We've had reports about the water level in Joe's Pond being lower than normal.  Association President Tom Dente contacted Green Mountain Power and this was their response:
 

"The last month has certainly been tough on precipitation - we haven¹t run the unit since August 19th and the team has been working to minimize flow out of the pond, but unfortunately has lost a little bit of elevation.  We are going to see if the sluice gate can be closed more without drying up the channel downstream and help get back up to 5.0 [inches] at the dam. "

 

Below is Tom's explanation, for anyone who may not be aware of how the dam works and the restrictions imposed on GMP as a public utility.

To explain:

Not running the electrical generator ("the unit") keeps water in the pond; the sluice gate is path for water to flow out of the pond and is open slightly (likely the cause of the drop in water level) because of a Public Utility requirement to keep the downstream channel wet to save the foliage. What we really need is a good rain storm. Typically we see this situation in the summer when a drought is on going. Not much more that anyone can do until Mother Nature gives us rain. The term 5.0 refers to the normal water level elevation above the crest of the dam.

Tom

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As some of you know, I've been a volunteer for  the Community Collaboraive Rain, Hail & Snow (CoCoRaHS) network for a number of years.  Out of curiosity, I went to my records to see what I had recorded for precipitation during the months of June, July and August in 2013 and this year.  There wasn't as much difference as I'd expected:  18.80 inches in 2013; 14.93 inches this year.  When I compared rainfall in September, there was a marked difference - in 2013 I reported 5.26 in. and this year, for the same number of days, September 1st to 18th, I've reported only 1.67 in.   GMP said above they stopped running on August 18, and according to my records we have received only 2.02 inches of rainfall since then.  Not enough to keep up with evaporation, probably, let alone what has to run through the sluice to keep the brook below healthy.

 

I am careful not to miss any days reporting rainfall - if I happen to be unable to read and empty the gauge on a given day, I am able to file a multi-day report later that includes the missed day, so the above numbers are pretty true.  We know weather varies considerably even from one side of the pond to the other sometimes.  We've seen rain falling at the head of the pond that never reached West Danville, and the same with snow amounts.  Walden and West Danville may get six inches and Marshfield and St. Johnsbury just a dusting or none.  Lots of times I go from green grass here in the fall to snow-covered fields on the Plain and back to green grass by the time I reach Cabot Village five minutes later.  We accept that we, along with Walden folks, live in the "snow belt;" our growing season starts a week or so later in the spring and quits a week or more earlier in the fall than our neighbors' in Marshfield or even Danville Village.  It's just the way things are.