Unbelievable after the deep snows of winter ... we don't have enough water for the marina to float our boat. We're stuck on land! NJ DEP regulates the flow of water from the lake with guidance from a Water Level Management Plan which was prepared by a host of DEP personnel in 2011. Ever since then, water level has been a fiasco. At the heart of this fiasco is the annual water level drawdown for winter, where they lower the level by 26 inches to minimize dock maintenance for lakefront homeowners. They also seem to have increased the water release rate above historical norms.
Now, every year, water level has been an on-going battle. Why they can't just leave the water at the spillway level and let rainfall dictate the water flow over the spillway is beyond any rational person's comprehension. It's worked fine for well over a hundred years, ever since the level of the lake was artificially raised about 12' to create the Morris Canal back in the early 1800's.
We've had little rain since the ice finally melted in April. They have to wait for the ice to melt before allowing the lake level to rise. The window of time is simply way too short, but in the infinite wisdom of these dolts, they just don't care how many people are negatively affected. These guidelines benefit nobody and there are no ecological reasons for this idiocy.
With the water down over a foot, our boat is landlocked. The upside is that Sue is on a mission to get our house ready for sale. She wants to downsize and I have no argument. With a generous reduction in expenses, taxes, and maintenance, we are counting on a healthy increase in boating time. We'll finally move our boat to a new home where the horizons will be limitless. A larger boat may also be in the cards (for Sue's comfort, of course
) The time away from sailing is focused on making this happen ... but I may just have to move our boat this summer if the water level doesn't rise rapidly.
Now, every year, water level has been an on-going battle. Why they can't just leave the water at the spillway level and let rainfall dictate the water flow over the spillway is beyond any rational person's comprehension. It's worked fine for well over a hundred years, ever since the level of the lake was artificially raised about 12' to create the Morris Canal back in the early 1800's.
We've had little rain since the ice finally melted in April. They have to wait for the ice to melt before allowing the lake level to rise. The window of time is simply way too short, but in the infinite wisdom of these dolts, they just don't care how many people are negatively affected. These guidelines benefit nobody and there are no ecological reasons for this idiocy.
With the water down over a foot, our boat is landlocked. The upside is that Sue is on a mission to get our house ready for sale. She wants to downsize and I have no argument. With a generous reduction in expenses, taxes, and maintenance, we are counting on a healthy increase in boating time. We'll finally move our boat to a new home where the horizons will be limitless. A larger boat may also be in the cards (for Sue's comfort, of course
) The time away from sailing is focused on making this happen ... but I may just have to move our boat this summer if the water level doesn't rise rapidly.
