Good Morning! Sunshine today, thankfully. Everything is pretty soggy after the torrential rains we had all weekend. This came from our Association President, Tom Dente this morning:

Hi Jane,
The pond water level has increased to about 8-9 inches above normal, the direct result of 6.6 inches of rainfall over the past 30 hours. I've been communicating with Green Mountain Power since yesterday when they began running the generator at the dam, which is one of three paths at the dam to remove water. The sluice gate is open and the bladder is flat, thus providing the maximum amount of water discharge. Green Mountain Power folks will be at the dam and Joe's Pond today verifying operation of all systems to remove water and prevent flooding. Boaters should be extra careful to prevent on-shore wakes today and tomorrow.

Thanks
Tom
P.S. - A further warning concerning the pond water level increase should be to folks who have boats tied to their docks. Make sure the tie ropes are loose enough to accommodate the rise in water level without pulling on the dock. Also the marker buoys for sunken island, etc. may drift off their location. Boater be aware!

Looks like another week of rain which will not help our situation. Just think if this was snow.

*****

It's good advice from Tom, and boaters should also be aware that when the water gets high like this, various stuff floats away - docks, playthings, logs and other debris - so please watch where you're going in your boats and go slowly. Hitting something half-submerged could seriously damage your boat. The run-off from the surrounding hills means it may be a while before the water level goes down, and it may even rise during the day today. Be aware that boats without covers may fill with water and sink, so keep an eye on your neighbors' boats as well as your own.

*****

From Steve and Bev Allen:

Sunday afternoon we heard prolonged loon distress calls. Looking out over the Pond we saw a very large raptor – definitely an immature bald eagle - flying low over the water and harassing the loon family. The big bird passed over them several times, bringing frequent calls from the two adult loons, then dipped down in front of our camp and plucked something out of the water - fortunately not the young loon! Then the eagle disappeared into the Cove by the Association Dock and the distress calls stopped, probably because the threat had left the area. Ironically, the Loon Watch has been this weekend, and the newspaper reported that one of the chicks in the State had been taken by a bald eagle. Then this morning (Monday) there was a flotilla of 5 adult loons headed south on the Pond. The Pond is very high right now - we measured 2.22" of rain yesterday.

Steve and Bev Allen [Meadow Lane]