Notification of planned relief pulse for the lower Lamprey River

This is a notification that low flow conditions have continued on the Lamprey River. Relief pulses from Pawtuckaway Lake and Mendums Pond were most recently executed on August 31st through September 2nd and are being planned again on September 7th. The lower Lamprey River is also subject to a Water Use Alert under the Lamprey River Water Management Plan.

Yesterday’s average daily streamflow was 8.5 cubic feet per second (cfs) and is currently 8 cfs: Conditions below 16 cfs have persisted for 40 days; if not interrupted by natural rain, the river will have been below 16 cfs for more than 5 days since the previous relief pulse (September 2nd ), prompting the upcoming relief pulse. Relief pulses from both waterbodies will continue approximately every 8 days through early October until streamflow consistently exceeds 16 cfs or the water level in Mendums Pond or Lake Pawtuckaway would be greater than 1.5 feet below their spillway due to the relief pulse, in which case relief pulses from that waterbody will be discontinued.

Daily average streamflows in the Lamprey River are published by US Geological Survey at LAMPREY RIVER NEAR NEWMARKET, NH - USGS Water Data for the Nation. The protected instream flow criteria and the current streamflow conditions can be found on the Department’s Instream Flow webpage at Current Lamprey River Instream Flow Conditions.

•    Water level changes as a result of the relief pulse at both locations will be 0.05 feet (0.6 inches.) 
•    Water level in Pawtuckaway Lake today was 0.85 feet below its spillway this morning.
•    Water level in Mendums Pond today was at 0.70 feet below its spillway this morning.

These streamflow conditions may affect water use operations at your facility under the Lamprey River Water Management Plan. When streamflow persists below the instream flow protection criteria, Affected Water Users may have management actions to take under the Lamprey River Water Management Plan. If you are an Affected Water User in the Lamprey River watershed, please review your Water Use Plan and take management actions when and if the conditions indicate. Your facility’s Water Use Plan may have different management actions over time under these conditions. Your facility’s management actions are described in the Lamprey River Water Management Plan.
 

Contact:

Joseph Schmidl, PG, CWS, DSDS Instream Flow Specialist
Instream Flow Program, Watershed Management Bureau
Water Division, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
P.O. Box 95
Concord, NH  03302-0095
Phone: (603) 271-3280
Email: Joseph.Schmidl@des.nh.gov