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Thompson Lake Dam Weirs Need Repair

June 24, 2010 - CASCO -- The dam that maintains the water level of 13-mile-long Thompson Lake located in the four towns of Casco, Oxford, Otisfield and Poland is in “fairly good condition,” Town Manager Dave Morton reported, Tuesday night.

However, the wooden and iron weirs that prevent debris from plugging up the Thompson Lake dam located in the town of Oxford are in need of repair, and the wooden catwalk that workers must use to clear the dam’s grates is rotted and must be replaced, Morton said.

Oxford officials invited selectmen and town managers from Casco, Otisfield and Poland to attend a meeting last week at the dam site in Oxford to discuss the issues needing to be addressed there—specifically, the weirs and the catwalk.

“Concerns are the general condition of it (the dam), and the fact it needs work immediately,” said Morton. “The immediate concern is that the dam structure itself is in fairly good condition, but 20 feet out is an iron weir system that catches debris, and across the (dam’s grates) is a catwalk that allows workers to clear debris out. And, 50 feet out is a log weir. So, the two structures [weirs] are supposed to catch debris before it gets to the dam. The catwalk decking is rotten, and that needs to be replaced.”

“So, the town of Oxford is asking all the towns around Thompson Lake to help pay for the needed repairs,” Morton told the selectmen.

“The dam is important to the level of Thompson Lake,” Morton said further. “If you took it out, the water would probably drop about 15 feet.”

Cost of repairs not determined

Morton said the town of Oxford has not hired an engineer to evaluate what specifically needs to be repaired and/or replaced.

“So, it is unclear what the cost [of the repairs] will be,” said Morton. “The town [of Casco] does have a history of sharing in the cost of repairs for other dams. We participated with the town of Raymond in the 1980s for [repair] of the Thomas Pond dam, and with Otisfield in the early 1990s to repair the Pleasant Lake dam. We also own a small dam on Coffee Pond.”

“The Thompson Lake dam is important to the community, and it is particularly important to the property owners around that body of water,” the town manager stated. “It is clearly in need of repair, and the town of Oxford will keep us updated.”

Morton explained that, previously, the Town of Oxford’s Budget Committee had asked Casco to consider setting aside an appropriation of $5,000 for the needed repairs at the Thompson Lake dam site, during a meeting early this year with Casco’s Finance Committee.

“It was late enough in the town’s budget process, and there was not information available, so the Finance Committee declined the request,” Morton said. He pointed out that Casco has a contingency fund, if needed, to address the need for sharing in the cost of immediate repairs.

“All four towns are interested in the well being of the [Thompson Lake] dam,” the town manager said.

Alice Darlington asked Morton “How urgent is this?”

“The catwalk has clearly deteriorated, to the point it’s not safe,” Morton replied.

“They [the town of Oxford] could do it [the repair],” Darlington said. “They’re the owner.”

One of the weir structures in need of repair is 70 feet long, according to Morton.

Former selectman Calvin Nutting asked Morton if any of the towns are researching the possibility of securing grant funds for the repairs, and Morton said Oxford “is looking into grants from public and private foundations.”

“If this project is like the Thomas Pond dam project, we could spend a lot of money quickly,” Nutting stated.

“This [Thompson Lake] dam is 10 times as large as the Thomas Pond dam,” Morton replied.

Wayne Ward asked, “Why don’t we look at opening that dam up and taking it out?”

“That probably wouldn’t please the waterfront owners [on Thompson Lake],” the town manager stated.

“Their [property] taxes would have to drop, if you take out that dam,” Selectman Carroll Morton said.

“This presentation is, basically, the opposite of the one we heard last week about Crescent Lake,” Pat Troy said. “Where Crescent Lake is suffering from water rising and sand build up, on Thompson Lake and the surrounding area—economically and environmentally—there would be a very large mud flap surrounding that lake, and the [property] owners would lose frontage [if the dam is removed] and have wasteland to walk out to. The four towns would lose, from the fishermen that use it—It [removing the dam] will change the nature of the lake, and it would change [property] tax bases.”

Betty Glassford suggested using a percentage scale, to determine Casco’s share of the repair costs for the dam’s weirs and catwalk, as well as any repairs needed in the future.

Ward asked, “Do we have any taxpayers on that lake?”

“Oh, absolutely,” the town manager replied. “There is probably, conservatively, a mile and a half of frontage [on Thompson Lake in Casco]. Oxford has the most [lake frontage], Otisfield next, then Casco, and Poland has the least.”

“I think Betty has a good idea—to go by a percentage [of shorefront],” said Ray Grant.

By Lisa Williams Ackley, Bridgton News, June 24, 2010

Lakes: Thompson Lake
Regions: Sebago


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