SPEDNIC LAKE REGULATIONalso underlies most of the marine estuary of the St. Croix River. P Overburden I throughout the basin consists of glacial till, aquei- glacial outwash, and marine

ProQerty of tho Intcrnziionai Js;ni Ccnmission. DO b.,'(")-[ [tEJLd?JvE

SPEDNIC LAKE REGULATION STUDY

ST. CROIX RIVER BASIN M A I N E AND NEW BRUNSWICK

INTERNATIONAL ST. CROIX RIVER

.--BOARD O F CONTROL : i

I t -

, J A N U A R Y 1975

( I \. 71

REPORT ON


St . Croix River Basin

Maine and New ~ r u r k w i c k

.- -. . . . . . ..

International St . Croix River

Board of C ~ n t r 0 1

January 1975


Repor t on the His tor ica l Operation , of the ~ a n c e b o r o Dam and the Feasibi l i ty of Altering

the Operating Rules of Spednic Lake

CONTENTS

Paragraph Subject Page

1. AUTHORITY 1 2. PURPOSE AND SCOPE 1 3. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BASIN 1 4. PHYSIOGRAPHY 4 , 5. HYDROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY 5 6. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 6 7. VANCEBORO RELEASE STUDY 7 8. EXISTING REGULATION 16 9. EFFECTS OF EXISTING REGULATION 17

10. DESIRES AND NEEDS OF LOCAL INTERESTS 18 I I . ALTERNATIVE PLANS OF REGULATION 20 12. EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE PLANS O F REGULA- 21

TION 13. RECOMMENDATIONS

FIGURES

St. Croix River Basin Map Vanceboro Dam Regulation - Sudden Increases in Discharge Vanceboro Dam Regulation - Sudden Decreases in Discharge Lake Levels - Plan 1 Lake Levels - Plan 2 Lake Levels - Plan 3 Lake Levels - Plan 4 Lake Levels - Plan 5

TABLES

1. St. Croix River at Vanceboro - Yearly Distribution . of Sudden Discharge Changes 11

2. S t . Croix River at Vanceboro - Monthly Distribution of Sudden Discharge Changes 12

3, St . Croix River a t Vanceboro - Sudden Discharge

a - Changes Compared to Stage of Spednic Lake (1967-1971) 13

CONTENTS (Cont'd)

4 . Summary of Electr ic Energy Output - F o r Georgia- Pacif ic Plants , S t . Croix River

5 , Rankings for the Main Uses of Spednic Lake

APPENDICES

B . PUBLIC ATTITUDE STUDY

1. AUTHORITY . .

At its semi-annual meeting on 10 April 1972, the International Joint Commissi~n approved the request of the International St. Croix River Board of Control to investigate the feasibility of raising the level of Spednic Lake to 378.5 feet msl year-round and report on the fluctuations of flows below the Vanceboro Dam resulting from control gate operations.

2. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The purpose of this report i s to present the results of an investigation of the feasibility of raising the minimum water of Spednic Lake from 376.5, the minimum required for the period 1 May to 1 October, to 378.5 msl on a year-round basis, and to report on fluctuatioin of flaws helm the Vanceboro Dam resulting from control gate operation. The report also presents the results of a hydrologic mathematical model study to determine the effects of various operational procedures on river flows.

I

Scope.

_ _ -- The report presents a brief review of prior inves tigationq , a gen-

eral description of the physical and cultural features of the basin, the results of a computer modeling of the hydrology in the basin, and the results of a public attitude survey of the basin. An analysis of exis t- iag regulation procedures was made and an evaluation of alternative regulation plans was conducted with respect to various water resource uses in the basin. This study attempted to: isolate Spednic Lake from the sys tem to allow c~nclusions to be drawn with respect to the feasibility of raising Spednic Lake without affecting the other lakes in the system. However, because the basin does act a s a system, i t was necessary to include some discussion of the other lakes.

3. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BASIN

Location. The St. Croix River Basin is located in the eastern corner of Maine and the southwestern portion of New Brunswick, Canada. Its watershed i s bounded on the north by the St. John River Basin, on the west by the Penobscot River Basin, and on the south and east by the Maine and New Brunswick coastal streams as shown on the basin map, Figure 1. The basin has the shape of an irregular "YI1 stretching across the international boundary. It has a maximum length in a northwes t-eoutheas t direction of about 70 miles and a maximum width in a northeast-south- west direction of about 50 miles. Of the total basin area of 1 , 6 3 5 square miles, 1010 square miles a r e in Maine and 625 square miles a r e in New Brunswick. The St. Croix River, throughout its entire length, and its headwater tributary, Monument Brook, form part of the international boundary between Maine and New Brunswick.

ST. C R O l X R I V E R

JULY 1972

PREPARED 81 NEW ENGLAND I)tVISluN

CORPS OF ENGINEERS. V S ARMY n 0 W A L T H A M , M A S S c FIGURE 1

0 - 2

The St. Croix River originates at the outlet of East Grand Lake near the village of For es t City, Maine and floras generally southerly about 77 miles to tidewater a t Calais , Maine. It falls about 424 feet to mean sea level a t Calais , Maine and then proceeds southerly in a tidal estuary for 14 miles ta its mouth at Passamaquoddy Bay, between Lewis Cove in North Perry, Maine and Navy Island in St. Andrews , New Brunswick.

Principal land features a re an extensive lake sys tem and gently rolling plains. The lowlands of the basin are defined as areas below an elevation of 500 feet mean sea level. Low hills rise on the narrow basin above the lakes and swampy plains. A few hilltops on the narrow basin watershed and some monadnocks reach elevations of over 1,000 feet.

Tributaries . Principal tributaries include ~onum;nt Brook, the headwater stream 'which forms much of the international boundary upstream of the Chiputneticook Lakes; the so-called West Branch system, namely Grand Lake Stream, Musquash Stream and Tomah Stream, Maine; and Palfrey Brook, Little Digdeguash and Canoose Rivers, and Mohannas and Denny Streams in New Brunswick.

Monument Brook rises in the northeast corner of the town of Amity, Maine, and flows in a general southerly direction for about 12 miles to

a North Lake, thence 16 miles through East Grand Lake on the East Branch 06 the lake outlet a t Forest City, Maine. The headwater area k-. cludes approximately 138 square miles (79 in Maine and 59 in New Brunswick) which are drained by Monument Brook and the upper portion of the Chiputneticook Lakes .

The West Branch system is located in the west-central portion of the basin. It 'is the largest contributing drainage of the St. Croix River. The headwaters consist of a system of lakes interconnected by short narrows or thoroughfares. From the uppermost lake, Lombard Lake in the northern part of Lakeville , Maine, the flow passes through Upper Sysladobsis, Sysladobsis , P~cumcus , and Pug Lake to West Grand Lake. From West Grand Lake the flow falls 95 feet in about three miles down Grand Lake Stream to Big Lake, then through Big, Long, and Lewy Lakes to Grand Falls Flowage. The drainage area of the West Branch System and its headwater lakes is 667 square miles, representing about 66 percent of the St. Croix Basin area in Maine.

Tpmah Stream is the principal tributary to the West Branch sys tern. _ --- It rises in Tomah Lake 4 miles northeast of the village Of Brookton, Maine, and flows in a general southerly direction for about 34 miles to the Grand Falls Flowage. Tomah Stream has a drainage area of 154 square miles and a total fall of 339 feet, of which some 300 feet a re in a the stream's upper 12 miles.

3

Economic History. The f i r s t settlement of the St. Croix River Basin, which was of short duration, was made in 1604 when a band of about 80 French colonists established a trading past and settlement on Dochet Is - land in the St. Croix River ,- Permanent settlement of the basin was established in 1779 by French calonists who were attracted to the area by the wealth of timber, the f e r q i t y of the soil, and the abundance of fish and game. This settlement soon became an important lumber center, although subsequent use of timber resources has varied with the demand of the times . In the early 18001s, shipbuilding was an impar tant Zndus try and later lumbering and the pulp and paper industry became the chief industrial activities in the basin.

Today, lumbering and .the manufacture of paper and wood products constitute the chief industrial activities in this heavily forested watershed. Less than 10 percent of the basin area is devoted to farming. The production of lumber and woad products and the canning of blueberries a re the principal industries in Calais, the commercial center for the Maine portion of the basin. The accommodation of tauris ts , spar tsmen, and vaca-

I tioners attracted to the basin by its extensive forest and lake areas provides an important source of income for the inhabitants.

Topography and G-eneral Geology. The St. Croix River Basin i s , in general, a post-maturely dissected lowland with topography that has been considerably modified by glacial and marine invasion. The extensive lake systems and the numerous flat or gently rolling plains a re conspicuous features of the region and a r e , to a considerable extent, the direct result

-/

of glaciation. These features also indicate that erosion of the region had reached a, post-mature stage prior to the advent of the last glacier. Low hills r ise a few hundred feet above the lakes and swampy plains, and a few hilltops on the narrow basin divides, and a few monadnocks , reach elevations over 1,000 feet. Musquash Mountain, the highest point in the basin, rises to an elevation of 1,238 feet.

The bedrock of the bas in consists chiefly of nor theas terly trending belts or strips Of qyartzite, argillite and slate of early Paleozoic Age.

- .----- .

An irregular belt of granitic rock crosses the international boundary betuteen Vanceboro and Orient, Maine, and extends southwesterly from Vanceboro for about 60 miles. Granitic rock also underlies most of the marine estuary of the St. Croix River.

P

Overburden I throughout the basin consists of glacial till, aquei- glacial outwash, and marine sediments . The glacial till, composed of silty, gravelly sand with cobbles and boulders, blankets most of the bedrock in the region. Since extensive areas Of the till have been buried by

later glacial outwash and marine materials, the till is exposed generally - - on the hills in the basin. Glacial materials of sand or sand and gravel overlie the till in the valleys and broad lowland areas.

5. HYDROLOGY AND CL~MATOLOGY ! <

Climate. The climate of the St. Croix River Basin is continental, with cold winters and short, warm summers. The prevailing westerly winds and the cyclonic storms that cross the continent from west to east bring most of the precipitation, except for occasional heavily laden coastal storms.

1he average annual temperature of the basin is about 41° F . Average monthly temperatures for the basin vary widely throughout the year. Re- corded daily temperatures within the basin have been as high as t02O F- * and as low as minus 41'~.

1he mean annual precipitation over the St. Croix ~ i v e r Basin is about 40 inches. Variations in the amounts of average annual precipitation over various portions of the watershed are small, ranging from about plus one inch in the lower basin to about minus one inch in the headwaters. ?he

, distribution of precipitation is fairly uniform throughout the year. 1 he annual snowfall over the watershed varies from about 70 inches in the south-

- ern par tion of the basin to nearly 100 inches at inland paints . 1 he water content of the snow cover over the entire watershed in the early spring often amounts 3 to 4 inches; however, water content of 5 inches or more is quite common at the higher elevations away from the coast.

Information on high flaws in the St. Croix River Basin is limited. 1 hanks to substantial natural storage areas and existing man-made lakes, normal spring freshets usually caus e o n l y , ~ i f ~ i 3 Z t m a g e se.~it------- have been no flooding problems Of major importance in the basin.

Hydrology. U. S. Geological Survey records of streamflow or stage a re available for six gauging stations which have been in operation in 'the St.CroiSi:~River Basin for various periods of time since 1902.. :

C .

Name and Location Drainage Area (sq. mi.)

St. CroLx River

Vanceboro, Maine Baileyville, Maine Baring, Maine

Woodland, Maine '

Period of Record

1928 to date I

1919 to date 19 14 (intermittent discharge measure- ments) 1958 to date 1 9 0 2 ta - IB~. - -

West Branch st'. 'Croix River

Baileyville , Maine 509 1910 W 1912 (stage)

Grand Lake Stream

Grand Lake Stream, Maine 224 1928 to date

- In addition to the U. S . Geological Survey records, Water Survey Of

Canada maintains and records data f rom the following stations:

East Grand Lake a t Fores t City 1 38 1966 to date (stage) Spednic Lake a t St. Croix 417 1967 to date (stage) St. Croix River below Forest

City Dam 138 1968 to date

Although there i s a c ~ n t i n u ~ u s recording gauge a t Grand Fal ls , main- takaed by the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, interpreted data were not .made available. for use in this study .

I h e average annual run-off for the basin is about 22.8 inches (1.68 cubic feet per second per square mile) o r 57 percent the average annual precipitation. Flows in the St. Croix River a r e highly regulated by natural and man-made storages, however, winter storage of precipitation in the form of snow and ice cause more than one- third of the annual runoff to occur in the spring months of March, April, and May. Water levels of the largest reservoirs - East Grand Lake, Spednic Lake, West Grand Lake, and Grand Falls Flowage - have been recorded since'1914-1915. Continuous gauge readings a t Grand Falls a r e also available.

6. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMEN1

l h e basin is sparsely settled, containing --. - about 19,800 people in the entire watershed.. 1 he population in the canadia; portion Of the basin i s 11,400 based on 1971 census figures compiled by Statis tics Canada. I h e population of St. Stephen and the Par ish of St. Stephen, New Brunswick i s 4,800 which accounts for about 42 percent of the total population in the Canadian portion of the basin. On the United States side of the border in the State of Maine, largely within Washington County, the 1970 population, a s reported by the Bureau of the Census, was approximately 8,400. Calais and Baileyville, with populations of approximately 4; 000 and 2,200 respectively, a r e the two largest townships in the Maine a rea of the basin, together accounting for about 74 percent of the total population in the United States portion of the basin.

In recent years , the economy of the -basin, has been mainly dependent on the pulp and paper industry, and ta a lesser extent upon other manufac- @ tured goods keyed to the basin's water and related land resources.

Although the soil is fertile, the production of agricultural products supports a relatively small segment of the population. Sport and commercial fishing and recreation a r e an important adjunct of the economy of the area . At the present time, less than 10 percent of the bas inarea is devoted to farming, including dairying, poultry raising, and commercial cultivation of blueberries. Forested land, representing over 80 percent of the a rea , provides timber for lumber and pulp for paper mills located both inside and outside of the basin.-

Logging and paper production constitute the chief economic activities, Of lesser importance a r e sardine packing, confectionery and other food processing irldus t r ies , textiles, and - - miscellaneous manufacturing. In the portion of the basin in Maine, a gross product value Of $50,000,000 and wages of over $15,000,000 were reparted for 1970. Approximately 95 percent of the latter product value was produced by activities which a r e directly dependent upon utilization of water and timber resources. Statis - tics on economic productivity for the Canadian portion Of the basin a r e not available, but i t is assumed that they a r e roughly proportional to the United States par tion of the basin.

I h e Georgia-Pacific Corporation, - one _ of _ the _A largest paper manufac- tur e r s in Maine and by f a r the largest employer in the basin is 'located a t Woodland (Baileyville), the center of the manufacturing economy on the Maine side. St. Stephen, New Brunswick and Calais, Maine a r e the

. commercialcenters.

1 he principal highway a r te ry , U. S . Route No. 1, -tends the en- t i re length of the basin in a general northwest-southeast direction and passes through Woodland and Calais , Maine, and is augmented by several roads in the north and south portions of the basin. Maine State -

Highway No. 6 , crosses the basin in a general east-west direction and connects Vanceboro, Lincoln and other points in Maine. New Brunswick trunk highways Nos. 1, 3 , and 4 pass through the basin and connect neighboring New Brunswick communities of St. Stephen, St. Andr ews , and McAdam with Vanceboro, a s well a s places to the east.

Railroad freight and passenger service to Calais, and freight s e r - vice from Calais to Woodland, a r e provided by one line of the Maine Central Railroad. A second line of this company affords freight and passenger service to Vanceboro, which 'is also on a main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad extending between Saint John, New Bruns- wick and Montreal, Quebec. I h e Canadian Pacific Railway provides service to St. stephen and St. Andrews with connection from McAdam. An airfield i s Z%%ilS5Ible --at Calais, but no scheduled flights a r e maintained by commer cia1 airlines .

7

Electric requirements in the Maine portion of the basin a r e met by . several small utility companies with electrical inter -connection with Georgia-Pacific, New Brunswick Electric Power Commission, and the Maine Public Service Company. I h e Canadian load is met by the interconnected sys tem of the New Brunswick Electric Power C ~ m m i s s i ~ n . 1 here a r e three hydroelectric developments in operation in the basin. 1 wo of the plants , Grand Falls (Ke l ly l and )an~ood land , a r e owned and operated by the Georgia - Pacific Corporation supply power to their pulp and paper mill a t Woodland and to serve public loads in Woodland -- -- - - - - - -- - - - - - and vicinity. l h e other hydroelectric plant, located a t Milltown, New Brunswick, i s owned by the New Brunswick Electric Power Commission.

1he historical records of Spednic Lake releases through the dam . a t Vanceboro were examined to establish a baseline situation. Existing

- - -

Kib-rogical impacts have been measured a g a i n ~ t this baseline . Future changes in the biological community, caused by changes in regulation, will also be measured against the bawline condition.

I h e control structure a t Vanceboro, below the outlet of Spednic -.

Lake, was reconstructedb-yeetKe-StTwPaper C o m p n y , a subsidiary --

CfxeGCorgia-PilC'i£1'CCOrporation in 1-9-66,--Th< structure has a concrete . spillway with two 22' - 6" wide steel tainter gates flanked by earth em- bankments on each side. ?he"-gates a r e motor operated with provision for manual operation during emergencies.

l h e present structure replaced a timber structure which had deter- iorated badly, leaked considerably and was feared to be in danger of. failure. 1 he timber structure had four wooden gates; three gates eight feet wide and one gate ten feet wide for a total clear opening, of 34 feet. A timber fishway in the structure had become inaperative.

