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Author Topic: Drought  (Read 1811 times)

Dirt23

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Drought
« on: Sep 22, 2021, 05:56 AM »
Making a trip to parmachenee on Friday sounds like bad drought up there hopefully getting some rain bring magalloway up.  Hoping enough water for fishes to return to River for some prespawn streamer action I'll report back Monday

Steve H.

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Re: Drought
« Reply #1 on: Sep 22, 2021, 07:00 AM »
I was up at Rangeley a couple weeks ago and Richardson was ridiculously low.  The Mill Brook ramp was dry and unusable  We didn't check Aziscohos but I'm sure there and Parmachenee are both in the same sad shape.
It is understood that fishing licenses, gas, bait, etc., all cost money, but try not to let a limit of trout be your only gauge for success. – Ben Nugent, (NH F&G) Regional Fisheries Biologist

Smallmouth Squarepants

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Re: Drought
« Reply #2 on: Sep 22, 2021, 07:35 AM »
The last time I drove up to South Arm (August) it looked like the bay of Fundy at low tide. I couldn't believe how insanely low it was. At least when I went down east this past weekend, it looked like the water levels there were at least close to normal.

9huskies

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Re: Drought
« Reply #3 on: Sep 22, 2021, 06:06 PM »
Aziscohos has been low all summer. With no snowpack last winter it never filled up in the spring. Parmachenee is probably closer to normal levels because it isn't dam comtrolled. Aziscohos and Richardson lakes are drained every fall and allowed to fill back up in with spring snowmelt. Parmachenee is always going to be at its natural level.

JDK

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Re: Drought
« Reply #4 on: Sep 23, 2021, 12:24 PM »
I thought they were doing work on one of the dams this summer and had drawn the lake down a lot.
# SAND

9huskies

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Re: Drought
« Reply #5 on: Sep 25, 2021, 07:38 PM »
Richardson was drained lower than usual last fall for some work on the dam. Most years they start raising the lake levels in April. This year the snow melt came early and they missed their chance to fill the lake. Despite keeping the outflow from middle dam at minimum levels the water levels didn't recover this summer. They even canceled the scheduled whitewater releases for the Rapid River in July and August. I drove past South Arm today and the water level is noticeably higher than it was in June but it is still much lower than normal.

Dirt23

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Re: Drought
« Reply #6 on: Sep 27, 2021, 05:53 AM »
Got alot of rain Friday up there .  River above parmachenee was really tough wading and fishing Saturday flowing chocolate milk but at least gave the fish some water and food. Decided to go to bridge 10 after that couple of small brookies water was still pretty low and not holding many fish. Sunday River above parmachenee calmed down didn't get any fish but some had come up a couple of really nice salmon were leaping out of the pool but didn't want to bite.  Hit the lake in small boat for a few hours water was still pretty warm and most fish were suspended 35 to 40 feet chasing balls of smelt. Oh well still a wonderful place to get away and spend time regardless of the non catching, we'll try to give em hell in May

TightLinesMaine

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Re: Drought
« Reply #7 on: Oct 27, 2021, 11:34 AM »
Last I looked (before the rain today/yesterday) Northwest Maine, specifically Franklin, Somerset and North Oxford, were the only places on the entire east coast in "Severe Drought" stage (per NOAA)

Not good...

Jim C.

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Re: Drought
« Reply #8 on: Oct 27, 2021, 12:42 PM »
The recent rains have helped a bit, but the Sandy River in Mercer is only about 50% of normal flow. 

TightLinesMaine

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Re: Drought
« Reply #9 on: Oct 28, 2021, 11:39 AM »
The recent rains have helped a bit, but the Sandy River in Mercer is only about 50% of normal flow.

now that you mention that, I see the whole Kennebec River basin is in rough shape, yikes.  Cobbossee Stream the sole exception, but that's a manipulated flow right?

Jim C.

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Re: Drought
« Reply #10 on: Oct 28, 2021, 03:29 PM »
Yes, water is moved around on Cobbossee by several dams. 

now that you mention that, I see the whole Kennebec River basin is in rough shape, yikes.  Cobbossee Stream the sole exception, but that's a manipulated flow right?

TightLinesMaine

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Re: Drought
« Reply #11 on: Oct 31, 2021, 09:51 AM »
Finally some real rain.  If only it were a month or two ago...

 



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