Weekend rains help Chenango Lake water levels
NEW BERLIN – Last Saturday’s thunderstorms added six inches of rain to Chenango Lake, according to City of Norwich officials, and brought New Berlin’s popular summer recreational destination up to within one inch of the high water mark.
Prior to this weekend, however, the lake was down by seven inches and some property owners had difficulty getting their boats in.
Some say the water was actually down by as much as a foot.
Summer residents James and Jeffie Benedict said they were forced to cancel their son’s college graduation party on Friday because they couldn’t get their boat in.
“It looks like we’re going to have to put in a buoy this year and swim out to reach the boat,” said Jeffie. “You jump off the end of our dock now and the water wouldn’t cover your knees.”
Before this weekend’s rainfall, other homeowners said they were considering adding extensions onto their docks in order to reach their boats. “The summer is such a short period of time for that kind of investment,” said Mary Carol Edwards of East Side Lake Drive.
Chenango Lake is partially owned by the City of Norwich and serves as a backup water source for filling its reservoirs located nearby and adjacent to state Rt. 23. The Norwich Water Department maintains the lake’s water level on a seasonal basis via three valves. Maintenance is necessary to prevent warming temperatures and wind that could push large, heavy ice chunks onto shore and damage lakefront property.
City Public Works Supervisor Carl Ivarson denied rumors that the valve either leaked or wasn’t shut off in time this year, and instead pointed to the lack of rain and snowfall over the winter. Last week, when the high water rail that tracks the level read 7 inches below, Ivarson said, “The level is right where it should be for this time of year.”
The director did say the city’s water department had lowered the water level from 24 to 19 inches last year because it was “too high” for some property owners.
Lake Shore Drive resident Mike Stroh said he attended a City of Norwich Water Board meeting in April to inquire about the water level. He said, according to his measurement, the lake was down 13 inches from where the high water mark was in 1984.
“I begged to differ with the (city’s) water level, but was overruled. ... We, as property owners, don’t have any say in what level that they keep this lake,” he said.
Stroh said Chenango Lake’s overflow during the early spring feeds into Ransford Creek in the Town of Norwich under state Rt. 23. He said he often noticed that there was an abundance of water in the spillover.
“They should be monitoring that better. I don’t know of any other lake in the area that is down because of a lack of snow or rain this winter.”
Stroh said last week’s rain raised the lake by only 4 inches.
Prior to this weekend, however, the lake was down by seven inches and some property owners had difficulty getting their boats in.
Some say the water was actually down by as much as a foot.
Summer residents James and Jeffie Benedict said they were forced to cancel their son’s college graduation party on Friday because they couldn’t get their boat in.
“It looks like we’re going to have to put in a buoy this year and swim out to reach the boat,” said Jeffie. “You jump off the end of our dock now and the water wouldn’t cover your knees.”
Before this weekend’s rainfall, other homeowners said they were considering adding extensions onto their docks in order to reach their boats. “The summer is such a short period of time for that kind of investment,” said Mary Carol Edwards of East Side Lake Drive.
Chenango Lake is partially owned by the City of Norwich and serves as a backup water source for filling its reservoirs located nearby and adjacent to state Rt. 23. The Norwich Water Department maintains the lake’s water level on a seasonal basis via three valves. Maintenance is necessary to prevent warming temperatures and wind that could push large, heavy ice chunks onto shore and damage lakefront property.
City Public Works Supervisor Carl Ivarson denied rumors that the valve either leaked or wasn’t shut off in time this year, and instead pointed to the lack of rain and snowfall over the winter. Last week, when the high water rail that tracks the level read 7 inches below, Ivarson said, “The level is right where it should be for this time of year.”
The director did say the city’s water department had lowered the water level from 24 to 19 inches last year because it was “too high” for some property owners.
Lake Shore Drive resident Mike Stroh said he attended a City of Norwich Water Board meeting in April to inquire about the water level. He said, according to his measurement, the lake was down 13 inches from where the high water mark was in 1984.
“I begged to differ with the (city’s) water level, but was overruled. ... We, as property owners, don’t have any say in what level that they keep this lake,” he said.
Stroh said Chenango Lake’s overflow during the early spring feeds into Ransford Creek in the Town of Norwich under state Rt. 23. He said he often noticed that there was an abundance of water in the spillover.
“They should be monitoring that better. I don’t know of any other lake in the area that is down because of a lack of snow or rain this winter.”
Stroh said last week’s rain raised the lake by only 4 inches.
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