Here is the update from terry Fisk on the lake level. Thanks. Several people have recently observed and raised questions as to why water is being released out the Bradford dam. It is true that both gates are now open 6 inches and water is indeed being released down stream of the lakes. The 6-inch opening is NYSEGs minimum safe winter setting for the gates; there is a serious risk that if the gates were fully closed they might ice-up and not be opened again until the spring thaw arrives. They have had episodes in years past where the gates did freeze-up and were broken by attempts to adjust the gate openings. During most of January and February we had one or both gates opened 12-inches deliberately letting water out to bring the lake levels down from a high of 1098.5 feet above sea level (6 inches above target of 1098.0). The water levels had risen as a result of the higher than usual amount of snowfall and subsequent melt-off we had experienced when above-freezing temperatures arrived for one week in January and again toward the middle of February. The gates were closed back down to 6-inch openings on February 28th when the water achieved a level of 1098.05. It usually takes two to three weeks for silt and small stones to come back in around the gates and restrict the water flow after the gates are closed up. During this time the water level dropped to slightly below 1097.8. (This means the water was about 2.5 inches below our target.) On March 12-13 we had another foot of snowfall. Then, warmer temperatures March 13-14 and most of that snow rapidly melted and ran into the lakes. This brought the lakes water level back up to 1098.1. Both gates are still set at 6-inch openings, but it looks as though the silt and stones are starting to close off the opening and reduce the amount of water flowing through the gates. As a reminder, NYSEG owns and controls the Bradford dam. We, the LWLA Lake level Team, merely read the water gauge, report the data to NYSEG (and The Observer) and request NYSEG make adjustments up or down so that the water level stays within target levels. The water level targets were set forth in 2001 by FERC and agreed to by NYSEG, LWLA and other concerned organizations. According to the FERC/NYSEG annual rules curve for our lakes, the minimum winter water level is 1097.5 and the maximum winter setting is 1098.0. We, NYSEG and LWLA, strive to stay within those boundaries which means the gates may be changed from time to time to react to weather conditions and water levels.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:12:04 +0000