Lenape Slalom Team Escapes The Cold

Just after Thanksgiving the Lenape Slalom Team ventured via Winnebago to Orlando Florida to escape the northern cold. Befriended Pro Waterskier Wade Cox played host for a week of 85 degree sunshine and smooth glassy turns. The pictures speak for themselves.

Lenape Lake to be lowered on November 20

The letter below was distrubuted by the Townships Public Works Director.

October 29, 2007

To: All Lake Lenape Lakefront Residents

Lenape Lake will be lowered on November 20, 2007 to allow lakefront residents to perform maintenance and clean-up activities.
Due to the fish-spawning season, the lake will be raised to the normal elevation on February 28, 2008.
If there are questions or concerns in this matter, please call the Public Works office, 625-6311 Ext. 495.

Thank You,
William L. Montag IV
Director of Public Works

County closes on deal for 17.5-acre Lake Lenape Park

Click here to read....

To see forward sometimes you need to look back

How Walter Hoagland Ran The Dam

The piece below was submitted by Betty Gale. In it she reflects on the tried and true method her Granddad, Walter Hoagland implemented when operating the Lake Lenape dam gates during an estimated timeframe of 1930-1952. He tended the dam until the Wheaton family bought the Cotton Mill and the site became Wheaton Plastics Co. Walter retired from Wheaton's after suffering a stroke at the Cotton Mill during the March 1962 nor'easter which ravaged the East Coast. Thanks goes to Aline Dix for getting this piece and clarifying the information.

All the years that Granddad (Walter Hoagland) took care of the dam nothing like this flooding ever happened. He used to drive to Weymouth and measure the depth of the water with a stick he had in the water, then there was some kind of meter on a board near the river that measured how fast the water was moving. Also a temperature gauge was there. It looked an electric meter looks today. Knowing Granddad (Walter Hoagland) it may have been an old one that he converted. Then we would drive back home (on Lenape Ave.) and he would sit in the back shed on his stool with a big old cigar and he would have figures, very neatly done, on papers. Then he would yell to Mema.... (His wife Jane Hoagland) "Janie, I am going to the mill". He would then open or close the gates for the dam according to his figures. Many times I was with him either in Weymouth or at the mill or sometimes both. We never had a flood and most of the time the lake never varied in height unless it was a really dry summer or in the early spring when he let it down so the lakeshores could be cleaned!!

Lots of good memories from this little bit!!
Thanks...Betty Gale, Granddaughter

Fire Strikes Historic Wheatons Factory

Below are images captured by Rick Gorbig from the shore of Lake Lenape and from a boat in the lake along with others from various local news outlets.


Video from local news channels.
NBC 40 (Atlantic City)

CBS 3 (Philadelphia)


CBS 3 Chopper (Philadelphia)


Chopper 6 ABC(Philadelphia)

Public Works Director responds to lake water loss concerns.

Below is Township of Hamilton Public Works Director Bill Montag response as to why the lake level was rapidly decreasing a few week ago.

"I have been looking into the reasoning why the lake was dropping so much. I forwarded our concerns to the county and they acted upon it. They were able to close the powerhouse gates more than they were. These gates were open during the flood and possibly not closed correctly. The county rectified the problem and we have held the same water level since Friday (8/31/07). This might not have been the sole reason but some of the cause."

He also indicated in a second email that the county owns the power house and controlls the gates within it.

Why did the lake level drop 5 inches in seven days?

Please take a look at the lake level / dam spillway log for August on the right, you will notice that once the spillway level receded to 0" and water stopped spilling over the dam the lake level held steady at between -5.5" and -6.5" below normal depth for 10 days. It is my belief that at this point the only natural variable that would cause the lake level to go down would be evaporation. Beginning Aug 13th lake level began to decline at the rate of 1" a day with all gates closed. This is obviously way to fast for evaporation, and should be setting off flags that there may be issues with the integrity of the dam and/or dam gates. I don't recall the lake level ever declining at such a rate with the gates closed.