Construction of the new concrete dam was authorized by the inter'- national Joint Commission on October 15, 1965 and the structure +s been - - - - used by the Gear gia-Pacific Corpora-tion to ~ e g ~ l a t e > r e l ~ ~ e ~ f%%m sped& Lake. Recently the St. Croix River Board of Control has received complaints that 'sudden' changes in the ra te of release from the dam were creating problems, for local tourist operators. On April 10, 1972 the Commission asked the Board to investigate fluctuations in the flaw below the dam.

l o investigate the fluctuations in releases from the Vanceboro Dam, an analysis was made of the changes in mean daily flow a s recorded on the St. Croix River a t Vanceboro during the five year period from 1967 to 1971 inclusive. ?he numbers and magnitudes of increases o r decreases amounting to 25 percent o r more between any two consecutive days during the five year period a r e summarized below:

Change Number of Number of Greater l h a n Discharge Increases Discharge Decreases

• In this summary changes a r e expressed a s a percentage of the lower of the two mean daily discharges for consecutive days. Compared on this basis, i t is evident that sudden increases in flow have Occurred with about the same frequency a s sudden decreases in flow. ?he changes a r e also listed by the year in which they occurred on 1 able 1, by the month in which they occurred on l a b l e 2 and a s a function of the level of Spednic Lake relative to the minimum o r maximum operating levels on ?able 3. .

1 hese results lead to the following conclusions with respect to the dam operating procedures over the five year period:

a ) The number of 'sudden' increases or decreases in excess of 25% occurred with almost random frequency over the five year period. l h e s e changes were therefore not necessitated by ab- normal hydrologic events.

b) A general trend toward fewer extreme changes is apparent during the period studied , pas sibly indicating a greater aware-

.. . .. -- -.-- . . , ness by 'the Georgia-Pacific Corpoi&tion-of the adverse effects of

'

. . these extreme flow variations.

c) The 'sudden' changes in discharge have occurred in every month of the year although they have been slightly more numer - ous during May when changes in gate opening a r e required to

a handle spring run-off.

\

d) About one-half of the 'sudden' discharge increases occurred ,when the level of Spednic Lake was within one foot of the maximum operating level, indicating that some of the 'sudden' increases may have been carried out to avoid exceeding the con- trolled lake level.

e) There is no evidence to indicate that sudden decreases in discharge were undertaken to avoid drawing Spednic Lake below i ts minimum operating level.

An analysis was also made of the rate a t which the 'sudden changes in discharge took place. Bi-hourly discharges for the 149-two day periods in which discharge changes of 25 percent o r more occurred were plotted from data obtained f rom the U. S. G. S. Water Resources Division. Typical examples of these data a r e shown on Figures 2 and 3.

This examination of bi-hourly discharges showed that the entire change in a particular day i s normally made within a two-hour period, most likely by one operation of the gate hoists. In recent years large magnitude discharge increases have been staged over several days by

a making daily change in gate settings. However, there is no evidence of efforts to distribute decreases i n discharge over time.

The Fisheries and Marine Service, Environment Canada, have indicated no problems with flow increases for fish habitat but that decreases should be held to 25 percent per day or l ess . Georgia-Pacific has indicated that in the past they were unaware of the concern over discharge changes but a r e now reviewing the matter . The company has also indicated that they would likely be able to hold decrease in discharge to within 2 5

'

percent over a 24-hour period, except in emergency situations.

8. EXISTING REGULATJON

The system of reservoirs in the St. Croix River Basin i s operated principally for the two hydropower plants located a t Kellyland and woodland, Maine. In addition to operating for the maximization of power, minimum flows a r e required to be maintained for fish life, pollution abatement and downstream recreation in the basin. The following paragraphs present the existing regulations for the operation of the r e se r - voirs in the basin.

I

TABLE 1-_ 1 ST. C R O I X R I V E R A T VANCEBORO

YEARLY D I S T R I B U T I O N O F SUDDEN DISCHARGE CHANGES

CHANGE GREATER

THAN

NUMBER O F DISCHARGE I N C R E A S E S BY YEAR

1967 1968 1969 1970- 1971 -..

15 14 12 19 11

8 9 9 14 2

6 6 6 8 1

6 3 4 - 4 -

3 2 4 3 -

3 1 3 2 -

3 - 2 2 '-

2 - 2 1 -

2 - ' 1 - . -

2 - - - -

2 - - - -

NUMBER O F DISCHARGE. DECREASES BY YEAR

ST. CROIX RIVER AT .VANCEBORO

MONTHLY D I S T R I B U T I O N O F SUDDEN DISCHARGE CHANGES . .

NUMBER O F DISCHARGE INCREASES BY MONTH M A N G E GREATER

THAN J A N FE B MAR AP R Eii\Y J U N J U L AUG S E P OCT NOV DEC

NUMBER O F DISCHARGE DECREASES BY MONTH

JAN FE B MAR APR MAY J U N J U L AUG S E P OCT NOV DE C

LAKE ELEV. I?;' FEET BE LOW MAX.

I TABLE 3'- . ' - . . \

S T . CROIX RIVER AT VANCEBORO

SUDDEN DISCHARGE CHANGES COMPARED TO STAGE ' OF SPEDNIC LAKE (1967 -71)

/

NUMBER OF DISCHARGE INCREASES GREATER T H A N

LAKE ELEV. NUMBER OF DISCHARGE DECREASES GREATER THAN I N FEET ABOVE MIN. 2 5% 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 250% 300% 400%

SUDDEN .INCREASES , .- . . -

.-. ............... ............... ................ ...

gS1 . . ... .. : . . .... -: .. '"' .... - .. 1. , VANCEBORO DAM REGULATION ,

2. ... ....... . ' . . 8 . . .

SUDDEN DECREASES IN DISCHARGE

I .. - -. - -- - -. . .. .-._.__C.._ - -- - - ......... ..................... _ _ _ .- . -. . .. .-.- . . . . . . . ., I (based on bi-hourly discharge reading

International Joint C ommis sion Regulations

Spednic Lake. The discharge of water from Spednic Lake a t the Vanceboro Dam shall not be less than 200 cfs. The maximum elevation of Spednic Lake a t Vanceboro shall be 385.86 feet msl. The minimum elevation between 1 October and 30 April shall be 371.5 feet msl, and between 1 May and 30 September, the minimum elevation shall be 376.5 feet msl.

East Grand Lake. The discharge from East Grand Lake a t the Forest City Dam shall not be less than 75 cfs. The elevation of East Grand Lake shall not exceed 434.94 feet rnsl and shall not be less than 427.94. Special operational procedures a re required whenever the water level reaches 6 inches below the maximum elevation due to potential flood erosion damages from wind and wave action.

Grand Falls Flowage. The maximum allowable elevation of the head pond of the Grand Falls Dam is 203.76 feet msl , with a 5.0 foot range of effective regulation.

Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency has requested that the minimum flow a t Woodland be raised above 700 cfs; Georgia-Pacific has agreed to try to maintain 750 cfs .

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game

West Grand Lake. The minimum discharge from West ~ r a n d l ~ a k e ie 100 cfs. Georgia-Pacific Corporation also reports a requirement to maintain the lake level a t or above its October 15 level, from that date until 1 June.

The corporation also operates the reservoir between an allowable maximum elevation of 301.43 rnsl and a minimum allowable of 292.10 msl.

9. EFFECTS OF EXISTING REGULATION 1

History of regulation. As noted in earlier IJC reports, the history of power development on the St. ~ r h i x River goes back to the early 18001.s,

I when several low-head dams were built in the lower reaches of the river. Early operation was for the benefit of log driving and small local industries (e .g., saw mills). Subsequently, operation has been primarily for generation of hydroelectric power. Again, earlier reports indicate that the heights .of dams were about the same as a t present and that there have been no major changes in depth of regulation in recent years. In recent years , since the 1930's the lakes have become increasingly popular a s summer resorts. Summer cottages have been constructed at35vor;Ge locations, notably Spednic and East Grand Lakes by residents of both countries.

16

Recreation, Fish Population. Recreation, which is important to the economy of the area, is adversely affected by the existing regulation of Spednic Lake. LOW water during the late summer and fall causes a hazard for boating on the lake. When the lake level is low, there a re numerous boulders that a r e exposed or just below the water surface. In the past, there have been a number of boats and .motors .reported damaged by rocks just below the water surface.

. .

Fishing accounts for a large portion of the recreational activity in the Spednic Lake area. 1 he residents in the area claim that the present regulation of the lake has adversely affected recreational fishing. l h e reduction in fishing has been attributed mainly to exposed spawning beds -. and trapped fingerlings in isolated pools when a rapid drawdown occurs. 1.

Fish life downstream Of Spe'dnic Lake in the St. Croix River i s seriously affected by sudden gate closures a t the Vanceboro Dam,

It is very difficult to translate the losses of income by commercial camp operators into specific amounts, 1he commercial camp operators on the lake claim that low water has significantly reduced the number of people who rent boats and camps during the late summer and fall. Due to its gently sloping s h ~ r e l i n e , ~ drawdowns measured on the vertical on Spednic Lake a r e greatly accentuated on the horizontal. 1he result is that a minor vertical change will have significant impact on such things a s boat access and the littoral community affecting fish and wildlife produc tion.

Access. Because most of the property on spednic Lake is accessible only by boat, good boat access from the public boat landings to the cottages on the lake is important. Low lake levels cause access problems due to boulders and muck raked shores. It is virtually impossible to construct permanent docks because of the wide fluctuation range of the lake level. In a number of cases, owners cannot land their boats a t their own property during low water periods . Instead , they have to land their boats a t a'neighbor1s property and then walk to their cottages. l h e low water also eliminates swimming in many areas due to boulders and mud flats.

Erosion. About three quarters Of the property owners on the lake have reported serious bank erosion, shore damages, loss of trees, and accumulation of debris in front of their properties because of high water; especially in the spring months. 1he low winter level, followed by a rise of the water level in the spring a t the time of ice break-up causes erosion of the shoreline as well a s the deposition of a considerable amount of debris.

5 Water Supply. Several camp owners and local Van ceboro residents have experienced water shortages during low water periods on Spednic Lake. A number of shall- wells were reported to have run dry during the summer and fall of 1971. l h e r e a r e a number Of people who draw water directly from the lake. During low water, some of these lines become exposed and freeze when the low water continues into the winter.

Fish and Wildlife. l h e r e is limited detailed data on the effects of - regulation on fish and wildlife, however, a s noted earlier, the Fisheries

and Marine Service, Environment Canada, have indicated that fluctuations in discharge from day to day have an effect on fish life. Decreases should be held to no more than a 25 percent change from one day to the next. l h e effects of lake and stream regulation on the biota should be monitored carefully so that the impact of the reregulation can be accurately assessed.

---- l>ower. Spediniz Lake along with other elements of the St. Croix

River Basin storage system is operated principally to maximize power production a t the three hydroelectric plants on the .river. Georgia- Pacific has not released the particulars of its historical operation but the f~llowiL:,g table was prepared from information furnished by the U. S. Federal Power Commission.

St. Croix River - Hydroelectric Generation I Nameplate

Plant - Owner Genera tion maxt Capacity (A v . Annual &IW H)

/ (KW)

Milltown New Brunswick 0

Power 23.250 3.036 woodlard1 Georgia-Pzicific.

Corporation . ' 30.,000 Grand Falls I I

I I 48,000 9,652

1 / mgGes' a r e total for mechanical as well a s electrical power genera- - tion. I h e Woodland plant has been modified with electric generating facilities replacing the older mechanical drives. Updated figures have not been made available.

10. DESIRES AND NEEDS OF LOCAL INlERESlS

Local residents have requested that the minimum level a t Spednic Lake be 378.5 feet msl all year round. Local residents and cbmmercial

I camp owners have complained to the International St. Croix River Board of Control regarding the 1- level of Spednic Lake that exists during late

summer and continues until freeze-up. l h e operating range Of the lake level reduces the surface a rea a t the time of full storage (elevation 385.86) from about 21,000 acres to the vicinity of 18,000 acres a t low water level (elevation 371.5). l h i s reduction in water surface results in large exposed beach areas and causes inconvenience and access burdens between the water (or ice) surface and shoreline dwellings. In addition, it has been reported by local citizens a t a meeting in February 1972, that there were approximately 300 wells dry in the Spednic Lake a rea a s a result of low water levels. I h e reduced surface a rea also results in loss of f ish population with an adverse impact on the tourist business a t Spednic Lake which is largely motivated by excellent fishing opportunities . I

Local residents have also been critical of the gate operation a t Vance- boro, noting that openings have been very sudden, resulting in drastic water level changes downstream in the St. Croix River-.

In (order to more accurately determine theidesires of the local inter- es ts , a public attitude survey was made in the St. Croix River Basin. l h i s survey i s .included a s Appendix B of this report. Although the survey concentrated on the Spednic Lake a rea , some limited sampling was done on the other three principal storage a reas in t h e basin. 1 h e sampling results 'indicated that erosion and damages caused by high water levels a r e the greatest concern of camp owners on East Grand Lake. 0x1 West Grand Lake and Grand Lake s t ream, the main concern i s the effect of fluctuating water levels on the fish population. Local residents, commercial operatars and fish culturists have a l l recommended that the lake be maintained a t a constant level following the lake trout ( logue) spawning season around mid-October and that sudden gate closures a t the dam on Grand Lake Stream be prevented. Survey results indicated that camp owners were generally satisfied with the management of water levels a t Big Lake and Grand Falls Flowage.

During the course of the public attitude survey , property owners in '

the Spednic Lake a rea were asked for their opinions on a proposal to ra i se the summer level to 378.5 feet msl . 1 h e owners were generally, in favor of this proposal because they felt i t would solve most of the problems regarding the level of Spednic Lake. At the time of the survey, many owners commented that- the lake level was low then (October 1973). A check of the reservoir staff gage indicated that the lake level 'was 382 feet ms l a t the s ta r t of the survey and 380 feet m s l a t the end of the survey. 1 he majority of those surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with the present 'management of water levels in the lake.

1he power interek ts in the basin, ~ e d r ~ i a - p a c i f i c Corporation and New Brunswick Electric Power Commission, presently use the storage

a t Spednic Lake as well as the other lakes for firming up flows for the production of electric power. lhe i r desires a r e to maximize tlie production of hydroelectric power. If the minimum allowable level o'f Spednic Lake i s raised, there will be less storage available for production of

. power.

During the course Of the study, five alternative plans of regulation for Spednic Lake were developed. In developing these plans, i t was assumed that all of the other storage areas would be operated in the same manner a s in the past. For the purpose of comparison, these alternative plans vary from the extremes of operation of the lake for power purposes only, a t the expense of a l l other interests , to operation of the lake solely

------ for the enhancement of fisheries a t the expense of all other interests.

Plan 1 - l h i s plan perrriits Spednic Lake to be drawn down to sill elevation 371.5 feet rnsl a t any time during the year to meet the demand of Georgia-Pacific for power. In this plan, no buffer storage i s reserved for fisheries or water quality releases.

Plan 2 - In this plan of operation, only water in storage between - -- - elevation -385.86 and 378.5 feet rnsl would be available for power releases during the recreation months (June to September). During the remain- - ing months, Spednic Lake could be drawn down to elevation 376.5 feet

1 msl for power releases . With this plan, storage down to elevation 371.5

1 feet msl would be considered buffer storage a t all times and would be available to provide flows for fisheries and water quality in emergencies

-- - - - - . .- - - - - - - . . -. - .. - . . -. . - when system storage nears exhaustion.

I

Plan 3 - Under this plan, storage between elevation 386 and 380.5 feet rnsl would be available for power releases a t all times. 1he storage between elevation 380.5 and 378.5 feet rnsl would be considered buffer storage to be used Only to provide the minimum flows required for fish-

I eries and water quality.

Plan 4 - In this plan, the level of Spednic Lake would be maintained a t or above 378.5 feet msl year -round, a level that would alleviate low water problems of Spednic Lake riparians. In this plaq no buffer zone storage is provided to meet minimum flows required for fisheries and water quality.

Plan 5 - 1 his plan requires that the water level on Spednic Lake should not fall belaw the 1 October level until after the following spring

I run-off . Maintenance of this constant level facilitates maximum fish

I reproduction by keeping the spawning beds covered a t the expense of all other interests. •

12. EVALUAIION OF ALIERNAIIVE PLANS OF REGULA~ION

1 he lake stages which were obtained from the final runs of Plans 1 and'4 for 1961-1969 and Plans 2 and 3 for 1936-1969 a r e presented in Figures 4 to 8. Included also in these figures a r e plots of the output from Plans 1 to 5 for the previous runs for 1961-1969. l h e .historic stages for the four storages a r e indicated on a l l Figures.

1he storage rule curves for Grand Falls Flowage, East Grand Lake and West Grand Lake permit the stktulation runs to satisfactorily represent their actual operation over the 34 year study period. 1he only exception i s West Grand Lake which appears to have been'drawn down in the

. order of 2 to 3 feet below the simulated minimum level frequently during the period from 1939 to 1953. However, in a l l five plans, the stage plots for these three storages a r e essentially identical. 1 his permits an an- 'alysis of Spednic Lake regulation in isolation a s se t out in the 1 erms of Reference.

Varying the capacity of the outlet works with the lake stage results in a significant change in the lake level output for Plan 1 (see Figure 4). ?he level Of Spednic Lake i s kept 2-3' higher and it would require a

A--

drought lasting several years for the stage ta drop to 371.5' (sill elevation). l h i s raising of the simulated stage had the effect of reducing thet0talenergyproductionunderthisplan(seelable4).

I

I h e other plans a r e not significantly affected by the restriction of outflows to the capacity of the outlet works. 1 h e lowering of the levels in Spednic Lake for 1961-1969 in Plan 3 (Figure 6D) is the result of the decrease in the top of the Buffer Zone to 380.5' from 381.05'.

