12/7/2019 Benedict Manor Burn

12/7/2019 Benedict Manor Burn

12/2/2019 Thawed and Rainy Water level 829.02 Active beavers, but not at Dam

This is by the Bridge - It may fall towards the street

829.02

Dam is flowing clear

11/14/2016 First Frozen Picture Water level 829.04

11/1/2019 Welcome to Winter Water level 829.26

11/1/2019 Welcome to Winter Water level 829.26

10/15/2019 Last "Summer" measurement 829.3 at the Bridge

Last "Summer" measurement 829.3 at the Bridge.  What a wet year!

The chart below illustrates the water levels at the bridge on roughly the 1st and 15th of each month for the last 3 years.  In spite of efforts to manage the level to a level that works for everyone, each year our average has gone up.  Mother Nature sometimes just doesn't want to help out.  Our 2019 average is over the top of the WDNR range, mostly due to the heavy rains.

And the Beavers aren't helping either.  They had started at the dam again, slowing down the draining of the lakes

But the Culvert is still clear.

This is the Gauge picture on 10/15

Quite a flow at the Dam. Water level is 9 inches over the top of the WDNR range

Bridge Gauge 2.75 Water level is 9 inches over the top of the WDNR range.

What a year....

Downstream looking back at the dam - Water is coming over the top of the dam

And flowing around the dam

10/1/2019 Bridge Gauge 2.22 Water level 829.22.

Water continues to recede very slowly.  To date we have not found a logical explanation beyond the  volume of rain we have had.  There are no boards in the dam and no beaver dam in the culvert or dam.

9/16/2019 Bridge gauge 2.82 Water level 829.82

With all the rain we have had the water level is about 13 inches over where we would like it to be.

No pictures today

9/6/2019 - Beavers and Bees

9/6/2019 - Beavers and Bees   Follow-up to 9/1 visit Bridge gauge 2.3 Water is Very High.

This Morning 9/6, the gauge read slightly over 2.3.  We should be at slow no wake.  The water is 3.6 inches above the top of the range we were granted by the WDNR and more than 6 inches above the top we have been trying to manage to.

For at least the last week, there has been a beaver dam in the culvert leading to the dam. 

(Picture taken 9/1)

Clearing has been delayed due to a nest of yellow jackets that swarmed me last week and left me a little gun shy with many stings.  It took a while (and a little help) before I went back.

Thursday night (9/5), Rosemary and Bob went down after dark and poured hot water and dish soap all around the nest to slow them down a bit and help me out.  They each got stung once.  Hats off to Rosemary and Bob and all the help they continue to provide.  Rosemary continues to do whatever she can to help our lake.

This morning, (9/6) I took the measurement, then picked up Rosemary and we went to the culvert.  The beaver dam was at least 15 inches tall in a place where the water runs normally only 3-6 inches deep.  I put on my waders and Rosemary stood on top of the culvert and took all the branches I handed up to her to pile for pickup.  It took a little while but the culvert is all clear now.  

(This is about 50% of what was in the culvert.  Once the beaver dam was broken enough, much of the debris was washed through)

We loaded all the debris in my truck and I hauled it off to dump. The board has been taken out and the water is draining.

(Water flowing over the dam after clearing)

9/1/2019 Gauge at 2.0 Water level 829.0

Board had been in .  Taken out
after this measurement.

8/25/2019 - Significant drop in water level to 828.58 - Board is back in the dam

8/25/2019 - Significant drop in water level to 828.58 - Board is back in the dam

8/15/2019 Board was taken out of the Dam today. Water level is back up to a gauge reading of just over 1.9 or 828.9

8/15/2019 Board was taken out of the Dam today.  

Water level is back up to a gauge reading of just over 1.9 or 828.9

8/1/2019 Water has begun to level out. Bridge gauge at 1.7

8/1/2019 Water has begun to level out.  Bridge gauge at 1.7

After finally getting a period with minimal rain, the water level at the bridge has dropped from 1.9 to 1.7 in the last two weeks.  That is approximately a 2.4 inch reduction.

In accordance with the agreement made among the District Board members, the 6 inch board was put in today to prevent the level from dropping below 1.65 which appeared likely if no action was taken.

7/15/2019 Bridge Gauge at 1.9 First time below 2.0 since February

7/15/2019 Bridge Gauge at 1.9 First time below 2.0 since February

Also Checked out the Dam.  The Dam level is about 3.25 inches lower than the lake or 1-2 inches further off than normal.  Next step will be to check out the rocks at the bottom of the Culvert.  They may be acting as a pre-dam and keeping the two levels further out of sync than normally expected.

Rocks in Culvert

Culvert - Dam side

Culvert - Lake side

7/1/2019 Gauge back up to 2.26 - Water Level 829.26 We should be at Slow No Wake

7/1/2019 Gauge back up to 2.26 - Water Level 829.26

At this level we should be at Slow No Wake but that is up to the Town of Randall.  

No boards have been in the Dam since last year.  The continued rain is keeping everything saturated and the flow through the Dam just cannot go fast enough.

6/15/2019 Bridge Gauge still at 2.0, Water Level 829.0 More rain coming.....

6/15/2019 Bridge Gauge still at 2.0, Water Level 829.0

As much as 2 inches of rain forecast in the next 10 days.  No Boards are in the Dam.

6/1/2019 Bridge gauge at 2.22, water level at 829.22 No boards in the Dam

6/1/2019 Bridge gauge at 2.22, water level at 829.22 No boards in the Dam.  Water is flowing freely.

05/15/2019 Bridge Water Level just a shade over 829. No Boards in the Dam.

05/15/2019 Bridge Water Level just a shade over 829.  No Boards in the Dam.  The weather forecast is for up to 3 inches of rain over the next six days.  Another reading will be taken on June 1st to see if boards are needed at that time.