus Day, Monday October 9, 2017 for the winter. Following the opening, the lake level will go down to its winter level over the course of about two to four weeks (depending in part on rainfall). Lowering the lake level protects our shoreline from winter ice damage. Plan your boat and dock removal accordingly.
Except in extreme weather situations, we have lowered the dam on Columbus Day for the many years, and to help with your planning, will continue to do so in the future.
The dam has operated flawlessly this year. Opening and closing the dam manually during the summer is almost a thing of the past with the new gate and lowered spillway. A heavy rain or storm with more than two in a short time does still require the gate to be opened manually.