Work on Sumner dam will have to wait until spring

SUMNER — After taking a look at the dam on Labrador Pond, representatives from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) could only conclude that further tests would have to wait until spring.

Residents living on the pond have been concerned that modifications made to the dam a decade ago have resulted in an increase in water levels and consequent flooding. Candace Gilpatric, an agricultural engineer from the NRCS field office in Lewiston, was asked to diagnose what could be causing these issues.  She had intended to take measurements of the depth and flow of water around the dam and use them make recommendations to the town of Sumner regarding how to solve the problems.

The visit, which took place on January 20, was productive even though there was too much ice and snow to take measurements, says Gilpatric.

"I don’t feel our January visit was a loss, rather a chance to meet with parties involved and develop a game plan to diagnose the problem by observing the symptoms," she said.

She is currently in touch with the Maine Department of Trasportation to see if they have any measurements from their 1999 project that modified the dam. It is possible that they already possess the information needed by the NRCS. With it, they would be able to run simulations of possible weather conditions and see how the dam would react. Using these findings, Gilpatric would then let the town know the possible problems and how they might remedy them.  The NRCS would not, however, be involved in any repairs to the dam.