1he total energy produced under the five plans for 1961-1969 and for the two plans run for 34 years i s listed in l ab l e 4. 1 he maximum actual total energy which could have been produced based on actual levels and flows for 1961-1969 and 1936-1969 is also listed in l a b l e 4.

As has. been indicated, the public use desires have been identified a s a raising of the existing minimum level and consequently a lowering of the range of fluctuation. With this and the maintenance of a reasonable power potential a s goals this analysis i s made of the proposed plans.

Under Plan 1, from October 1960 to September 1969 there were no -- __ months when a shortage of required flows w ~ u l d ~ ~ c c u r . l h i s i s to be

. expected a s the Spednic Lake can be drawn down to sill elevation and the three remaining storages have buffer zones. However, from a public use perspective neither of the gods a r e met.

Under Plan 2, there a re no cases of required flow shortages, however, in 1 7 of the 34 years simulated Spednic Lake levels were less than t3r.e required levels on a total of 37 months. In order to facilitate identi-

a f i :ation of these simulated violations the required minimum stages for Spednic Lake of 378.5' for June through September and 376.5' for the remainder of the year a re indicated on Figures 5A to 5D. As there exists these infringements, Plan 2 , like Plan 1, does little for improving conditions for public us e .

If both minimum required lake levels and minimum required flows a r e to be guaranteed then a buffer zone is needed above the minimum required lake level.. l h i s is the basis of Plan 3. As is evident from observing Figures 6A to 6D, Spednic Lake's stage would never have dropped below the minimum required level from 1936-1969 under Plan 3. 1he flows were never lower than the minimum required flows under this plan except for the f i rs t month, October 1936. However, this shortage was artificially caused by initiating Spednic Lake's level below the minimum required level of 378.5'. lherefore, in terms of public use, Plan 3 appears to be quite acceptable, but i t is noted in lab le 4 that it also represents a reduction in power potential.

SUMMARY OF ELEClRIC ENERGY OUlPUl

I for

GEORGIA-PACIFIC CORPORAlION PLANlS

St. CRoIX RIVER

Regulation Plan Previous Runs Final Runs Annual

l o t a l Energy l o t a t Energy Average

Plaa 1 1,080 1,072 119 Plan 2 1,067 1,067 11 9 Plan 3 1,048 / 1,051 117 m a n 4 - ( 2 ) 1,062 118 Plan 5 1,068 1,068 119 Actual , 1,057 1,057 117

(1936-1969)~

Plan 2 . .

Plan 3 ,

Actual

1. Adjusted for Storage Change Over the Study. Period 2 . Not Available 3. Plans 2 and 3 were run for 34 years

?he data for 1961-1969 for these plans is listed above underr-f-inal runs. A comparison of the average annual total energy for the 9 year and 34 year runs indicates that the 9 year period i s quite representative of the long term average for the five regulation plans.

Plan 4 i s essentially Plan 3 without the buffer zone above the minimum required level of 378.5'. In this plan Spednic Lake never falls below 378.5' And there i s never a required flaw shortage. 1he reason for this i s that East Grand Lake is drawn down slightly lower in order to guarantee 200~cfs . outflow from Spednic Lake during critical periods.

- I h e residents surveyed on East Grand Lake expressed a concern for high water in their lake and until recently have had a gentlemen's agreement with Georgia-Pacific to keep the water level a t least 6" below the maximum. Iherefore, i t may be that the increased drawdawn from East Grand would raise little public concern. Like Plan 3, Plan 4 meets some of the requirements for public use and results in some loss of power potential .

Plan 5 was designed to prevent the stage on all 4 storages from falling below the level that occurs a t the start of October prior to spring run-off*. 1 his would prevent exposure of fish eggs, which a re generally deposited in the shallow waters on the lake shore and in the estuaries of streams, feeding the lakes. ?his criteria as programmed has a devastating effect on required minimum flaws with a total of 24 shortages a t the 4 locations for the 9 year run. Like Plan 1, Plan 5 appears to go too far in serving one interest a t the expense of others. It should be noted, thsugh, that the fisheries requirement is met quite well for Spednic Lake in Plan 4 and in Plan 3 but not in Plan 2.

I h e two main uses of Spednic Lake a r e energy generation and recrea- ' tion. Energy generation is directly related to the annual cycle of lake stage - the larger the fluctuation the higher the total energy. Recreation- a l interests have expressed a desire to minimize these fluctuations, thereby raising the minimum level to which the lake should be drawn.

I h e uses a r e ranked under the headings of Energy and Recreation in lab le 5. Plan 5 has been excluded from consideration as i t does not meet the minimum required flows and its basic objective is adequately met in other plane.

Lf we accept the es tirnate of actual mean annual energy production from lablec-z(l . 1 7 2 ~ 1 0 8 ~ ~ - h r ) and assume that this represents 0.998 of the total energy which may be generated under Plan 1; then applying a cost of '=mils per KW-hr , the potential losses to Georgia-Pacific

----_ under the Plans 2 , 4, and 3 will be $7,000;m000 and $60,000 per-- year respectively.

In summary i t appears that there a r e essentially two plans that represent any significant change in the operation of the system. It is felt that Plans 1, 2, and 5 a re not acceptable alternatives for the reasons outlined in the analysis of their performance.

Plan 4 provides a considerable reduction in annual fluctuation a t a moder- ate loss in energy. It does, however, rely on the other three storages to' meet 1- flow requirements thereby, slightly reducing their stages.

*NO drawdawn below October 1s t level until after next spring's peak.

24

PLAN 1

435

432. 5

430

3 8 5

380

375

300

297. 5

295

205

200

195

PLAN 2 (Sheet 1) '

PLAN 2 (Sheet 2 )

PLAN 2 (Sheet 3) I ' I

P L A N 2 (Sheet 4)

PLAN 3 (Sheet 1)

PLAN 3 (Sheet 2 )

PLAN 3 (Sheet 3) I I -

OEP

S ' Z E *

P L A N 5

Plan 3 of the two al ternat ives , provides the bes t operation for r e c r e a - tional in te res t s and the w o r s t for energy production. However, the slight dec rease i n fluctuation over that provided ... by Plan .. 4 .. i s obtained .. . . . at a . con- . -

siderable loss of energy '($34,000 pe r year m o r e than P lan 4).

RANKINGS FOR THE MAIN USES OF SPEDNIC LAKE.

Energy Recreat ion '

Total Energy Ratio Average Annual (Plan 1) Fluctuation

1. P lan 1 1.000 Plan 3 6 ' 2 . P lan 2 0.996 Plan 4 7 ' 3. P lan 4 0.991 P lan 2 10' 4. P lan 3 0.981 Plan 1 11'

P lan 3 does not, like P lan 4, leave the other s torages to maintain the minimum required flows for the S t . Croix sys t em, when operating with Spednic Lake near i t s minimum required level .

Summarizing we can say that this ana lys i s of the data indicates that the r e a l compromise plan may l ie in a choice between P lan 3 and Plan 4 , however, P lan 4 , which seems to mee t the needs of Spednic Lake u s e r s would crea te l e s s of a financial burden with regard to lo s t e lec t r ic energy production. It therefore appears adoption of -Plan 4 is the bes t course of action a t this t ime.

Since this analysis requires a comparison among quantifiable a s well a s non-quantifiable elements of well-being, it i s fe l t that adoption of a new plan of r e se rvo i r operation should be done on a t r i a l basis with concurrent monitoring of the pa ramete r s of well-being. A two-year tria.1 period ap- pea r s to be the shor t e s t t ime f r a m e that would yield adequate information to r e a s s e s s , and i f appropriate , modify the operational procedure.

13. RECOMMENDATIONS

The evaluation of the five al ternat ive plans of regulation indicate that P lan 3 and Plan 4 both represent a n improvement over the p resen t Spednic Lake control in t e r m s of a m o r e s table pool level . P lan 3 , . while slightly bet ter f r o m a recreat ional standpoint, imposes a dec rease in e lec t r ic en-

ergy. Of the two plans, P lan 4 will cause a sma l l e r dec rease in e lec t r ic . . .. . . ...

energy. .. -. . The actual amount of dec rease and the resulting revenue loss -

remains to be determined, by subsequent proposed power system studies. Plan 4 will require slightly more dependence on East Grand Lake to meet the 200 cfs flow requirement at Vanceboro.

The hydrolokic model adopted for thiseskdy treated the St. Croix Basin a s a system, but the study objective dealt primarily with problems and solutions on Spednic Lake. The historical operational regimen of the remaining lakes was considered a s a given.

The power studies conducted in this interim report were based on a general appreciation of the existing mode of operation of the Georgia- Pacific Corporation. Because of the unavailability of detail on the operation of the-pFeZW system, it was not possible for the model studies to take into account day-to-day power requirements. I t should also be noted that the current energy cr is is may cause a change in the existing operation . of the Georgia-Pacific hydroelectric plants, using them more for peaking purposes. Because of the current energy situation, Georgia-Pacific has serious objections to any further restrictions in regulation of the lake system. Finally, the effects of changes in flow regulation on the New Bruns - wick Electric power facilities a t Milltown will have to be analyzed. There- fore, before a f i n a l plan for Spednic Lake regulation can be proposed, additional data on the operation of the Georgia-Pacific system i s required. The Corporation advises that they a r e prepared to'conduct such studies and to evaluate them in conjunction with the findings of the Board of Con- trol 's interim report.

The Board of Control will meet with representatives of Georgia- Pacific in ~ u n e 1975 to review the statug and progress of their proposed system study. A f i n a l determination on the feasibility of raising the level of Spednic Lake will be made by the Board of Control, after review of the completed Georgia-Pacific study. Completion and subsequent review a r e anticipated within the present year.

I The current investigation has identified the fact that basic data on fish,

,and wildlife, near shore processes and recreational use and potential a r e required to thoroughly evaluate the interim study plans. Therefore, it is further recommended that the following programs be conducted by the In- ternational St. Croix River Board of Control:

1. A fisheries study to properly assess the effect of water levels and flow fluctuations on fish and to collect additional data on species composition and numbers and location of spawning beds and bottom contours .

e

2. A study of wildlife which will provide an inventory of current populations to identify importance and potential. There is presently limited information available on wildlife production in the area and the effect of management plans on such things a s migration stops and shorebird and mam- mal species is not known.

3 . To properly a s sess the effect of water level fluctuations and flows on shore erosion and near shore processes, additional data on shoreline damages on natural and mod3ied reservoir states, littoral currents and sediment transport a r e needed, The biological aspects of the littoral community will also require further study.

4. An expansion of the present study to include a comprehensive study of the regulation of the whole St. Croix,system. This expanded study could be carried out in a relatively short time using the hydrologic data and management tools developed during this interim study and the proposed Georgia- Pacific system study. b

ST. CROIX RIVER

RESERVOIR SYSTEM STUDY

FOR

ST. CROIX RIVER BOAED OF CONTROL * BY

HYDROLOGIC ENGINEERING SECTION, WATER CONTROL BRANCH NEW ENGLAND DIVISION, CORPS OF ENGINEERS

AND INLAND WATERS DIRECTORATE

ENVIRONMENT CANADA

OCTOBER 1973

APPENDIX A

ST. CROIX RIVER

RESERVOIR SYSTEM STUDY

FOR

ST. CROIX RIVER BOARD O F CONTROL

HYDROLOGIC ENGINEERING SECTION, WATER CONTROL BqANCH NEW ENGLAND DIVISION, CORPS O F ENGINEERS

AND INqAND WATERS DIRECTORATE

ENVIRONMENT CANADA

OCTOBER 1973

ST. CROIX RIVER

. ' RESERVOIR SYSTEM STUDY

Table of Contents

Paragraph! Subject

1. INTRODUC TION

.DEVELOPMENT O F HY.DROLOGIC DATA

a. Streamflow and Lake Level Data b. Evaporation Data c. Storage Capacity and Area Relationships

I (1) Eas t Grand Lake (2) Spednic Lake ( 3 ) Grand Fa l l s Flowage (4) West Grand Lake

d. Adjustments for Histor ical Streamflow Regulation e. Testing of Local Inflow Data

I

SIMULATION O F RESERVOIR SYSTEM OPERATION

a. General b. Flow Requirements c. Alternate Storage Operating Rules

(1) Plan 1 (2) P lan 2 ( 3 ) Plan 3 (4) Plan 4

d. Discussion

REFERENCES

Page

LIST OF TABLES

Table - Title - 1 Streamflow and Lake Level Data

Page

3

2 Evaporation 5

3 Eas t Grand Lake - Area- Capacity Data 7

4 Spednic Lake - Area-Capacity Data 9

5 , Grand Falls Flowage - Area- Capacity Data 9

6 Storage Development - West Grand Lake 11

7 West Grand Lake - Area-Capacity Data 12

8 Comparison of Coefficient of Variation of Monthly 17 Flow for St. Croix River Local Inflows and Recorded Flows in Adjacent Rivers

9 Comparison of Monthly Unit Runoff Values for St. 18 Croix River Local Inflows and Recorded Flows in Adjacent Rivers

10 Flow Requirements

LIST OF PLATES

Plate Title - 1 St. Groix River Basin Map

2 Flow Dqta and Lake Levels

3 Location of Stream Gaging Stations

4 East Grand Lake - Area-Capacity Curves

5 Spednic Lake - Area- Capacity Curves

6 Grand Falls Flowage - Area- Capacity Curves

7 Storage Development - West Grand Lake

8 West Grand Lake - Area-Capacity Curves

9 Alternative Operating Rule Curve s for Reservoirs

iii

ST. CROIX RIVER RESERVOIR SYSTEM STUDY

1. INTRODUCTION

A system of reservoirs in the St. Croix River basin i s owned, maintained and operated by hydropower interests principally for plants a t Kellyland and Woodland, Maine, and Milltown, New Brunswick. Operation of the lakes for flow augmentation results in fluctuations of the levels of the lakes, and, in recent years, the International St. Croix River Board of Control has received complaints from residents, and particularly commercial camp owners, relative to low levels of Spednic Lake that have existed during late summer and autumn months when augmentation requirements have been greatest. Spednic Lake is one of the largest of the several storage reservoirs in the St. Croix River basin. , A map of the basin i s shown on Plate 1. Drawdown has reduced the surface area of the lake by a s much a s 25 percent, causing access problems and inconvenience to recreationalists. It i s claimed that the reduced surface area also results in a loss of fish population and an accompanying negative impact on the tourist industry.

At their semiannual meeting on 10 April 1972, the International Joint Commission approved the request of the International St. Croix River Board of Control to investigate the feasibility of raising the minimum level of Spednic Lake to elevation 378. 5 feet msl year round. Existing controls specify that the lake will not be drawn below elevation 376.5 feet ms l during the period 1 May to 1 'October. During the other months of the year, the lake has been drawn down to 371. 5 feet ms l when required. The ability to maintain Spednic Lake at the desired level for recreation i s unquestionable. However, in developing operating rules, consideration must be given to other interests a s well, such a s maximizing hydropower generation by the Georgia- Pacific Company a t Woodland and satisfying midimum flow requirements on all streams for fisheries and pollution abatement while at the same time not overly drafting other reservoirs in the basin which also have recreational interests.

To test the total system response to a variety of possible operating rules, the St. Croix basin was modeled using a computer program entitled: "Reservoir System Analysis," developed by the Corps of Engineers' Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, California. The program, written in Fortran IV, performs multipurpose routings of a reservoir system for any number of periods based on various operational constraints on the reservoirs and other control points. The program will accept any configuration . of reservoirs, diversions, power plants and other control points,

but does not provide for channel routing or seepage into deep ground water reserves. Water requirements a r e supplied from reservoirs, maintaining specified storage balances among the reservoirs. Withdrawal levels can be varied monthly, permitting simulation with varying multipurpose rule curves. The program has multiple input and output options enabling the user to analyze both overall system response and interactions within the system rapidly and by iterative means through successive runs.

The computer study was a coordinated effort, with both the Can- adian and United States members of the International St. Croix River Board of Control participating. The Inland Waters Director- ate of Environment Canada furnished al l hydrologic input for the study, while the Hydrologic Engineering Section, Water Control Branch, New England Division, Corps of Engineers provided the computer model simulations of basin system operation.

DEVELOPMENT HYDROLOGIC DATA

a. Streamflow and Lake Level Data. The available streamflow and lake level data for the St. Croix River basin a r e listed in Table 1. The periods of record a r e shown on the bar chart on Plate 2, and the station locations a r e shown on Plate 3.

Streamflow has been recorded by the U. S. Geological Survey for the St. Croix River a t Baileyville since 1919. The Geological Survey maintains three other stations: a t Vanceboro which has recorded since 1929; a t Grand Lake Stream where records a r e available from 1928 to date; and a t Baring since 1959. The Water Survey of Canada, Department of the Environment, has maintained a gage a t Fores t City since 1968.

TABLE 1

ST. CROIX RIVER BASIN STREAMFLOW AND LAKE LEVEL DATA

STREAMFLOW

Station Drainage Area

(sq. mi. ) Per iod of Record

St. Croix River: a t F o r e s t City 138 1968 - date

at Vanceboro 417 1929 - date

a t Baring 1,390 1959 - date

nea r Baileyville 1,320 1919 - date

Outlet of West Grand Lake at Grand Lake S t r eam 2 24 1928 - date

' LAKE LEVELS

Station

E a s t Grand Lake at F o r e s t City

Spednic Lake a t Vanceboro (St. Croix)

West Grand Lake a t Grand Lake St ream

Grand Fa l l s Flowage a t Grand Fa l l s

Per iod of Record

1915 - date

1915 - dqte

1915 - date

1935 - date*

*Intermit tent r eco rds ex is t p r io r to 1935 and a s f a r back a s 1915.

