Managing the Denmark Dam

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by Chip Wendler • MPA President

Almost every year I field a number of questions related to Moose Pond’s water level and the role the Denmark Dam plays in controlling it. These questions typically trickle in (pun intended) at the beginning of the summer season, when property owners are putting their docks and boats in the water. They pop up again in the early fall, when boats and docks are being removed. In 2024, we received a higher volume of dam-related calls because the lake’s level was especially low this spring. Later in the summer, it seemed to be higher than we’ve seen in previous years.

Most of you may know that the exceptionally low water level in the early spring was the result of a project to replace a culvert bordering the lower basin. That project concluded in late April, and the water level crept back up to normal levels over the subsequent weeks.

All this begs the question: what exactly are “normal levels?” To get an answer, I got in touch with Robert “Bob” Hebert, Denmark’s Public Works Director. Bob started in his role in July of 2023. Per Bob, he tries to maintain a water height between 6.5 and 7.0 feet at the dam, as this is the range the town has historically targeted. If he sees a big rainstorm approaching, he opens the dam a bit to release more water. For the most part, water flow over the Denmark Dam is controlled by the addition or removal of splash boards.

As most lakefront residents will know, the level of Moose Pond is drawn down in the fall each year for a variety of reasons. Lowering the lake helps to reduce damage to the shoreline as the lake freezes. It’s also helpful to make room for the extra water that spring snowmelt and showers funnel into the lake. Bob understands that having the lake too low too early makes both dock and boat removal more difficult and, therefore, intends to initiate the lake lowering process at some point after Columbus Day each year.