From the Twp of Hamilton website "Attention Waterfront Residents 7/27/07 - Please be aware that the water level of the lake is slowly going down. This is occurring on its own and is not an act from the County or the Township. We believe that the water is going down due to the lack of rain and high temperatures from the summer heat. All three gates are closed and there are no plans in the immediate future to open them."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who operates the dam?
A: Hamilton Township Public Works, The Director of Public works is Bill Montag he can be contacted at (609)625-6311 x200 or email BMontag@townshipofhamilton.com.

Q:Does the lake get lowered? If so when and for how long?
A: Quote from Public Works Director "I will be putting in for a lake lowering permit in September to the NJ Fish and Game. The dates will be the same as last year, November 1 to February 28. The NJFWS will not let me go past the date of February 28 due to the fact that the fish start spawning in Mid-March. In the past the Township only put a permit in for 30 days but I feel that doesn't give the residents a big enough window to be able clean around their property. And also with the trouble with the gates it will take a while to get the water level down."

Dam spillway level may not reflect lake level

After an email discussion with the Public Works Director we theorized that the level of the water at the spillway may not be a true representation for the whole lake. When the water in the lake reaches the spillway it begins to swell from the force of the current. The amount of swell may vary depending on the volume of water traveling over the dam.
I will be measuring the lake level deviation from normal from my dock which 3/4 mile away from the dam. Since there is no established normal level I used watermarks from surrounding docks as guides. The log is viewable on the right hand side of this blog. An entry of zero in the lake column means the lake is at the established normal level. The dam column represents the level at the dam spillway, 3" - 6" is the established safe level there. The Public Works Director will be using comparing these values against the dam spillway log. If there is a significant difference between the two values, I assume corrective action would be taken for judging the lakes true level.

Boaters on Lenape put in danger

The lake level was down close to a foot this past weekend, far more than the 1 to 2 inches mentioned in the letter sent out by the Public Works Director. Four boats that I know of either hit bottom or an object and were damaged. On Sunday a boat hit an underground cable installed by the Atlantic County Rowing Assoc., which got wrapped around his propeller and damaged his boat. Depending on who you talk to this cable should have been removed after the rowing season.

It is my feeling that in the future boaters and lake homeowners be notified the following:
1) Why this is happening now and not out of season?
2) How many inches will the lake be lowered?
3) How many days will the level be down?
4) Is it safe to leave your boat moored or will it end up beached?
5) Is it safe for boating?
6) If the level goes below the amount announced.

I am working on a map of the lake showing safe areas to boat as well as areas to avoid when the level is down.

Reasoning for the dam work being done this week

Email from the Director of Public Works
Mark,
You are exactly right, Mr. Perugini and myself both explained our concerns of timing. The County officials said that it was "prudent" to have it done on the 6th due to the fact that the river will meet mean-low water level and it would take another month to for the river reach that low. And there are large voids in the apron at the bottom of the dam. For more technical answers residents can call the County Engineer Joe D'Abundo at 645-5898.
Hope this answers your questions. Thanks again for your help.
Also, we are only lowering the level just so the water is not coming over the spillway. So it won't be dangerously low for boaters. And as soon as Walker Diving is done making repairs we will close the gate.

Bill

Lake to be lowered for dam repairs

I as well as a few people that have emailed me do question the reasoning for doing it this week. With the 4th falling on a Wed many homeowners / campers will be taking long weekends. If it only a few inches that’s ok, however if it’s lowered to an unsafe level for boating, people will be upset. If you would like to voice your concern please attend the Township Committee Meeting Monday 7/2.