Lake levels have been recorded since 1915 a t the four major storages in the basin: East Grand Lake, Spednic Lake, West Grand Lake and Grand Falls Flowage. The records for Grand Falls Flowage a r e intermittent prior to 1935, while those for the other three lakes a r e continuous from 1915 to date. The Water Survey of Canada maintains the gages on East Grand Lake and Spednic Lake, the U. S. ~ e o l o g i c a l ~ u r v e ~ maintains the gage on West Grand Lake, while the gage on Grand Falls Flowage is main- .

tained by the Georgia- Pacific Corporation.

For the purpose of this study, it was necessary to select a base period for hydrologic analyses and regulation studies. The period selected i s from 1935 to 1971. As shown on Plate 2, records of stage a r e available for the four major reservoirs , and records of streamflow a r e available a t three hydrometric stations throughout the selected base period. These hydrometric stations a r e St. Croix River a t Vanceboro, St. Croix River near Baileyville and Grand Lake Stream.

b. Evaporation Data. Because of the large surface a reas of some of the lakes in the basin, it was necessary to consider evaporation in the calculation of storage effects on streamflows. During the summer months, evaporation from some lakes is greater than the local inflow.

There a r e no records of evaporation in the St. Croix basin. The nearest evaporation stations a r e a t Caribou, Maine and Frederic- ton, New Brunswick. The U. S. Weather Bureau has recorded evaporation a t Caribou from 1963 to date, while the Atmospheric Environment Service, Department of the Environment has records of evaporation from the Royal Road, IHD Station near Fredericton since 1966. There a r e no records of evaporation in the general a rea of the St. Croix River basin prior to 1963.

Since the base period used in:the study extends from 1935 to 1971, it was decided to develop standard monthly values for use during the entire study period. While there a r e obvious e r r o r s in using average values because of climatic differences from year to year, this procedure i s much more accurate than if evaporation were neglected completely.

The adopted monthly values a r e shown along with average measured evaporation a t Caribou and Fredericton in Table 2. The pan evaporation data for Caribou, Maine were adjusted to equivalent

TABLE 2

EVAPORATION

Pan Lake bake Lake Evaporation Evaporation Evaporation Evaporation

Month a t Caribou a t Caribou a t Fredericton St. Croix River (ft) (ft) (ft) (ft)

January - -

February - -

March - - - - - - 0.02

April - - - - - - 0.06 /

May 0.44 0.35 0.25 0.33

June 0.50 0.40 0.33 0.38

July 0. 50 0.40 0. 36 0.37

August 0.37 0. 30 0. 31 0.30

September 0. 30 0.24 0.19 0.24

October 0.21 0. 17 0.09 0.12

November - - - - - - 0.07

December - - - - - - 0.00

- Mean Annual Lake Evaporation = 1.89 feet

(22.7 inches)

lake evaporation values using information rovided in U. S. 4 Weather Bureau Technical Paper No. 37. ( ) For the months of October to April, evaporation data a re not generally available from either of the two stations. For these months, estimates of average lake evaporation in the St. Croix River basin were obtained from lake evaporation maps published by the Atmospheric Environ- ment Service, Department of the Environment. ( 3 )

The standard values for the months from May to October a re not means of the average monthly values for Caribou and Fredericton. Rather, they reflect differences in lengths of the two records and the fact that data a re missing for some months during the perioda~ of record. The evaporation maps published by the Atmospheric Environment Service were also used as a guide in estimating the appropriate values for these months.

c. Storage Capacity and Area Relationships. There a re four major reservoirs used for storage in the St. Croix River basin. These are:

Spednic Lake East Grand Lake West Grand Lake System Grand Falls Flowage

Several estimates of the storage capacities exist, but no contour surveys of the reservoirs have been made. The estimates given in the International Joint Cornmissionls 1957 report on the St. Croix Basin (4) a re based on areas scaled from maps and on the amount of the total regulated head judged to be usable storage. No considerations were given to the effect of change in surface area with change in lake elevation. The computer model utilizes a stage versus surface area relationship to compute evaporation 10s ses as a fmction of surface area.

The following subsections describe the stage- storage and stage- surface area relationships developed for use in this study.

(1) East Grand Lake. The storage curves used in the past for East Grand Lake were developed from a surface area assumed to act over an effective range of regulation. The 1957 I. J. C. report lists storage of 105, 300 acre-feet based on a surface area of 16,800 acres and an effective range of 6.27 feet.

An independent analysis of 1:50,000 scale topographic maps during the current study showed a surface a r e s a t m a x i m u r ~ water level of 16,800 a c r e s (the same a s that given in the 1957 report). The general slope of the land adjacent to the lake was measured from the topographic maps a t 23 points and found to average 1.7 degrees. Based on these data, an equation was developed for calculating the monthly change in storage given the beginning and end of month lake surface elevations. The lake was considered to be a long narrow rectangle 1,150,000 inches long with side slopes of 1.7 degrees on the long side.

The effective storages and lake surface a r ea s a t selected elevations a r e shown on Table 3. The estimated effective storage a t maximum level (102, 300 acre-feet j i s only slightly l e s s than that quoted in the 1957 report (4) (105, 300 acre-feet). This stage- storage relationship i s shown in Plate 4.

TABLE 3

EAST GRAND LAKE

AREA- CAPACITY DATA

Elevation Storage jfeet m. s. 1. ) , . (acre-ft. )

Surface Area (acres)

(2) Spednic Lake. A procedure similar to that applied to Eas t Grand Lake was used to derive an equation yielding storage changes for Spednic Lake. In this case, the side slopes were found to average 2.05 degrees and the high water lake surface a r ea was measured f rom 1:50,000 scale topographic maps (show- ing Spednic Lake a t elevation 380 feet ms l ) to be 20,870 acres . The surface a r ea is significantly larger than the a r ea of 18,250 ac r e s a t maximum level (385.86 feet m s l ) quoted in the 1957 report. (4)

At Spednic Lake, the dead storage level is difficult to estimate owing to considerable drop in water surface between the lake and the dam a t low stages. At such times, the headwater gage located a t the dam does not reflect the true elevation of the lake. Aerial photographs taken in October 1962 and October 1951, when Spednic Lake stage was reported to be approximately 379. 5 feet, indicate several straight ridges of soil just below the surface. One such ridge runs right across the lake. In making adjustments for historical lake regulation, it was necessary to compute monthly changes in storage in the lake from records a t the dam.

Historical records of elevations a t the dam and discharges below the dam were used along with the equation mentioned above to calculate local runoff into Spednic Lake. These runoff figures were compared to the monthly mean flows in the nearby Shogomoc River. This comparison carried out for 31 months provided a plot of the actual level of Spednic Lake compared to the level reported a t the dam. The emperical relationship derived from this plot was use3 to adjust the storage equation. Table 4 l is ts the storage in Spednic Lake a s a function of stage reported a t the Vanceboro Dam above 371. 50 feet m s l (sill level).

It i s interesting to note that if an effective regulation of 10.25 feet a t the dam is considered (as was done in the I. J. C. report) (4) the effective storage to high water i s 185,100 acre-feet compared to the I. J. C. ' s 187, 100 acre-feet, obtained by multiplying the surface a rea of 18,250 acres by the effective regulation of 10.25 feet. However, from Plate 5, it i s evident that a linear relationship i s not acceptable for this study.

(3) Grand E'alls Flowage. Grand Falls Flowage h i s an average side slope (25 positions) of 3. 70° - - much steeper than Spednic Lake. The surface a rea a t high water (203.5 feet ms l ) corresponded with the I. J. C. (4) figure of 17,600 acres. Using five feet a s the effective regulation, the storages and surface a reas shown in Table 5 were derived. The stage-storage relationship (Plate 6) i s essentially linear.

(4) West Grand Lake. The difficulty a t West Grand Lake i s that there a r e 11 lakes which a r e affected by the dam a t West Grand Lake. These 11 lakes differ in elevation a t maximum drawdown, so that the operating range a t the darn in no way reflects the range over the whole area.

TABLE 4

Elevation (feet m. s. 1. )

Elevation (feet m. s. 1. )

SPEDNIC LAKE

AREA- CAPACITY DATA

Storage (acre-ft . )

TABLE 5

GRAND FALLS FLOWAGE

AREA- CAPACITY DATA

Storage (acre-ft . )

Surface Area ( ac res )

Surface Area ( ac res )

d

Plate 7, attached, shows the storage capacity curve for West Grand Lake presented to the I. J. C. 1957 report of the St. Croix River Engineering ~ o a r d . ( ~ ) This curve was derived from observations made by a winter survey of the lakes of the reservoir when a t their lowest elevation. The party measured the differences in elevation of the various lakes, and also, by reference to high water marks, ascertained the amount of effective regulation on each. These data constitute the basis of the attached capacity curve . The lake a reas used to derive this curve a r e those a t the elevations a t which these lakes begin to store water. Table 6 shows the elevation a t which each lake becomes useful storage, the a rea used in determining the lakes1 storage and the a rea determined by the Inland Waters Directorate to be that a t high water (301.43').

If the high water surface a reas had been used, then the capacity a t 30 1.43' would have been 181,500 acre-feet a s opposed to 160,900 acre-feet, using the surface a reas when the lake commences to hold storage. This i s a 13 percent increase. This i s demonstrated in Plate 8 by the dashed lines.

However, in order to consider the gradually increasing, surface a reas of the 11 lakes, the slope-sided, stepped a rea curve i s used. From this curve, the storage capacity i s determined, and i s shown by the solid line. This method assumes a linear increase in area with height. This i s only approximately true, but it can be shown that the use of a straight line on the a rea curve gives results within 1 percent of those that would be obtained if a non- linear increase in surface area with stage were considered. This i s the result of having su=h a large low water surface a rea and a change from the initial a rea over the height increase which i s less than one-third.

As can be expected, a t lower elevations, the solid curve closely follows the long-dash curve which was based on the low level elevations; then, a s the water level r ises, the significant effect of the increased surface a rea over greater depths comes into play and the solid curve bends toward the short-dashed curve, which was based on the high water elevations.

Table 7 lists the storage and surface a rea at selected stages above 294.05 feet msl.

TABLE 6

Lake (s)

Duck & Horseshoe

Wabassus

Norway w c.l

Keg

Bottle

Junior & Scraggly.

STORAGE DEVELOPMENT - WEST GRAND LAKE

Grand & Pug & Pocumcus

Totals

Elevation'at which usable

s torage commences (feet above geodetic datum)

sur face a r e a at commencement

of s torage ( ac res )

Surface a r e a a t high water

301.43' ( ac res )

TABLE 7

Elevation jfeet m. s. 1. )

294.05

295

296

297

298

299

300

301

301.43

WEST GRAND LAKE

AREA- CAPACITY DATA

Storage (acre-ft. )

Surface Area (acres)

d. Adjustments for Historical Streamflow Regulation. Before alternative methods of flow regulation could be investigated, i t was necessary to adjust historical streamflow data for the infl.u- ence of regulation. This was done using the mass balance equation relating inputs to and outputs from a lake to the change in storage in the lake. Storage adjustments were made only for the four largest lakes in the basin because these a re the only lakes for which regular records of stage are available. The four lakes (East Grand, West Grand, Spednic and Grand Falls Flowage) contain about 91 percent of the total useable storage in the basin. Other lakes will be operated in the same general manner a s they have been in the past. Therefore, i t is considered adequate to consider alternative regulation procedures for the four major storage lakes only.

The adjustments for the effect of past regulation were made by applying the following mass balance equation over monthly periods:

where:

IL i s the local inflow to the lake

0 i s the recorded release from the lake

S i s the increase in storage in the lake

E i s the evaporation from the lake surface

0, i s the recorded outflow f rom regulated lakes upstream

(0, i s zero for East Grand and West Grand Lakes)

Since information i s available on 0, S, E, and OU, the local inflows can be computed for each month for each of the four major reservoirs in the basin. * I t should be pointed out that these local inflows a r e not natural flows since they do not reflect the lake storage changes and lake evaporation which would have occurred under natural conditions. They do include the effect of artificial regulation of the smaller lakes in the basin for which storage data a r e not available. The local inflows a r e referred to a s "naturalw flows in this report to distinguish them from the recorded flow data.

The areas for which local inflow data a r e required for the regulation and power studies a r e a s follows:

(1) The area upstream of Forest City Dam

(2) The a rea downstream of Forest City Dam and upstream of the Vanceboro Dam

(3 ) The area upstream of West Grand Lake Dam

(4) The a rea downstream of the Vanceboro and West Grand Lake Dams and upstream of Grand Falls Dam

* See Paragraph 2, d,(6) on page 14 for comments on the provision of IL for Spednic and East Grand Lakes prior to 1968 when 0 for East Grand Lake i s not available.

(5) The a rea between Grand Falls Dam and the Georgia - Pacific Company plant a t Woodland . .

(6) The a rea between Grand Falls Darn and the New Bruns- wick Electric Power Cornmission Plant a t Milltown

As shown on Table 1, discharges below the Forest City Dam were not recorded prior to 1968. Thus for the years prior to 1968, local runoff above Forest City Dam was computed indirectly from the computed llnaturalll runoff from the total a rea above the Vanceboro Dam. For the years 1968 to 1971, annual runoff above Forest City was compared to the "natural" runoff above Vanceboro to give the following ratios:

Year Ratio

Since the drainage area a t Forest City i s 33.1 percent of the total a rea above Vanceboro, these figures indicate that runoff above Forest City can be approximated on a yearly basis by Vance- boro "natural" flows multiplied by the ratio of the drainage areas. This ratio was also used in estimating monthly local runoff above Forest City for the years prior to 1968.

For the a reas below the Grand Falls Dam, the local inflows to Grand Falls Flowage were multiplied by factors of 0.044 and 0.206 to obtain local inflows to Woodland and Milltown, respectively. These figures a r e the appropriate drainage a rea ratios a s well.

Local inflows to the four principal storage a reas were developed using monthly flow values for the period 1935 to 1971. In a few instances, the flows developed took on small negative values.

The negative values can be attributed to:

(1) Natural e r ro r s such a s wind inducing a seiche on the lake or channel on which a gage i s located.

(2) Undetectable e r r o r s in the data transmitting process from actual reading to the final value input to the computer.

( 3 ) The inaccuracy of the approximated stage-storage curves for the major storages, and

(4) Stage data for storages sometimes had to be interpolated over a s long a period a s two weeks.

Gross data e r r o r s were often spotted by observing the trend in the data. Where a sudden change in pattern was noticed, a data check was made a s far back to the source a s possible. It i s reasonable to assume that in some cases these e r r o r s a r e so slight that they were not noticed or the data point, though incor- rect, seemed to f i t the trend.

Discharge records a r e generally accurate to f 5 percent, and the lake levels obtained from manual gage reading could easily be out by 0.05 feet. A strong wind could easily change the stage reading several inches. Interpolated stage values could be out several inches. These e r r o r s alone can amount to an absolute e r ro r in the order of 150 cfs a t Vanceboro in August, a time when natural flows a r e low. This type of e r r o r could therefore vary a flow of say 100 cfs over the range -50 cfs to t250 cfs.

To make the data acceptable for use in the regulation study, the negative values had to be eliminated. Where possible, this was done by arbitrari ly adjusting the flows over a two or three month period in such a way that a negative value was eliminated without changing the total flow during the period. In a few instances, monthly values were made non-negative without changing the figures for preceding or following months. The magnitude of the adjustments a r e a very small part of the total annual flow and, therefore, these adjustments will have no appreciable effect on the results of the regulation study.

e. Te'sting of Local Inflow Data. As a tes t of the accuracy of the method used in obtaining local inflow data, comparisons - were made with recorded streamflows in drainage a reas adjacent to the St. Croix River Basin. As already mentioned, the local inflows a r e not natural flows because they do not reflect the lake storage effects and lake evaporation which would have occurred under natural conditions. These comparisons can only be used to indicate any gross e r r o r s which might be present due to inaccurate storage adjustments. It can be expected that computed local runoff values will be slightly higher than runoff from adjacent s treams

because local runoff values reflect no evapotranspiration from the reservoir areas, The locations of the hydrometric stations used for comparison a re shown on Plate 3. The stations a re also described a s follows:

Drainage Area Period of Station Description (sq. mi.) Record Used

Ellattawamkeag River near Mattawam- 1,4 18 keag, Maine

Meduxnekeag River near Houlton, Maine 175

Passadurnkeag River a t Lowell, Maine 299

West Branch of Union River a t Amherst, 148 Maine

Machia s River a t Whitneyville, Maine 457

Dennys River a t ~ e n n ~ s v i l l g , Maine 92.4

Shogomoc River a t Trans Canada Highway, 90.5 N. B.

Magaguadavic River a t Elmcroft, N. B. 547

On the next two tables (Table 8 and Table 9) mean monthly runoff and coefficients of variation of monthly flows for the above stations a re compared with similar values derived from local inflows for the following areas:

(1) The drainage area above the Forest City Dam.

(2) The local drainage area between the Forest City Dam l and the Vanceboro Dam.

( 3 ) The drainage area upstream of the Dam on West Grand Lake.

(4) The local drainage area upstream of the Grand Falls Dam and downstream of the Vanceboro and West Grand Lake Dams.

The comparisons shown that the monthly means and coefficients of variation a r e generally within the range of values derived from records on adjacent rivers except for the local inflow values for West Grand Lake. The mean runoff for West Grand Lake appears

TABLE 8

ST. CROIX RIVER REGULATION STUDY

COblPARISON OF COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION OF blONTHLY FLOIV

FOR ST. CROIX RIVER LOCAL INFLOIVS AND RECORDED FLOIVS

IN ADJACENT RIVERS

(PERIOD 1935-1970 UNLESS OlHER\VISE INDICATED)

LOCATION COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION FOR MONTH OF - -

JAW. FEB. MAR. APR. bIAY J U N E JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.

