Webber Pond water levels dropping

Seaward Mill Stream from Three Mile Pond to Webber Pond. If you look carefully, you can see way more rocks than water. (contributed photo)

Why are Webber Pond’s water levels dropping?

According to a Webber Pond Association official, there are three factors affecting Webber water levels:

– Limited rain since early June – two inches shortfall vs. normal rain levels in June, another two inches in July, and a three-inch shortfall predicted for August (less than .85 inch for the whole month).
– Much less water inflow from Seaward Mills Stream since Three Mile Pond is facing the same lack of rain.
– Water levels went down from six inches above the spillway after the 1.9 inches of rain on June 28, to 0.5 inch over the spillway on July 31, a loss of 5.5 inches, due to weather and less inflow.

On July 31, the contractors for the new fishway asked for boards to be removed from the dam so that the water would be below the spillway in order for them to build a coffer dam in order to excavate for the deeper entrance to the lake in the new fishway design.

Unfortunately, the lake association* had not been informed in advance this would be required, so the association didn’t have time to give people a heads up. The contractor wanted to take the level down six inches, but the association insisted on no more than three inches below the spillway.

* The Webber Pond Association owns the dam.