Town of Raymond, Maine

Charlie Turner Reports:

Hi all;   Just completed the first sampling of Panther Pond (April 29, 2013), and thought you might like to know the results. The Secchi disc came in at 7.6 meters, which is very good. This was expected, as it has been quite dry lately, and the winter melt was slow and even, meaning that  little runoff occurred. Also, the O2 was around 11 ppm from top to bottom. This is because the spring turnover just took place less less than two weeks ago. When the lake turns over, it mixes the entire lake thoroughly, resulting in the O2 consistency from top to bottom.  The 11 reading was also a bit higher than in previous years at this time,  so that is also a plus. In toto we are off to a fine start, let’s hope that it stays that way.
             In case you were wondering why I did not do much winter reporting, it was because this was the worst winter in my memory. At the beginning of this crazy winter weather, there was hardly any snow. As a result, I could not get out there with my snowmobile, as there was no lubrication for the sliders. Along comes mid-winter we got those two very heavy snowstorms. The combined weight of these storms pushed the ice down, allowing water to come up through the cracks. This made three layers, (1) heavy snow on top, (2) a slushy mix of water and snow in the middle,  and (3) ice. It was impossible AND dangerous to navigate in such conditions. I put about 75 miles on my machine throughout the entire winter, ridiculous. There was not a single car on the ice either to prove my point. I certainly hope we do not repeat this winter again. More later, and may you have the best summer ever. Cheers  Charlie

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