ST. CROIX LOCAL RUNOFF

Eas t Grand Lake 0.62 0 .77 0 .79 0 .24 0.42 0 .51 0 . 6 7 0 .82 1 .08 0 .86 0 . 6 1 0.64

Spednic Lake 0 .61 0 .74 0 .79 0.24 0 .42 0 . 5 3 0 .70 0 . 8 6 1 .09 0 .88 0.61- 0 .65 - West Grand Lake 0.43 0 .62 0 .59 0 .37 0 .34 0 .38 0 .78 0 .71 1 . 0 8 0 .77 0 .76 0.58

$ Grand F a l l s - Flowage 0 .54 0 .92 0 .80 0 .28 0 .44 6 .65 0 . 5 7 0 .78 1 . 0 8 0 .76 0.58 0.65

ADJACENT RIVERS

blattawamkeag 0 .56 0 . 8 1 1 .06 0.28 0 .43 0 .58 0 .71 0 .94 1 .35 0 .87 0 .63 0 .76

Fleduxnekeag (1) 0.56 0 .82 0 .71 0 .34 0.58 0 .64 1 . 0 3 1 .39 1 .56 0 .96 0.74 0.84

Shogomoc (2) 0 . 9 1 1 . 2 7 0 . 9 3 0 .29 0 .49 0 .66 0 .84 0 .98 1 .18 0 .89 0.64 0 .65

Passadumkeag 0 . 4 8 0 .66 0 . 6 3 0 .28 0 .33 0 .41 0 .52 0 .58 1 .00 0 .74 0.59 0 .68

Union-\Vest Branch 0.60 0 . 8 9 0 .84 0 .36 0 .45 0 .64 0.80 0 .94 1 . 9 7 1 .08 . 0.74 0.72

blachias 0 .54 0 .64 0 .60 0 .27 0 .40 0.55 0 .51 0 .61 0 .90 0 .78 0 .56 0.62

blagaguadavic ( 3) 0.60 0 . 6 3 0 .53 0 .25 0 .55 0 .57 0 . 4 3 0 . 5 6 0.77 0.72 0.57 0 .68

Denny s (4) 0 .48 0 .59 0 .27 0 .30 0 .43 0 .62 0 .63 0 .59 0 .71 0.64 0 .50 0 .40

(1) P e r i o d - 1941-1970 (2) Pe r iod 1935-1940, 1944-1970 (3) Pe r iod 1944-1970 (4) Pe r iod 1!350-1970

TABLE 9

S T . CROIX R I V E R REGULATION STUDY

C O Q P A R I S O N O F MONTHLY U N I T RUNOFF VALUES FOR S T . CROIX R I V E R LOCAL INFLOWS

iLUD RECORDED FLOWS I N ADJACENT R I V E R S

( P E R I O D 1935-1970 UNLESS OTHERVfISE INDICATED)

LOCATION bEAN U N I T RUNOFF I N C F S P E R SQUARE M I L E

JAN. FEB. MAR. A P R . MAY J U N E JULY AUG. S E P T . OCT. NOV. DEC. ANNUAL

ST. CROIX LOCAL U N I T RUNOFF VALUES

E a s t G r a n d L a k e 1 . 1 8 1 .04 1.57 5 .73 3 .94 1 . 8 3 1 . 0 3 0 .56 0.72 0 .97 2.29 2 .22 1 .92

Spednic L a k e 1 .21 1 .01 1.56 5 .80 3.99 1 .80 1 . 0 3 0 .57 0 .71 0 .96 2 .26 2 .27 1 .93-

W e s t G r a n d L a k e 1 .90 1 .82 1 .90 4.27 4.12 2.29 1 .48 0 .84 0 .85 0 .85 2 .01 2.57 2.08

w G r a n d Fal ls F l o w a g e 1 . 3 6 1 .13 2.01 5 . 2 8 3 .23 1 . 4 3 0 .90 0 .60 0.70 1 . 0 3 2.37 2.31 1 .86

U N I T RUNOFF VALUES FOR RECORDED FLOI\'S I N ADJACENT R I V E R S

M a t t a w a m k e a g 0 .97 0 .76 1 .26 5 .66 4 .01 1 . 3 3 0 .66 0 .45 0 .58 0 . 8 4 2 .03 1 .86 1 .70

b l e d u x n e k e a g ( I ) 0 .86 0 .75 1 .23 5 .96 3.40 1 .10 0 .60 0 .51 0 .64 0 .85 2.04 1 . 6 3 1 . 6 3

S h o g o m o c (2) 1 .87 1 . 5 3 1 .55 6 .51 4 .07 1 .48 0 .68 0 . 3 8 0 .55 0 .87 2 .23 2.66 2 .03

P a s s a d u m k e a g 1 .28 1 . 2 0 1.55 4.14 3 .43 1 .81 1 .00 0 .58 0 .65 0 .78 1.58 1 .82 1 .65

U n i o n - W e s t B r a n c h 1 . 4 6 1 . 3 0 1.94 5 . 0 3 2.96 1 .18 0.54 0 . 2 8 0 .42 0 .72 1 .96 2 .27 1 .67

b l a c h i a s 1 .84 1 . 5 6 2 .31 4.92 3 .53 1 .38 0.88 0 . 6 1 0 .71 1 .01 2.12 2 .43 1 .94

b l a g a g u a d a v i c (3) 2.01 1 .80 2.15 5 . 6 3 3.74 1 . 7 0 1 .07 0 . 8 1 0 .84 1 .17 2 .48 2.95 2.20

D e n n y s (4) 2.21 2.00 2.38 4 .91 2 .81 1.49 0 .85 0 .58 0 .76 1 . 0 4 2 .31 2.64 2.00

(1) P e r i o d 1941-1970 (2) P e r i o d 1935-1940, 1944-1970 (3) P e r i o d 1944-1970 (4) P e r i o d 1956-1970

• low during April and high during the surnmer months of June to September and the winter months of December to February. This apparent discrepancy can be explained by the regulatory effect of the Sysladobsis Lake storage located upstream of West Grand Lake.

Because of a lack of lake elevation data, the regulation of Sysladobsis was not taken into account in developing inflows for West Grand Lake. However, i f this storage of 24,900 acre-feet (about 1.9 cfs months per square mile over the area upstream of West Grand Lake Dam) were taken into account, it appears that the mean runoff in April and in the summer period would be within the range of the runoff values from adjacent drainage areas. The apparently low values of the coefficient of variation for West Grand Lake local inflows during some months (e. g. January and June) can also be explained by the regulatory effect of Sysladobsis Lake which would tend to reduce high discharges and increase low flows.

1

This comparison with records on adjacent streams supports the accuracy of the methods used in developing sequences of local inflows for use in the regulation study.

3. SIMULATION OF RESERVOIR SYSTEM OPERATION

a. General. The St. Croix reservoir system, a s modeled, included the four major basin storages -- the tandem East Grand and Spednic Lakes on the East Branch in parall'el with West Grand Lake on the West Branch, with the two branches flowing into Grand Falls Flowage on the main stem. In. addition to each reservoir stor age, control points, providing regulatory constraints, a r e included downstream of each reservoir and at the Woodland and Milltown hydroplants. Other hydrologic data, discussed in Section 2, "Development of Hydrologic Data, ' I a r e programnied in the model to, a s nearly a s possible, reconstitute historical hydrologic conditions.

Initially, computer runs were made using monthly time incre- ments and an abbreviated simulation period of water years 1961 through 1969 to reduce printout bulk. This period was selected because: (1) the average discharges were approximately the same as that for the period of record, and (2) a significant drought occurred during this period, thus including a broad variety of hydrologic conditions

After the initial screening and model calibration had been accomplished, a 34 year run was made on the two most promising plans a s well as the actual historical operation of the system. The computer program and the results of the various system tr ials a r e available for inspection in the Corps of Engineers offices in Waltham, Massachusetts.

b. Flow Requirements. Streamflow requirements, the primary constraints for which the system operates, were classi- fied a s "required flows" and "desired flows." Required flows a r e those flows generally established a s required for fisheries protection on a l l major streams in the St. Croix River basin. Stream-pollution abatement i s now generally recognized a s a valuable by-product. These requirements, obtained from the report entitled, "Instructions - Water Storages," (') a r e summarized in Table 10, "Desired flows" would be the maximum constant streamflow if regulation capacity was unlimited. The maxhum desired flow i s therefore equal to the long term average annual flow, The desired flow, or average annual flow, a t Wood- land i s 2,300 cfs, thus the whole reservoir system operates for this control when ample storage i s available.

TABLE 10

FLOW REQUIREMENTS

Location Required Flow

(cfs)

Downstream East Grand Lake 75

Downs t r eam Spednic Lake 200

Downstream West Grand Lake 100

: St. Croix River a t Woodland 775

c. Alternate Storage Operating Rules. Reservoir storage zones were designated a s the following: dead storage; buffer storage; conseryation storage; and flood control storage. Releases from the conservation zone generally provide "desired flows," while the buffer is reserved to meet "required flows" in the event conservation storage is exhausted. Water in the dead storage zone i s unavailable for release, while water in the flood control

zone would, be above desired lake levels and would be released a s rapidly a s possible without exceeding downstream channel capacity.

Initially, several computer runs were made using a broad range of experimental storage rule curves to evaluate the sensitivity of the reservoir system to various operational constraints. Four of the simulations a r e discussed in the following paragraphs, and the alternate rule curves on which they a r e based a r e presented graphically on Plate 9. The operating rules a t Grand Fa.lls,. West Grand Lake and East Grand Lake a r e believed in accordance with existing operating rules and supplemented only a s necessary, so a s to maintain comparable seasonal drawdown at each of the lakes.

(1) Plan 1. Under Plan 1, the entire usable storage of Spednic Lake i s available at all times for power releases. 1\30 buffer storage is 'reserved for fisheries or water quality.

This plan provides the greatest average usable flow at Woodland for power generation. However, the plan frequently yields flows at Woodland closely approaching minimum required flows, and in actual operation, due to inefficiencies in field regulation, required flows would probably not be met. The nature of the plan would result in maximum draft on Spednic Lake levels which would not be compatible with other interests in the basin.

(2) Plan 2. With Plan 2 of operation, only water in storage beftween elevation 385.86 and 378. 5 feet msl i s available for power releases during the recreation months (June- September). During the remaining months, Spednic Lake could be drawn down to elevation 376. 5 feet msl for power releases. With this plan, storage down to elevation 371. 5 feet ms l would be considered buffer storage a t all times and would be used to meet "required flows1' in emergencies when conservation storage was exhausted.

With this plan of operation required flows were met at all times, very rarely was the pool drawn below 378.5 during the recreation season (June - September) and there appeared to be minimum inconvenience to hydropower interests. In short, this plan of operation at Spednic Lake seemed quite compatible with the multiple purposes of overall system operation.

( 3 ) Plan 3. Under this plan, conservation storage at Spednic Lake was considered at or above elevation 380.5 feet msl year-round. A buffer zone was set between 378.5 and 380.5 feet msl.

With this plan, the buffer storage a t Spednic Lake would insure the meeting of "required flows" at all. times while maintaining the lake level above 378. 5 feet msl, However, the lost conservation storage would maintain Spednic Lake at a higher level a t the expense of greater:draft on the other lakes in the system..

. .

(4). Plan 4. In Plan 4, the level of Spednic - .. Lake was .........

maintain'ed a t or above 378. 5 feet msl year-round s o a s to maxi- ............... -. ................. . - . . . . . . . . . . ..-- .... .. , .... -. ..... -. .... .... -. -.-.-.-.-

mize recreational opportunities even to the possible detriment of .................................. .. ..... - ..... -- - - - .- ... ...... .

. other interests . ' Also, no ;buffer zone - w a s pxGTi-6eTZf- SpeZriic-L&-e. , . I . .

This plan would maintain the target level without exception. How- ever, without a reserve buffer zone, required flows during drought periods might not be met. In addition, by reducing the available storage at Spednic Lake, a new undue strain is imposed upon the other basin storages during nonrecreation months.

d. Discussion. It i s noted that the computer solution a s s m e s a precise regulation of reservoirs that could only be approached in field application. Differences in yields as great a s 10 percent might be expected for inaccuracies in actual field regulation. It i s also recognized that, a s the system has been modeled using monthly computation intervals, instantaneous or daily variations in streamflow may add to the lower precision of the computed regulation. Nevertheless, it is believed that the computer simulations made for this study accurately demonstrate - the relative performances for a range of operating plans and should be- a valuable tool.in studying the interactions of the system operation,

, REFERENCES

. U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hydrologic Engineering Center, "HEC-3, Reservoi r System Analysis (P rogram & User ' s Manual)," Davis, California, February 197 1.

2. U. S. wea the r Bureau, Technical Paper No. 37, maps of pan- lake evaporation ratios.

3. Atmospheric Environment Service, "1 0-Year Monthly Lake Evaporationtt m a p s based on the period 1956-1966.

4. International St. Croix River Engineering Board, "Water Resources of the St. Croix River Basin," September 1957.

5. Georgia-Pacific Corporation, "Instructions - Water storage^,^' Apri l 1972.

I

, . :N. . . ,! , ..,. .

W A L E IN *ILLS 0 10 10 10 .o m ma -

, !,;'..$,~: ,, s , ,, ST. C R O l X R I V E R

BASIN MAP

JULY 1912

PREPARED B Y

PLATE 1

0 0 0 0 P C( c) 9

E 5! sr Z z 9 0, I I I I I I I I I I I l l I I I I I I I l I l I I I ~ I I l l l l l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I l I I I I I l I I l I l I I ~ I

FLOW DATA I - 1

ST. CROlX R . AT VANCEBORO I I

ST. CROlX R . AT FOREST CITY

I I I

ST. CROlX R . NEAR BAILEY VlLLE I . I I I

ST. CROIX R . 'AT BARING 111 I I I I

GRAND LAKE STREAM

LAKE LEVELS -

EAST GRAND LAKE

SPEDNIC LAKE

WEST GRAND LAKE

GRAND FALLS FLOWAGE

STUDY PERIOD (1935 - 1971)

A T L A N T I C

GAUGING STATIONS , I '/

SCALE . P

PLATE 3

@ - acres

MONTH

PLAN NUMBER FOUR

i ? 386 E G 384 Lt Z 382 P

5

MONTH

PLAN NUMBER ONE

y 378 W

376 0 g 3 7 4

4 - ? 3 8 6 E 6 3 8 4 : 382 0 k 3 8 0 3

3 7 8 W EL. 376.5

3 7 6 0 g 3 7 4 I I

3 7 2 1 I 1 , E L . 3 7 1 . 5 1 t

DEAD STORAGE

J I F M ' A ' y J ' A . s 0 N D MONTH

PLAN NUMBER TWO .

DEAD STORAGE I I

4 2 8 1 I I I I I I I I DEAD STORAGE

I J F M A M J J A S 0 N D

I

M O N T H

E A S T GRAND L A K E

3 0 2 4 v! 3 0 1 5 6 3 0 0 l..

z 2 9 9 P I- 2 9 8 s q 2 9 7 W

2 9 6 0 g "5

2 9 4

J F M A M J J A S 0 N D M O N T H

WEST GRAND L A K E

I I I I I I I I I I I I I J F M J J A S 0 N D A M

M O N T H

GRAND F A L L S F L O W A G E

STORAGE RULE CURVES FOR OTHER LAKES

'!- Z 3 8 2 2 5 3 8 0

y 378 .- W J 376 0 2 374

3 7 2

3 7 0 F M A M J J A S 0 N 0

MONTH

PLAN NUMBERTHREE

ALTERNATE STORAGE RULE CURVES FOR SPEDNIC LAKE

4 * 386 E

N E W ENGLAND DIVISION

ALTERNATIVE OPERATING RULE CURVES FOR RESERVOIRS

SCALE DRAWING NUMBER

I

I

PLATE 9

I I

FLOOD C O N T R O L

t I I E L 385 86

I

I

R E P O R T O N

PUBLIC ATTITUDE SURVEY

ST. CROIX RIVER BASIN • M A I N E A N D NEW BRUNSWICK

I N T E R N A T I O N A L ST. C R O I X RIVER

B O A R D OF C O N T R O L

A P R I L 1974

9 A P P E N D I X B

REPORT ON

PUBLIC ATTITUDE SURVEY

S T . CROIX RIVER BASIN

MAINE AND NEW BRUNSWICK

International St . Cro ix River Board of Control

Apr i l 1974

APPENDIX B

CONTENTS

@ I PURPOSE O F STUDY P a g e

1

I1 METHOD O F SURVEY 1

111 SCOPE O F SURVEY 2

IV SPEDNIC LAKE

A c c e s s

Low Water Table

F i sh ing . ,

Eros ion

I Aesthe t i cs I

C o m m e r cia1

S u m m a r y

V EAST GRAND LAKE

~f WEST GRAND LAKE

VII BIG LAKE AND GRAND FALLS FLOWAGE I

VIII FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

Spednic Lake

E a s t Grand L a k e

Wes t Grand Lake and ' Grand Lake S t r e a m

I Big Lake and Grand Falls Flowage 15

Gene ra l S u m m a r y 15

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A O r a l In terview F o r m a t

APPENDIX B Quest ionnaire

APPENDIX C F o r m L e t t e r to nonres iden t Owners

EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT A

Photos Loca. tion Time

1, 2 , and 3 Gordon Wallace Property Summer 1964 - Spednic Lake

4, 5, and 6 Horace Farnham Property Summer 1971 - Spednic Lake

7 Graham's Lodge & Cottages East Grand Lake

8 Greenland Cove Camps East rand Lake

9, 10, and 11 Clear -cutting - Hardwoodridge

S /E of Sandy Bay, Spednic Lake

12 Old Vanceboro Dam Summer 1964

13 Public Boat Landing - Spednic Lake Summer 1964

14 Public Boat Landing - Spednic ~ a k e October 1973

15 New Vanceboro Dam and Protective

Log Boom October 1973

16 International Bridge - Vanceboro-MacAdam April 28, 1973

17, 18 International Bridge - Vanceboro-MacAdam May 1 1973

EXHIBIT B

Record Stage FloG Chart for Spednic Lake since 1967

EXHIBIT C

Maine Inland Fisheries and Game Maps l

a . Spednic Lake

b. East Grand Lake

I c. West Grand Lake

d. Big Lake

PLATE 1 St. Croix River Basin Map

I 2

ATTITUDE FIELD SURVEY: ST. CROIX RIVER BASIN

. I . PURPOSE OF SURVEY

Complaints have been received by the International St. Croix River Board of Control from local residents and camp owners relative to the low level of Spednic Lake prevailing during late summer and fall. In keeping

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with the International Joint Commission's desire to maintain a positive open planning process so a s to incorporate the views and attitude of the public, a field survey was conducted in the St . C r o h River Basin.. The results of this field survey a r e contained in this attitude survey jiepor'ii. '2 This information together with other components being accomplishe'd;lby thb American and Canadian staff comprise the St. Croix River Basin survey report a s directed by the Commission in its communication of 10 April 1972 to the St. Croix River Board of Control.

