Lake Williams down 15 feet

Work is beginning on the Lake Williams dam, but the state-mandated improvements were delayed somewhat because of hurricane Irene and the drenching tropical storm Lee. The dam is in perfect working order, and the work is strictly for future flood protection. The 15' foot drawdown of the lake provides some interesting images, looking somewhat post apocalyptic or something from the dry American southwest.

From the York Water Company's web site--
"The State DEP is requiring that all large dams must have a spillway capacity so that the “Probable Maximum Flood” or PMF will safely pass thru the dam without damage. Lake Williams spillway currently has a capacity of 35,000 Cubic Feet per Second (CFS) and Redman 65,000 CFS. Both dams must be able to pass a 135,000 CFS flood event. For perspective, Hurricane Agnes was a 16,000 CFS flood at the dams.

The whole project will take about 2.5 years. We’ll start with minor work in August, 2011, such as drain work. We will need to lower the lake 15’ for a period of about 4 weeks in September, 2011 for this work."

At top-- fisherman David Flint, York, watches a boater finally get his boat into the water after a long, extended walk from the Lake Williams docks. The lake is down about 15' for dam maintenance; the docks are dry and a long way from the water's edge.

Below left-- Calvin Brooks, Jacobus, spends a lot of his free time fishing, he says. With Lake Williams drawn down about 15', he finds access to parts of the lake he's not had before unless he was in a boat.