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Towns Pitch in for Dam Repair at Thompson Lake

July 11, 2011 - Otisfield-The dam was taken over with the Robinson Mill in 2009, and this year is the second that its repairs and maintenance have been funded by Oxford, along with Casco, Otisfield and Poland, which all abut the lake.

Chammings said that the need for significant repairs was revealed by a crew of divers who inspected the base of the dam this spring. He said that the required work included the removal of rusted-out trash gates at the base of the dam, as well as repairs to pillars supporting a catwalk that the flow of water has undermined.

"We own the dam and truthfully, [the other towns] wouldn't have to pay us a nickel but we'd still repair it, but we met with all of them and they felt it was fair," said Chammings. "We also let them have input on a lot of levels."

The Thompson Lake Dam Advisory Committee makes decisions on how to use the money contributed by the towns. This year, Oxford donated $10,000, and the other three towns contributed $5,000 each. Each town has two representatives on the board.

Chammings serves on the committee, and said that the cooperation is driven by the shared need of all the towns.

"If that dam didn't exist, [Casco, Otisfield, and Poland] would lose millions and millions of dollars worth of value because their home values by the lake would go down," said Chammings.

"We've never really squabbled with the other towns," said Chammings of the two years that the towns have worked together. "They know it's fair. We appreciate that they do kick in. They don't have to but they do, which is decent because the last few years, finding money in town budgets when towns are cutting back is hard to do. They realize how important that dam is to all the communities."

Devin Conway, Advertiser Democrat, July 2011


Lakes: Thompson Lake
Regions: Sebago


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