This survey, which i s part of a larger study, was undertaken to determine local resident and camp-owner attitudes relative to water level fluctua- 'ions in the major storage a reas of the St. Croix River Basin. Particular emphasis was placed on Spednic Lake which i s noticeably subject to the greates t fluctuation range in the St. Croix River watershed. ~ndiddua ls surveyed were asked how the fluctuations affected the use and enjoyment of their properties, the frequency and duration of the effect, and their views on the proposal that the authorized minimum levels established by the In- ternational Joint Commission in 1965 be raised two feet to 378.5' msl during the summer and the winter level be raised five feet to 376.5' msl . The recommended changes a r e based on the results of computer runs developed by the U . S . Army, Corps of Engineers , and par t of the broader study

- . -- - which simulates reservoir system operation . . . - and is designated - - -- as ~ l a n ~ u r n - - -. -.. - - -

ber Two of the four alternatives which were developed. Finally, the survey provided an excellent social profile of local interests who live and frequent the Spednic Lake 'area, and to a lesser degree, yielded similar information for the other major storage areas surveyed.

This attitude survey was a joint effort accomplished by the Atlantic Region, Inland Waters Directorate, Department of Environment for Canada and the Corps of Engineers, New England Division, 'Department of the Army of the United States.

11. METHOD OF SURVEY

Field interviews were conducted from 2 October 1973 through 27 Octo- ber 1973 comprising 18 actual man-days . Title ownership data was developed from an inspection of the Tax Assessors Grand List in Vanceboro, Maine, and the Tax Assessment Roll in McAdam, New Brunswick.

Resident camp-owners were interviewed personally and absentee owners

. - , were mailed questionnaires -for reply. Interviews were conducted by the In- land Waters Directorate iorA'the Canadian portion of the basin and Corps of Engineers for the United States portion of the basin. Since all absentee owners on the canadian side of Spednic Lake were Americans, i t was agreed that the - - - - - Corps would mail them questionnaires for reply. There wereZno Canadian owners on the United States portion of the basin.

To assist in the interview process a questionnaire form was developed jointly by the representatives of the Inland Waters Directorate and the Corps of Engineers and coordinated with officials of the Georgia-Pacific Corpora- tion at the outset of the survey. The questionnaire format was designed to produce narrative comments and allow camp owners to expand their commentary on any expressed grievance or observation. It was not intended to re-

# strict owners to strictly affirmative or negative replies. Commentary obtained from landowners on water level fluctuations and possible damaging effects on fish population was based on personal observation and past experience, either a s camp owners on the lake or local residents using the lake. Many had difficulty relating specific elevations to their shore frontage. However, most were familiar with the reservoir staff gage maintained by Georgia-Pacific Corporation on the Vanceboro Dam and were able to cor- relate elevations indicated a t the dam in determining water levels in front of their properties. The format for oral interviews, questionnaires and form letters mailed to absentee owners a re shown in Appendices A, B , and

L C , respectively.

111. ' SCOPE OF SURVEY

Although primary emphasis was placed on Spednic Lake, attitude sampling was conducted on the St. Croix River and East Grand Lake in the - East Branch of the St. Croix River Basin in addition to Big Lake, Grand Lake Stream, West Grand Lake and Pleasant Lake all located in the West Branch of the basin. The survey for Spednic Lake included virtually all private and commercial camp owners on both sides of the international boundary spanning the town of Vanceboro and unincorporated Township 11, Range 3, in the State of Maine, and McAdam Township in the Province of New Brunswick. The more limited survey for other storage areas in the watershed included the towns of Danforth, Weston, Princeton, and Grand Lake Stream Village, State of Maine. For purposes of sampling, inter - views were conducted with local town officials, commercial operators and camp owners with extensive experience on the lake, a s well a s any individual representing a lake or water shed association.

A total of 60 documented interviews was obtained. Of the 25 question- -- -- -

naires which were mailed out to non-resident camp owners on Spednic Lake, -

20 individuals responded and these were supplemented to the documented interviews. Additionally, numerous unrecorded discussions were held

with local residents in various par ts of the basin to obtain a broader spectrum

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of local views on r iver and lake conditions.

I V . SPEDNIC LAKE

Of a total of 58 ownerships on both sides of Spednic Lake, 53 camp- owners were surveyed including four commercial operators and three former sporting camp owners who have abandoned their business but have retained ownership. In addition, formal interviews were conducted with five local residents , one motel operator, two camp owners on the St. Croix River downstream from the Vanceboro Dam and one non-r esident commercial operator who frequently takes his guests to Spednic during the fishing season. The number of camp owners wh6 use their properties for recreational purposes a r e evenly distributed between spring through fall and year-round usage. Of the four commercial operators , two a r e open for business on a year-round basis and two cater primari ly to fishermen and hunters from mid- May through late November. At leas t eight owners permanently reside a t the lake including three sporting camp owners. The nature and effects of the fluctuating water levels a r e specified below, but not necessarily in their order of priority.

Access - Since dnly four lake owners have road access to their propert ies , the foremost requirement i s good boat access from the public landings to the

'V cottages. All resident camp owners and local townspeople unanimously cited the difficult and hazardous boat access during low-water periods which normally run from mid-July through the winter unless there is a substantial amount of rainfall in autumn. Eight out of twentynon-resident owners who replied to the questionnaires s t ressed the problem of access during periods of crit ical drawdown. Complaints most frequently expressed by the locals during low water were boulder strewn and muck raked shores. Establish- ment of a permanent dock i s virtually impossible because of the wide fluctuation range. Most owners have floating docks which they can move in o r out in accordance with the level variances. Present and former sporting camp owners reported numerous boating mishaps and frequent motor damages r e - sulting f rom low water . The depth profiles for Spednic Lake a t Exhibit C il lustrate the problem posed by allowable fluctuation range of 14.5 feet. Since the lake i s shallow and rocky, a drop of 8 to 10 feet creates a difficult navigation situation on the lake and complicates access f rom Spednic to Palfrey Lake for two commercial operators and severa l camp owners located on Palfrey .

Critical low water periods occurring in 1964 and 1971 a r e shown in Exhibit A, photos # 1 through # 6 . Photos #1, #2 , and #3 show the Gordon Wallace property a t Marley Cove in the summer of 1964 with boardwalk extending f rom dock to beach. The normal spring highwater i s near the top of r iprap section in front of the t ree line. Photos #4, #5, and #6 show e

t h e Horace Farnham premises a t Lacootets Point in the summer and early fall of 1971. Boats lined up along the beach in photo # 5 belong to nearby camp owners who utilized the Farnharn property to gain access to their cot- a tages because they lacked suitable access in front of their properties. The

,.x . .LA . , . . .. . . _ _ ... - - . -.. - - Farnhams report that the shoreline eeceded approximately 125 feet from the embankment in 1971. Arlington Day and Arthur Dewitt report that their usual access is cut off a t low water. Frazer Mason closed his camp in 1964 due to low water and lack of accessability. Winter access i s more difficult a t low water because of the sharp drop-off from shore to the eurface and poorer ice cover.

Low Water Table - Several camp owners and local Vanceboro residents, particularly High Street inhabitants, have experienced domes tic water shortages during low water periods on Spednic . Many wells virtually r an dry in the summer and fall of 1971. Severely inconvenienced was Arnold York whose residence "Indian Hill Lodgeft is located a t the rear of the State boat landing in Vancebor0,when his water line became exposed and froze in early December 1971. For the next four months Mr. York transported his water in barrels from Lambert Lake which i s six to eight miles from his residence. Eugene Taylor, whose camp is located a t Sandy Bay, stated that he purchased 200 feet of additional plastic line to draw water from the lake for camp use

in 1971. Mr. Taylor added that the well, which i s used for drinking water, i s affected during low water periods.

Fishing - The fifty-three camp owners surveyed on Spednic were nearly ananirnous in their observations that the fluctuations in water level have af - -- - f ected the small mouth bass and salmon populations in the lake. They remarked that salmon fishing has been declining steadily for the las t ten years and although bass angling has improved in the las t three years, the number of fish caught are fewer and smaller than in past years. The poor fishing has been attributed mainly to exposed spawning beds and trapped fingerlings in isolated pools on the lake when a rapid drawdown occurs. Comments on the steady decline of fishing a r e based on an average of 21.8 years per camp owner ranging from three to sixty years experience on the lake. One camp owner reported that white fish were taken commercially a t one time but have now completely disappeared from the lake. - Again this was attributed to exposure of spawning beds. Several camp owners noted that the sudden gate closures a t the Vanceboro Dam seriously affected fishlife on the St. Croix River from Vanceboro to Grand Fal ls . One individual reflected that fish re - production might be better enhanced if wood wastes and sunken logs, which have stacked up 20 feet in certain parts of the r iver from Vanceboro to Grand Falls were removed from the riverbed.

Erosion - Approximately 75 percent of the owners surveyed reported serious bank erosion, shore damages, loss of t rees , and accumulation of debris in front of their properties because of high water especially in the p r ing of the year. The fluctuating water level prevents the establishment of stabilizing plant communities. The low winter level accompanied by a r i se of level in the spring apparently pushes ice well upon shore accelera- ting erosion. In fact, Messrs Vance Crandlemire and James Powell whose camps a r e located some three miles from the public boatlanding in Vanceboro had to contend with an ac re island which floated up and lodged against their frontage in the spring of 1973. Since the island could not be hauled away, they had to resor t to dynamite to break i t up creating considerable debris an the shoreline a s a result. They theorized that the low winter level in concert with action from the ice break-up And subsequent high spring level caused uprooting of this land mass which eventually settled on their shoreline. Fraser Mason reported that the five-acre island leased from the provincial government has been reduced to roughly two acres . Permanent type docks have to be replaced annually by camp owners because of the extensive damage caused by ice every spring. William Keegan related that the Baskahegan Company granted him approximately 200 feet on the backside of his property about ten years ago to com- pensate for loss of frontage due to erosion. The Keegans have used the lakeside property for sixty years . Their permanent residence is in Vance- boro.

Aesthetics - Relatively few comments were submitted concerning environmental aspects. During highwater stages lakeside residents lose their beaches and par t of their shorelines, which prevents walking along the shores; however, during periods of extreme low water, access for swimming is ruined for some owners by the presence of mud flats. Although they favored raising summer and winter minimum levels, three individuals stressed the importance of preserving the splendid isolation and wilderness characteristics of this remote region which could disappear if lake conditions a r e substantially improved and the a rea opened to intense commercial development. Reginald Crandlemire believes that the restrictive land lease policy adopted by Georgia-Pacific Corpora tion and control of water levels within prescribed limits have helped preserve the isolated wilder - ness ambiance by discouraging mass tourist usage. David and Marion Stocking enjoy the isolation of Hardwood Island preferring canoeing, bird- watching, fishing and swimming on the Itperfect white sandy beaches I t .

They support a stable water level which will safeguard fish and wildlife, but not so high that i t will contribute to the proliferation of large motor boats on the lake which they state a r e noisy and scums the ehoreline and mouths of creeks with oil.

?- -- --- - -- .-.-----A _ - - ~ - ~ k o 4 a m e r & -(--in~nga.rno - A a s x h there aye 10s SBB of income - +

and devaluation of property resulting from poor lake conditrons , i t is i Tb-: -

k 1

-. -- - - - -

difficult to translate those losses into specific amounts. Howeve=, low - - water is undoubtedly a- s ignifica<t contributing factor to the i i U m T e T -

vacancies occurring in sporting camps in late August and ~ e ~ t e m b e r .- De - creased useof the lake-for recreation is readily apparent during low - . . . . . . -. ..... --.. -- ............................... .. ,.&, . . . . . - ..... . . . . . . . . . - . - -

water periods. . . . . . . . -........... . . . . l . . .-.L). -.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .......... .

The four existing commercial operators have been burdened by the2 kluctuating water level on the lake. F r a s e r Mason and Arlington Day exti- mated a loss of revenue averaging $1,500 and $2,000 per annum respectively, over the last few years , Anthony Bos t complained that the perennial Septem- ber low water has significantly reduced the number of fishermen who rent his boats and camps during that period. Seven camps listed under the Estate of Georgia Crandlemire was a successful commercial venture until 1955. The heirs report that the present lake situation has to some extent I discouraged a resumption of commercial activity. The caretaker and sport camp owner, John Arms trong, complained of inconvenience but did not show any loss of revenue. The motel owner in St. Croix claimed no loss of revenue from the fluctuations but did note that the sale of fishing licenses was down slightly in 1973. Retired Ivlerle White, former commercial operator, remarked that the severe fluctuations impeded his operation and undoubtedly affected his annual revenue. He stated that his sportsmen sus - tained frequent mishaps with motorboats hitting submerged rocks during ICW water periods and that he e-xpericzlced considrrzble difficulty gcttixig hunters a t various locations on the la.ke in the fall when the water level is low. Wilbur L. Libby, another former commercial operator, observed *..,at the marketability of his property is adversely affected by the present fluctuation and that stabilization of the water levels would enhance his property's fair market value. Mr. Libby terminated his cominercial activity in the fall of 1971 and currently does not plan to resume o r sell his operation. Two Vanceboro merchants, Holis Beers and Henry Chris tensen, who a r e also camp owners on Spednic, remarked that poor lake conditions adversely affect local economy. They also pointed to the lack of periodic maintenance and repair of U. S. Highway #6 from Bangor to Vanceboro and attributed the road's generally poor condition to current lake conditions and resultant 10s s of tourism.

Summary - All of the camp owners and local residents surveyed were unanimous that better stabilization of water levels on Spednic Lake i s needed to improve access to the camps and to enhance fisheries. Approximately 85 percent felt that the fluctuations have contributed to the decline of the smallmouth bass and salmon populations in the lake and 75 percer-t re - ported serious erosion problems resulting from high water particularly

............. -...... . . . . . . ..... .

, in the spring . ' While, Prom an environmental standpoint, people had I : j

. ........ -..... ....... ........ - . . . . . . . . . - . . . . . . . - - - I

var.ious comment. about water levels such as 10s. of beaches or presence ', . . . ....... .......... .. . . . .,-.. . - - ......-........... -

b<--&ii@r if the water level was higher and more , . . . . . . . . -

l,, Commercial interests a r e definitely in favor of better stabilization of water levels on Spednic. In fact, F raze r Mason and Merle White favored raising the level to 378.5' ms l year round and the latter strongly recommended lowering the maximum elevation to 384.86' ms l to reduce erosion problems arising from high water.

. Leon Vinneau, former selectman and present Por t Director, U. S.

Customs Service in Vanceboro, stated that the State of Maine boat landing, which was completed in the fall of 1970, was unusable the following year - because of the extreme low water level in 1971. Mr. Vinneau has abandoned plans for purchase of a larger boat because of the present lake conditions. Philip Babb, supervisory customs inspector and Vanceboro res i - dent, reported that his family uses the lake year round for recreational purposes. Mr. Babb's son was selected by the Quebec-Labrador Founda- tion duping the summer of 1973 to instruct some 50 childred f ram Vance- boro and nearby Lambert Lake Township in water oriented activities such as boating and water skiing. Mr . Babb's 17' Boston Whaler was utilized by the group for the water oriented activities on Spednic. He stated the boat cannot be utilized during low water periods occurring in late summer.

L There i s nearly unanimous feeling among the local townspeople and resident camp owners that the Georgia-Pacific Corporation and i ts prede- ces sor , St . Croix Paper Compa.ny , have been insensitive to their interests in the operation of the Vanceboro Dam. They charged that the "controlledt' o r "criticalu elevation of 384.86' ms l for the Vanceboro. Dam has been frequently exceeded and that the companies have been less than diligent in

. their adherence to special operating requirements whenever that level is exceeded. High water , combined with wind and wave action, has caused substantial bank erosion on lakeshore properties. In 1968, Anthony Bost filed suit against the St. Croix Paper Company for cumulative damages to his three miles of shoreline resulting from high water and recovered $3,000 on 19 September 1968 in an out-of-court settlement. A few unsuc- cessful attempts were made by M r . Bost and other owners to obtain Con- gressional intercession for redress of their grievances. Most expressed a sense of futility when asked if they had contacted Georgia-Pacific o r i ts predecessor for a resolution of their problems and felt powerless in coping with the mass of statistics and expertise which the company representatives presented a t the few public hearings which have been held in the pastaconcern- ing lake interests . There were no. significant differences of opinion expressed

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among the owners on either side of the international boundary and no noticeable variance between resident and non-resident owners.

