9069-R4_ML&P_LSLA_2024_SummerNewsletter_Web

Light Pollution, Little Sebago & The Vanishing Milky Way Barbara Sawhill

Light polluted sky

Visible Night sky

Hopkins Dam Update Rod Bernier

I am pleased to report that Hopkins Dam is in excellent shape. There are a few small leaks in the sluiceway and a few small sinkholes in the earthen structure. We were blessed to have a Cheverus High School sophomore, Kingston Googins, fulfill his community service requirement by clearing brush and other vegetation from the dam. He also helped grease all the fittings on the dam superstructure operating system. We opened the dam on October 15th to start the winter drawdown. The Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) brought in two engineers from Kleinschmidt Engineering to do a full visual inspection of the dam on November 22nd. They were pleased with the condition of Hopkins Dam and the maintenance that we continue to perform. There are no immediate fixes required. MEMA will send us a detailed inspection report. The report will cover the condition of the dam and any long term maintenance that they recommend.

The spring fill-up process started on April 15 th as we started closing the dam to allow the lake to refill. The spring runoff and rain filled us up fast and we have remained partially open trying to get down to summer level. We must be cognizant of the downstream impacts and work with Collins Pond and others to only allow flow that they can manage. We will get there but it will be a careful, thoughtful process.

Spring 2025 | LittleSebagoLake.com 7