Photo by Island Lake Marine and Sports.
Upper Saranac Lake’s water levels continue to rise following heavy rains from the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Beryl.
Normal lake levels for mid-July are 8.6 inches above the crest of the Bartlett Carry Dam. As of Saturday, July 13, levels were at 14.76 inches, or 6.16 inches over the normal level. Lake levels in the last day have begun to recede slightly. The highest water level recorded for Upper Saranac Lake was 19.6 inches above the crest of the dam; this occurred in May of 2011.
With higher water levels, concerns over shoreline erosion and property damage are heightened. In recent days, the Upper Saranac Foundation has had reports of boat waves causing damage to lake shore owners’ docks and shore-lines. In addition, excessive boat waves hitting shorelines can cause severe erosion and the loss of habitat and waterfowl nesting areas. The USF is aware of one loon nest where the eggs were washed off the nest.
While there has been speculation that work being done on the Bartlett Carry Dam has led to an increase in the lake level, there is very little related to the restoration of the dam that is impacting water levels. Current lake levels can be attributed to the above average rainfall that has occurred in June and that has continued into July.
Water at the dam is being redirected away from the work area and is constantly flowing over the dam. The Bartlett Carry dam is not built with mechanical gates that control the level of the lake. The dam has two fixed spillways that together are fortunately over 300 feet wide. These wide spillways shed excessive water quickly.
Data provided by the National Weather Service at Lake Clear Airport indicated rainfall in the month of June was 33% above the normal average. So far in July, we are already at 5% over the normal rainfall for the month, with nearly another half of the month still to go. According to the National Weather Service, Tropical Cyclone Beryl dropped 2.59 inches of rain on July 10 at Lake Clear, the most rainfall ever recorded on this date. The Upper Saranac Foundations rain gauge at the dam indicated 4 inches of precipitation on that same day. This corresponds with the National Weather Service’s maps that indicated heavier rainfall south of Lake Clear.
Our water level changes pale in comparison to other area lakes such as Long Lake and Indian Lake, where water levels vary by multiple feet. To put things in perspective, Lake Champlain has risen by over one foot since July 10. This is drastically different from Upper Saranac Lake, where levels in the past week have risen by 3.12 inches.
With the increased water levels, as watershed users, it is important to be cognizant of what is happening with your wakes and what effect your wakes are having on other people. Remember: you are not the only one enjoying the water. When near the shore, slow down-bow down and be wake-aware https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3bYBPbP0qk&t=60s.
While water levels follow precipitation trends, there is often a lag in time for the lake to rise following heavy rains. Evaporation is also a contributing factor in decreasing water levels — up to an inch a day when it’s sunny. Upper Saranac Lake water level data can be found on the Upper Saranac Foundation web page at https://usfoundation.net/programs/water-quality/lake-level.