V . EAST GRAND LAKE

East Grand Lake is the other major storage area in the East Branch of the St. Croix River watershed. The river originates a t the lake's outlet in porest City which is located just upstream from Spednic Lake. It spans the communities of Danforth, Wes ton, and Orient in Maine and North Lake Township in New Brunswick .

Attitude sampling was conducted in Danforth and Weston involving three commercial operators, the Town Manager in Danforth and three private camp owners. One of the camp owners developed 1-1 12 mile of shore frontage in Weston and i s a founder of the East Grank Lake International Club which was organized in 1970.

The allowable range of fluctuation for East Grand i s 7 feet with a maximum elevation of 434.94' msl. Persons surveyed affirmed that the range of fluctuation very seldom extends beyond 4 feet. Special operational procedures a r e required a t the Forest City Dam whenever the water level reaches 6 inches below maximum elevation. Since East Grand is a large body of water, the shoreline is particularly susceptible to flooding and erosion from wind and wave action when lake level approaches maximum elevation.

Attitude sampling for this location indicates that private and commercial camp owners a r e dissatisfied with the frequent high-water levels on the lake which causes extensive erosion on their properties. George Graham, who purchased Rideout Sporting Camps ten years ago, recounted that the furnace under the main lodge and diningroom could not be utilized from mid-May through mid-June 1973 (approximately five weeks) because flood waters and the central heating sys tern which supplies heat and hot water to five large camps was not utilized for a similar period. The owner con- firmed that the spring flooding is an annual occurrence but usually lasts for a shorter duration (approximately three weeks) . The flooding causes considerable disruption of normal operation and occurs during the period when the camps a r e booked solid with salmon fishermen who arrive a s soon as the ice goes out. Mr. Graham operates seasonally from early May through late November. It was the largest commercial operation surveyed, consisting of 26 cottages, main lodge and diningroom, and a service and utility build- ing. Photo # 7, Exhibit A, was taken next to the main lodge overlooking boat docks and lake. About four years ago, Mr. Graham contacted Georgia- Pacific officials in Woodland seeking relief from the high-water level.

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While the company official was sympathetic, he explained the company's position and the impos sibility of relieving the situation.

Similarly, Paul Kneser , who operates Greenland Cove Camps, which includes main lodge and eight camps, complained of the perennial high- water occurring in the spring of the year. In 1973 Mr. Kneser was forced to shut off his furnace located below the diningroom in the main lodge for several days because of threat of flood waters. Although the flooding was not as serious in years prior to 1973, Mr. Kneser reported that substantial 10s s of sand on his beach recurs yearly. In addition to serious bank krosion, M r . Kneser lost two birches and two maples in last year's spring flooding. The owner contends that the flood waters exceeded the allowable maximum elevation of 434.94'. The property appears at Ex- hibit A , photo #8.

Allen Clark, who has more than fifty years experience on the lake, is one of the founders and spokesman for the East Grand Lake International Club. The club was organized in 1970 to preserve and improve the environment and water quality of the lake. The membership presently numbers 125 and is made up of private camp owners and commercial operators on both sides of the lake. Mr. Clark stated that the west shore of the lake has been regularly plagued by high-water for rnany years, particularly in the spring. When Georgia-Pacific is holding a full head of water a t the Forest City Dam accompanied by an east wind, waters will overlap shore embankment by several inches. Mr. Clark referred to a gentleman's agreement with Georgia-Pacific and Eastern Pulpwood companies which provided for the maintenance of the spring level 6 inches below maximum allowable elevation in order to minimize the effect of high water on lakeshore properties. The agreement was simply a mutual under s tanding between the spokesmen for the companies and the camp owners to encourage good public relations in the locality. It was unwritten and legally unen- forceable. This informal arrangement was adhered to for many years until a couple of years ago when a substantial turnover of personnel occurred at the Woodland Division of Georgia-Pacific .

As a result of damage suits brought against Eastern Pulpwood by camp owners, approximately twenty years ago, many owners are now subject to a flowage easement up to elevation 434.94' msl running in favor of GeZtgia-pacific, successor to Eastern Pulpwood. Mr. Clark reports that he per sonally recovered approximately $8,000 in damages from Eastern Pulpwood and that he granted a specific flowage right up to elevation 434.94' msl to the company as part of the settlement as many of the owners did twenty years ago. Mr. Clark feels very st~ongly that a restoration of said gentleman's agreement will resolve 90 -percent of owner grievances on the lake.

Byron L. Gould, Town Manager, in Danforth, Maine, recalled that approximately six complaints relative to high water on the lake were filed in his office in the last three years. Two of these specifically requested -- actual contacts with Georgia-Pacific officials. Mr. Gaul-d, stated he did not call the officials because he personally was unfamiliar with the company's allowable operational range then in existence on the lake.

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VI. WEST GRAND LAKE AND GRAND LAKE STRE3M

West Grand Lake is one of the principal storage areas in the West Branch of the St. Croix River watershed. Grand Lake Stream originates a t the lake's outlet in Grand Lake Stream Village which is upstream of Big Lake and the Grand Falls flowage in Princeton, Maine. The lake and stream a r e na tionallg renowned for their excellent landlocked salmon and togue (lake trout) fishing. The oldest fish hatchery in the United States i s located just below the dam on Grand Lake Stream and is currently operated by the Maine Inland Fish and Game Department.

A ttitude sampling was obtained from lakeshore owners and residents along Grand Lake Stream in the village. They included two commercial^ operators, two camp owners, a former dam tender, the foreman a t the Maine Fish Cultural Station, a retired Maine Guide and general store operator and former Fi rs t Selectman of Grand Lake Stream Village.

The fluctuation range on West Grand is 9' 4" with a maximum elevation of 301.43' msl. In accordance with an agreement with the Maine In- land Fisheries and Game Department, a minimum flow of 100 cfs i s required in Grand Lake Stream and gate closures a t the dam have to be grad- ual to prevent isolation of young salmon in the stream. It is noted in the

I Georgia-Pacific's operational manual that drawdown in West Grand Lake - -- shall be approximately in proportion to releases a t Vanceboro for Spednic Lake.

Survey results for this location indicate a growing concern on the adverse effects which the fluctuations and sudden gate closures have on fish spawning habitats. Since a good s s r e of the local economy in the village - i s dependent on visiting fishermen and sportsmen, maintenance of a constant fish population i s vital to the livelihood of the community.

Francis R. Moore, F i rs t Selectman for fifteen years, commented on the irregular flows on Grand Lake Stream and fishkills resulting from insufficient water. Officials a t the Maine Fish Cultural Station report that water fluctuations in the last five years have seriously affected togue reproduction. The drawdown continues after the mid-October spawning which ex- poses and dries up eggs. Fish reproduction will vastly improve if the lake

and stream can be maintained a t a constant level following the middle of October. Although salmon a r e hatched a t the station, survival rate for young salmon released in the stream will improve substantially if better regulated flows a r e maintained a t Grand Lake Stream Lake Dam. Paul Hoar, 75, former guide and general store owner and lifetime resident of the community, has observed that the stream flows have been very irregular over the years. Mr. Hoar i s the local agent for Webber Timberlands, a large landowner in this locality.

About a dozen village residents rely on the stream for domestic water. There a r e frequent water shortages in the wintertime attributable to a lack of streamflow. Because the winter lake level is generally low, gate struc- :ures freeze up and anchor ice forms on the fish screens which prevents water from going downstream.

Stanley J . Leen, J r . , has operated Leen's Lodge on West Grand for 16 years and has a ground lease from Webber Timberlands. He affirmed that fluctuations in water levels on the lake have not burdened his operation. Kurt Gowd.y, NBC sportscaster , and A1 McLane, Editor, Field & Stream Magazine, a r e among his regular guests. Robert C. and Barbara G. Hazelwood operate Pine Lodge a t Kitchen Point Lodge a t Kitchen Cove Point. They complained about the high water through the summer in 1972 and 1973 which caused serious erosion of a sandy beach. Pr ior to the creation of the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission, the Hazelwoods had a bulldozer pick up stones and boulders to protect the beach, Mrs . Hazelwood alleged that Georgia-Pacific has exceeded the approved maximum level for West Grand. A former village official also charged that the New Grand Lake Stream Dam completed two years ago i s probably 10 to 12 inches higher than the maximum elevation of the lake a s established by USGS benchmark. He added that the benchmark which is located on the west side of the dam is 10 to 12 inches under water in the spring.

The village sued St. Croix Paper Company approximately 9 years ago for damages to a public dock which is located on the eas t side of the dam. The matter was settled out of court. St. Croix furnished the equipment and material and paid the village approximately $2,500 for legal fees and labor to restore the public dock. The former town,official further volunteered that the village by actual survey conducted a few years ago has lost 213 of land a t the public landing which was deeded to the town and i s now under water. The above charges were not substantiated by the samplers. A formal survey would ascertain the validity of statements made by the former village officials.

VII. BIG LAKE AND GRAND FALLS FLOWAGE %u

Big Lake and Grand Falls flowage a re the other major storage areas 1 in the West Branch af the St. Croix River watershed. Big Lake is downstream of Grand Lake Stream and spans the Village of Grand Lake Stream, Indian Township and the town of Princeton. The Grand Falls flowage is downstream of Big Lake and runs through the towns of Bailey and Fowler.

Formal interviews were conducted with the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen in Princeton, a commercial operator who is founder of the St. Croix Watershed Association, and a local resident who is an extensive landowner on both lakes and owns the Ford dealership in the town of Princeton.

Big Lake and Grand Falls flowage a re immediately upstream of the Beorgia-Pacific Corporation Dam at Grand Falls. The dam regulates water in the lower river at all times, except during freshets when Grand Falls storage is a t full capacity at elevation 203.5 ' msl.

Kenneth R . Savag.e , Ford dealer in Princeton, Maine, owns a cottage on West Grand, four cottages on Big Lake, 60 acres with one mile of shore frontage on the Grand Falls flowage, four year -round homes on the river in Princeton Village, and a camp on the East Branch of the St. Croix River. The four residences a re rented and the four cottages on Big Lake form a

L complex used by Mr. Savage and his family. The owner has been using the Big Lake property for year-round recreational use for twenty years. Mr. Savage stated tbat water levels have been very favorable since Georgia- Pacific took over 5 or six years ago and reported that his neighbors on the lake a re satisfied with the water levels. He did experience considerable erosion a t the Big Lake complex in 1973, but attributed this to the abnormally heavy spring rainfall. High water eroded 8 feet of frontage beyond the riprap. The owner has placed additional riprap for better protection against high water .

John Drobish and his wife have been operating Play-Stead Lodge and Cottages on Route #1 in Princeton since 1971. They experienced no dissatisfaction with the water levels in Big Lake and downstream from the Grand Falls Dam where guides frequently take their guests for fishing and canoeing. The Drobishes a re founders of the St. Croix Watershed Asso- ciation whose principal aim is the establishment of environmental conditions which will enhance the Atlantic Salmon fishing. The owners vigorously support any program or action to reduce pollution in the St. Croix River.

Colby Fahey, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen in Princeton stated that camp owners on Big Lake have been generally satisfied with the lake level since Georgia-Pacific succeeded St. Croix Paper Company. He was delighted to learn that the International St. Croix River Board of Control was concerned about the fluctuations in water levels in the various storage areas throughout the water shed.

VIII . FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

Spednic Lake - With the exception of three camp owners , everyone surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with the management of water levels on -

the lake. Local residents and camp owners unanimously endorsed the proposal to raise the minimum summer level to 378.5' rnsl and the winter eleva tion to 3 76 .5'msl. They believe that a reduction of the fluctuation range will result in better stabilization of water levels and necessarily improve boating access and fishing. Most residents remarked that abnormally low water starts in early August and becomes critically low by Labor Day. Many observed that the water level was low when the survey was conducted in October 1973. A check of the reservoir staff gauge a t Vanceboro Dam indicated that the lake level was a t 382' rnsl a t the s ta r t of survey and 380' rnsl a t the termination thereof. The record flow chart a t Exhibit B hereof indicates that the water level dipped under 378.5' rnsl only twice since 1967. In 1971 the level reached 378.5' on August 6 and September 2 in 1968. In other years since 1967 levels remained over 380' rnsl throughout August and September.

-- -- -- -

Although the Plan No. Two will improve boating access and the sho:reline along the lake, it is the conclusion of the samplers that implemen- tation of the plan will not completely resolve a l l camp-owner grievances. In view of complaints of perennial high water in East Grand Lake and other storage a reas in the West Branch System, serious consideration should be

L - --- given to P l an No. Three which provides for conservation storage a t o r above elevation 380.5' rnsl and buffer storage to meet "required flows" between 3 80.5' rnsl and 378.5' msl . If pian No. Three is implemented, the actual fluctuation ranges will be more equitably distributed throughout the various storage a reas in the St. Croix River Basin.

Lake residents observed that the small mouth bass population has improved in the last three years but that the size of fish a r e smaller. The chart a t Exhibit B shows that water levels since 1968 have been relatively stable during the bass spawning period in late May and early June. The range of fluctuation between spawning and hatching, 1 June to 30 June, is less than two feet. Since bass nests a r e generally four feet under water,

1

i t i s unlikely that the bass spawning beds were exposed since 1968. The smaller size is probably due to factors other than the fluctuating water levels. The observation that the landlocked salmon is declining may be partly attributable to insufficient flows downriver from the Vanceboro Dam from late October through April causing a lack of proper areation over the spawning beds. Landlocked salmon normally seek the larger r ivers for spawning instead of the smaller feeder streams and tributaries on the lake.

It is equally important that minimal discharges be maintained a t the Vance- L boro Dam to provide a constant flow of water downriver.

In order to minimize the effects of erosion along the lakeshore properties, the special operating requirements for the Vanceboro Dam should be scrupulously adhered to whenever the "critical" elevation of 384.86' msl i s reached. The attitude survey indicates that Georgia-Pacific and its '

predecessor may have been remiss in the past concerning these special operating procedures.

- - Plan No;- R-o' -- - will probably not subs tantially improve lake levels through August and September, particularly i f required flows a r e drawn from the buffer storage. Conceivably, gre=eT-flow requirement may be imposed a t the Vanceboro Dam in connection with improved water quality standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Res- toration of Atlantic salmon runs in the St. Croix River. If this shouldoccur, lake levels will be lower in late summer and fall than previous years especially if the conservation storage above 378.5' msl is used exclusively for hydropower generating purposes.

- - Plan No. ~ h r e e would maintain a constant lake level of 3 78.5'

msl or higher and would require greater drafts from East Grand Lake and the storage areas of the West Branch System. From camp-owner standpoint, reduction of water levels in latter s torage areas would decrease the possibility of fu'rther erosion of their properties which is the principal concern on East Grand. The difference of economic losses to Georgia-Pacific

- - -

and New Brunswick Power Commission resulting from plan-NO.. Two or -Plan No. Three should determine whether the latter plan is feasible. In

-- - - - - - . - . - -- - - --. supporting Plan No. Two local residents and camp owners antici- pate that the summer level will remain a t 378.5' msl or higher and that the winter level will not fall below 376.5 msl. They were not informed on the probability that required flows for water quality and fisheries may dictate lower levels.

East Grand Lake - Sampling results indicate that erosion and damages caused by high water a re the greatest concern of camp owners. A restoration of the gentleman's agreement referred to in Section V of this report, providing for the maintenance of the water level a t 6 inches below . maxi- - - -

mum allowable elevation during the spring will eliminate most of camp- owner dissatisfaction with management of water levels. Since East Grand is deeper than Spednic, drawdowns have less impact on the shoreline and access for boating. No complaints were recorded relative to the quality of' fishing.

--- -

West Grand Lake and Grand Lake Stream - In view of the community's dependence on visiting sportsmen, the main concern is the effect of

L

fluctuating water levels on the fish population. Local residents, commer - cia1 operators and fish culturists have all recommended that the lake be maintained a t constant level following lake trout (togue) spawning season around mid-October . A drawdown of six inches or more can result ili exposure of lake trout spawning grounds, since rocky, windswept shallows on the lake- shores a re the ideal spawning areas for togue. The landlocked salmon a re hatched a t the Grand Lake Stream Hatchery below the-dam. The State bio- logists report that any sudden gate closure may result in trapped young salmon in isolated pools along the stream. Streamflow is arrested in the winter months largely because anchor ice forms on the fish screens above the dam. Responsibility for maintenance of the screens rests with the Village of Grand Lake Stream. There is an agreement between Georgia- Pacific and the Maine Inland Fisheries and Game providing for a minimal flow a t the Grand Lake Stream Dam.

Big Lake and Grand Falls Flowage - Sample results indicate that camp owners a re satisfied with the management of water levels in this part of the basin. The erosion and damages sustained in the spring of 1973, were attributed to the abnormally heavy ,rainfall. There were comments that the lake was subject to substantial drawdown before Georgia-Pacific succeeded St. Croix Paper Company. The maintenance of water levels a t minimum elevation on a continual basis a t Grand Falls Dam necessarily imposes a greater requirement on other storage areas.

L General Summary - The survey results clearly show that Spednic

Lake is subject to more frequent and greater fluctuations than any of the other storage areas and that the fluctuations a t Spednic have a more serious impact on the camp owner's use and enjoyment of his property. The total assessed value for lakeshore properties in Vanceboro is $24,000. The total fair market value is $100,000 based on assessment of 25 percent of fair market value. Since the assessments a re low and have not been updated for some time, a more realis tic value probably falls within the range of $200,000 to $2.50,000. Assuming a similar value in MacAdam Township, the total valuation of properties amounts to $500,000 which represents a substantial capital investment. The lake also provides a sole source of income for four sporting camp operators and generates income for local merchants and one motel operator.

At both the entrance and exit interviews dated 4 October 1973 and 25 October 1973, respectively , Georgia-Pacific officials generally expressed a cooperative attitude relative to the local resident and camp- owner survey. The newer company officials were open-minded and receptive.

Veteran officials were more company- oriented and appeared less concerned ,, about the problems of camp owners and local residents. As principal em-

ployer in the St. Croix River Basin, this latter attitude is economically logical and probably justifiable.

a Recent Federal and State laws pertaining to protection of the environ-

ment and conservation of natural resources have compelled the company to take certain initiatives. Fish ladders have been built on new and existing dams to provide pas eageways for migrating fish and pollution treatment facilities a r e under construction in Woodland, Maine. The survey indi- - cated that Georgia-Pacific and its predessor have consistently cooperated with canoe clubs and organizations in providing adequate s treamflow for their journey down the St. Croix River. Since many of these canoe clubs have national affiliation, local residents and camp owners interpret this cooperation a s a move to avoid unfavorable national publicity. The Maine Wilderness Canoe Basin Camps on Pleasant Lake in the West Branch of the St. Croix River Basin has been organizing canoe trips on the St. Croix River for the last three years. The owner stated he had approximately 50 parties in 1973. He reported that he is only "mildly aggrieved" relative to low-water on the river and that he has received cooperation whenever the local dam tender in Vanceboro has been contacted for water releases. The owner had no specific grievance or complaint.

The State representative, Harold J . Silverman, of Calais , reported that he never received any complaints from his constituents concerning water levels on the lakes of the East and West Branches of the St. Croix. Several people in his district have expressed their concern about the water quality in the r iver which i s related to the mission of the Environ- mental Protection Agency. Mr . Silverman favor s raising the minimum summer and winter levels a t Spednic if such action i s operationally and economically feasible for Georgia-Pacific .

Camp owners a t Spednic and West Grand Lakes complained about the rock piers which were formerly used a s anchors for log booms upstream of the dams during river drives. State law establishes a deadline of 1 Jan- uary 1976 for abandonment of r iver drives and Georgia-Pacific has already converted to transporting its timber by tractor -trailer to the Woodland plant. The abandoned stone piers constitute a serious boating hazard and should be removed. Buoys a r e impractical because of the wide range of fluctuating water levels.

Vanceboro residents and camp owners a t Spednic were extremely agi- tated relative to the clear cutting on a hardwood ridge located southeast of Sandy Bay in Spednic Lake. (See Photos 9 , 10, and 11 a t Exhibit A .) They fear that erosion will affect the water quality a t Spednic . However, there is an intervening plateau between the ridge and lakeshore which will likely prevent any washout from reaching the lake.

16

All ownerships but five were surveyed a t Spednic . It i s the sampler's opinion that significant data was obtained in the oral interviews and questionnaires which were mailed out for reply. Public meetings tend to inhibit most participants except for a few of the more vocal citizens who do not necessarily reflect the majority view. Additionally, the company enjoys an advantage over the residents and camp owners a t public hearings since i t closely monitors its own activities and keeps daily logs of its operation of

- the various dams throughout the watershed. In determining whether

- --- - - Plan No. TWO-orPlan NO. Three should be implemented, greater reliance should be placed on the more representative data which was elicited from each individual resident camp owner during the survey as opposed to information gathered a t a formal public hearing. Based on responses elicited, it is the reporters ' conclusion that local residents and

--- - -- - camp owners would have opted for Plan No. Three had both plans been presented to them as alternatives .

The public attitude survey clearly demonstrated the following:

A. Local residents and camp owners a re definitely concerned about the present management of water levels in the St. Croix River Basin.

B . Recreation is a significant use of this water resource. Any change in water management policy is temporary and subject to further revision as the character and intensity of uses of this resource become more specifically

L defined.

C. Further studies a re necessary in order to assess more accurately the recreational potential of this resource and its economic impact in the region.

D. Further information should be obtained on the current economic value and future importance of hydropower in the system.

E. Finally, any future studies should be cognizant of plans t@?mTrove existing fisheries and restore anadromous fish migrations in the ~ t . ~ r o & --- River System, so that any recommended change in water managementpolicy will be compatible with those goals .

. . . Spednic Lake Public Atti tude S u r v x

a Name :

Permanent Address:

2 . Do you own o r rent?

Date :

If ren t , from whom? Name : Address :

2. What i s the property used for?

Permanent

Seasonal Recreation

Commercial

3. How many years have you been coming here? (Been a res ident)

4. How have you'been affected by f luctuat ions i n water levels? (Nature of e f fec t s , extent of e f fec t s , time of year most affected, has the r a t e of change affected you?)

Main Season(s) of Use

-

4

'X

$

I f commercially affected, can you give a d o l l a r estimate 'pe r year?

% of Year Used

5 . Would you describe these e f f ec t s as more o r l ess : posi t ive negative ne i ther one nor the other

6 . I t has been recommended tha t the minirmun acceptable water be ra ised from 376.5' t o 378.5' i n t he summer and t o 376.5' from 371.5' i n the winter.

Are you i n favor of t h i s change?

Yes If not, what would you suggest?

Remarks :

A P P E N D I X A

'I

QUESTIONNAIRE

I a. Name Permanent Location of Property Occupation

b. Interest in Property Fee Simple Owner Lessee Tenant

c. Property Use Residence Recreational What Type Commercial What Type

d. Period of Occupancy - Seasonal Use Duration of Stay How Many Years Future Plans

a I1 Have you been affected by the fluctuations in water levels i n Spednic ~ a k e ? St. C roix River ?

a. Severity of Burden Nature and Extent Effect on Property Frequency of Occurence

b. Attempts to Resolve Problem Federal, State or b c a l ~ s s i s g n c e - Did You Contact G / P or Its Predecessors

c . Did You Obtain Satisfaction

I11 It has been recommended that minimum acceptable elevation of Spednic be raised two feet from existing 376. 5 m. s. 1. from 1 May to 3 0 September, and five feet from existing 371. 5 m. s. 1. from 1 October to 3 0 April.

a. Are you in favor of change? If yes, why?

b. Do you think this will substantially improve the situation on Spednic Lake ?

c. If not, why not. IV Additional Remarks. APPENDIX B '" ."

DEPARTMENT OF T H E ARMY NEW ENGLAND DIVISION. CORPS OF ENGINEERS

424 TRAPELO ROAD

WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS 02154

ATTENT l ON OF:

NEDRE -C 2 November 1973

Addressees a s shown on attached sheet

Re: St. Croix Basin Water Resources Study - Social Profile

The International St. Croix River Board of Control, through the

@ coordinated effort of the Corps of Engineers, and the Inland Waters Directorate , Canadian Department of Environment, i s investigating the feasibility of raising the minimum water level of Spednic Lake to 378. 5' m. s . 1. from May 1st to September 30th and 376. 5 ' m. s. 1. for the remainder of the year. The existing summer elevation i s 376. 5' m. s . l . , and the minimum winter level i s 371. 5' m. s.1. The maximum elevation i s 386' m. s. 1. The elevations were established by the International Joint Commission in 1965.

This study follows numerous complaints received by said Board f rom local residents and especially commercial camp owners relative to low level of Spednic Lake that exists during late summer and continues until freezeup. Local residents have also been critical of the gate operation a t Vanceboro, noting that openings and closings have been sudden, resulting in drastic water level changes downstream in the St. Croix River.

In order to determine the effects of fluctuations in water levels on private camp owners and commercial operators, we have prepared a brief questionnaire to sample owner attitudes on both sides of the boundary.

APPENDIX C

NEDRE-C 2 November 1973

Accordingly, we shall appreciate yd,ur reply to the questions listed on the -inclosed form and any additional comments you may wish to make concerning water levels on Spednic Lake and gate operation a t the Vanceboro Dam. Kindly return the questionnaire in the self -addressed envelope inclosed he rewith for your convenience.

The data obtained from the questionnaires will serve a s a basis for recommendation to the International Joint Commission to further narrow the range of operational limits established in 1965, and also, to provide for a more regulated discharge a t the Vanceboro Dam.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely yours ,

2 Incl As stated

-.

PAUL P. BARONAS Acting Chief, Real Estate Division

Gordon Wallace Property

Summer 1964 - Spednic Lake

Wallace Frontage

2 ow Water - summer ,1964

Boardwalk on Wallace Property

Summer 1964

EXHIBIT A

Farnham Beach - Low Water

Summer 1971 I

Farnham Property - Gleari Boulders on Beach ~ u r i n ~ Low Water - Summe,r 197 1

1 i

' t 6. EXHIBIT A

EAST GRAND LAKE VIEW FROM GRAHAM'S LODGE AND COTTAGES

'GREENLAND COVE CAMPS - EAST GRAND LAKE . ,

. .

Clear -cutting - Hardwoodridge

S IE of Sandy Bay, Spednic Lake

Clear -cutting-

10

Chipping Machine

> A , ,

: . ' $ < -, , " >. .. 11

EXHIBIT A

OLD VANCEBORO DAM - SUMMER 1964

PUBLIC BOAT LANDING - SPEDNIC LAKE

VANCEBORO, MAINE - SUMMER 1964

EXHIBIT A

PUBLIC BOAT LANDING - SPEDNIC LAKE

VANCEBORO, MAINE - OCTOBER 1973

NEW VANCEBQRO' DAM AND PROTECTIVE LOG BOOM OCTOBER 1973 . .

, % 6

EXHIBIT A

International Bridge - Vancebor

MacAdam - April 28, 1973

International Bridge

M a y 1, 1973

International Bridge May 1, 1973

EXHIBIT A

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL M A Y J U N E J U L Y AUGUST OCTOBER NOVEMBER SEPTEMBER DECEMBER

M A R C H APRIL M A Y J U L Y AUOUST

371.5 ms 1 EXHIBIT B

SPEDNIK LAKE - . T9.cK4 N,"T1'O'R'3"N1-T~1"R3'~; ;;nali;:l-A- .+ ... ". ..L -..-. -.- --. - - Several..areas. of the slake,*-such as the Ft;i~y*sedtion,-can support -- - . - -

salmon. A limited fishery for this species can be provided by keeping Vanceboro Twps., Washington Co:, available spawning areas free of obstructions. Palfrey Brook, in particular, York Co., New Brunswick, Canada is a superior 4 n o n spawning stream.

U.S.G.S. Forest and Vanceboro. Me. Both the outlet dam and fishway have been rebuilt. The new fishway

Salmon Smallmouth bass White perch Yellow perch Chain pickerel Hornpout (bullhead) Smelt Lake whitefish Alewife

Physical Characteristics ;

Area - 17,219 acres

Maximum depth - 54 feet

Eel White sucker Minnows

Creek chub Fallfish (chub) Common shiner Golden shiner Pearl, dace

Cusk . '.

Ninespine stickleback

Station 1 Surface - 73' F. 43 feet - 58O.~ .

Station 3 Surface - 74' F. 50 feet - 57' F.

Temperatures (see map for stations)

. . Station 2

Surface - 74' F. 48 feet - 60' F.

Station 4 Surface - 70' F. 40 feet - 68' F. ' i

design permits easier upstream movement by young salmon into the lake.

Station 5 Station 6 Surface - 70' F. Surface - 70: F.

I

38 feet - 69' F, 49 feet - 53 F. ' '

~rinciial Fishery: Smallmouth bass, salmon

Surveyed - August, 1954 Spednik Lake is excellent warmwater game f i i habitat. The f i e r y (Revised, 1972)

for smallmouth bass is exceptionally good, as has been noted in several Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game national outdoor magazines over the years. Published under Appropriation No. 4223

--

EAST GRAND LAKE

ORIENT, WESTON T V P ~ - ~ m C4 W N F o W TQR4N T ~ p g W-W YdlNE

Cqnm m w u ARE4 16070 &-

MILL8

EXHIBIT C

GRANDLLAICE. - . , . , .

(East Grand Lake) T9 R4N and Danforth Twp., Washington Co.; Weston and

Orient Twps., Aroostook Co. ; Canada U.S.G.S. Danforth, Amity, and Forest, Me.

Fishes

Salmon Brook trout (squaretail) Lake trout ( togue) Smahouth bass White perch Yellow perch Chain pickerel Hompout (bullhead ) Smelt Round whitefish

Eel White sucker Longnose sucker Minnows

Fallfish Creek chub Blacknose dace Golden shiner

Redbreast s d s h Banded killifish Ninespine stickleback

Physical Characteristics

Area - 16,070 acres

Maximum depth - li8 feet

Temperatures Surface - 68" F. 95 feet-53" F.

East Grand Lake is one of two large and several smaller hkes that drain into the East Branch of the St. Croix River. The lake is the second largest in Washington County and probably the deepest. Two unusual features of East Grand Lake are its irregular shoreline and numerous, prominent, rocky reefs. Both these physical features help to make East Grand the good .fishing lake that it is.

East Grand Lake is accessible at several places along U. S. Route 1. The Washington County Development Authority recently constructed a good public boat landing in the area near Greenland Cove.

East Grand provides good fisheries for both lake trout ( togue) and landlocked salmon. Management should emphasize these tyo coldwater game species. Lake trout stocking is not considered necessary at this time. Routine stocking of landlocked salmon will be required to supplement the im-

atural salmon reproduction that occurs in the outlet. . """9

A good salmon fishway should be maintained through the outlet dam to permit upstream passage of adult and juvenile salmon to the lake. A minimum water flow of 75 cubic feet per second in the outlet will M p insure that this stream remain a productive salmon nursery area.

Surveyed - September 1952 Revised,- 1964 ,

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game

a Published under Appropriation No. 7760

WEST GRAND LAKE a

WEST GRAND LAKE T5 ND, T6 ND, T6 R1, Grand Lake Stream

Washington Co. T5 R1, Penobscot Co.

U.S.G.S. Scraggley Lake and Wabassus Lake, Me.

Fishes

Salmon Brook trout ( squaretail) Lake trout ( togue) Brown trout Smallmouth bass White perch Yellow perch Chain pickerel Hornpout ( bullhead) Smelt Lake whitefish Round whitefish Eel

White sucker Minnows

Bridled shiner Blacknose dace Creek chub Common shiner Fallfish Golden shiner

Banded killifish Threespine stickleback Ninespine stickleback Pumpkinseed sunfish


Area - 14,340 acres Temperatures Surface - 73" F.

Maximum depth - 128 feet 100 feet - 52" F.

West Grand Lake and its associated waters largely make up the West Branch of the St. Cmix River. West Grand Lake is an original home of the famous landlocked salmon, and many of the salmon populations now established in eastern Maine lakes originated from West Grand salmon stocks.

Fish management for West Grand Lake should emphasize salmon and togue. Presently the Inland Fish and Game De- partment and the St. Croix Pulpwood Company have several working agreements of benefit to both these species. Gates at the outlet dam are regulated to provide satisfactory and steady

I flows in the outlet, Grand Lake Stream; and water levels on the lake are managed to help insure successful t o p e spawning.

removal of the fish screen at the outlet

dam and its replacement with a good fishway. Adult salmon should have free access to the excellent salmon spawning and nursery areas in Grand Lake Stream, and the young naturally- produced salmon should be able to return to the lake.

Several warmwater game fish are established in West Grand Lake. We encourage a good fishery harvest of these species to relieve competition for food and space with the species of primary interest here, the salmon and togue.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game maintains a salmon stripping and rearing station on West Grand Lake to provide planting stock for other Washington and Han- cock County salmon waters. Consequently, on a unit-area basis, West Grand Lake is more heavily stocked with salmon than other lakes.

Surveyed - August, 1952 Revised - 1961 Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game

1 2 7 ED, NO. 21 AND ORAND LAKE STREAM RTS., AND l NDlAN TWP.,'

WASH I f f i l m GO., MA I NE

AREA 17,792 ACRES

0 I

MILES

EXHIBIT C

BIG LAKE Indian, Grand Lake Stream, T27 ED and No. 21 Twps., Washington Co.

U.S.G;S. Big Lake, Me.

Fishes

il̂

Salmo-n Smallmouth Bass White perch Yellow perch Chain pickerel Hornpout (bullhead) Alewife Eel

White sucker Minnows

Golden shiner Fallfish (chub)

Banded killifish Cusk Pumpkinseed sunfish Redbreast sunfish


Area - 17,792 acres

Maximum depth - 70 feet

Temperatures Surface - 74" F. 55 feet - 54" F.

Principal Fishery: Salmon, smallmouth bass, white perch, chain pickerel, cusk

Big Lake is a scenic, island dotted lake comprising part of the drainage area of the West Branch of the St. Croix River. You can get there in any one of numerous ways (consult your "topo" sheets) and there are facilities for boat launching.

Big lake should be thought of primarily as a smallmouth bass lake and this species is what it is best known for. How- ever, other warmwater game species are common too, and the salmon fishery is of no mean proportions.

No stocking of any kind is necessary for Big Lake. The warmwater game fish will easily reproduce themselves naturally. The lake has an exceptional number of good salmon spawning and nursery areas - plenty to provide what salmon the lake is probably capable of supporting.

Surveyed - August, 1952 (Revised, 1969) Maine De~artment of Inland Fisheries and Game

"W e d under Appropriation No. 4223

PREPARED BY N E W ENGLAND ~ I V I S I u N

CORPS OF ENGINEERS. U S ARMY 0 WALTWAM, MASS: - C

o P L A T E 1 *

Documents

SPEDNIC LAKE REGULATIONalso underlies most of the marine estuary of the St. Croix River. P Overburden I throughout the basin consists of glacial till, aquei- glacial outwash, and marine