From Hamilton Twp Director of Public Works

"Lake Lenape update June 29, 2007

During the ongoing inspection and repair work on the Lenape Dam facilities, O’Brien and Gere Engineers, the contracted engineering firm for Atlantic County and Hamilton Township, have discovered some voids within the dam apron on the downstream areas of the spillway. It has been determined that it is advisable to fill these voids at this time. Atlantic County has authorized the dive team of O’Brien and Gere to grout these voids on July 6, 2007. In preparation of this work the lake level will be lowered enough to avoid overflow over the dam on that date, when divers and contractors are in the water. Water levels will begin to be adjusted accordingly beginning on or about July 4, 2007. Lakefront residents will be notified by email, phone or directly to advise them of the upcoming work. It is anticipated the lake levels will be lowered one to two inches over present conditions for this limited period of time.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to the boating public or residents along the lake, however the importance of these repairs is a matter that must take precedence at this time. For further details about the repairs to be done, please contact County Engineer Joseph D”Abundo at 609-645-5856."

Freeholders OK $3.8M. Lake Lenape Park purchase (AC Press)

Link to article

County Purchases Lenape Park for Open Space

Press Release

Atlantic County will add to open space in Hamilton Township with the purchase of the 17.5-acre Lenape Park located along Lake Lenape in Mays Landing.

The county has agreed to accept the New Jersey Green Acres certified value of $3.815 million for the property, identified as block 588, lots 72 and 75.01, which has historically been used for park and recreation purposes. It currently includes a catering facility that will continue to honor existing contracts for catering services and park events through December 31, 2007 under conditions of a short-term lease agreement.

"This property adds much-needed open space in Hamilton Township and is adjacent to Lake Lenape Park, a county-owned recreational facility encompassing 1,921 acres," said Dennis Levinson, County Executive.

Funding for the acquisition is provided through the Atlantic County Open Space Trust Fund and the New Jersey Green Acres Program. An environmental audit and survey are in the process of being completed.

For more information, please contact Howard J. Kyle at (609) 343-2368.

Linda Gilmore
County of Atlantic
Administration
1333 Atlantic Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Voice: 609-343-2313 FAX: 609-343-2194 gilmore_linda@aclink.org

Response from the Director of Public Works about the recent lake level issues.

Mark,
I apologize for not reaching out to all the waterfront residents during this process of fixing the pipes. We put the notices on the website and Channel 2 but I do realize now that not everyone has access or chooses to use those forms of media. However I had a meeting at the County Park building with Clayton Ingersoll and now have all the addresses of all the residents who have waterfront property on the lake. I will be able to send out a letter to all waterfront residents the next time the lake gets lowered. As far as I know won't take place until November.

Gates #1 and 3 are now fully operational and we are waiting on plans for a permanent fix.

Also I am in the process of tracking down all email addresses to the waterfront residents too, would you have that and if so be willing to forward that info to me? Then I can send a mass email out before letters go out and this would give a little more notice to the residents.
I hope all your questions are answered and feel free to call me. I will be out of town from 6/18 - 6/22 and I can return your email or phone call on 6/25.

Hope all is well,
Bill
William L. Montag IV, CPWM
Director of Public Works
Township of Hamilton

If you live on Lake Lenape and would like to be notified via emailed when it will be lowered please send your email address to BMontag@townshipofhamilton.com

What is up with the Dam!

I totally realize the Township needed to inspect the dam gate and possibly do some work on them. However, to lower the lake without notice to a point that the homeowners boats are now sitting on dirt is inexcusable. How hard would it be for someone from the township to drive over to the ranger station and ask for a list of homeowners with boats, to at least give them a heads up. What is up with this Township?? The sidewalk screw up, the flood, now this.

Lenape Dam Gate Logbook Online

Hamiltion Township is now posting the status of the Lake Lenape Dam gates online. This along with the May 16th meeting and last weeks gate inspections is a huge step in the right direction. Lets keep the momentum going.

Special Meeting set for Wednesday night on the Lenape Dam

Date: Wed May 16th - 6:30PM
Location: Hamilton Township Municipal Building
Quote from the Mayor: "The meeting is a follow-up to the information on the dam and flood we were presented Monday. I think we and the public found it disturbing and unacceptable. I want to move forward as soon as possible with corrective action. The public was left with all the mistakes and deficiencies and must feel insecure. We need to take action to correct the issues raised and take control of an out of control situation. "

Why Did The April Flood Occur? The Numbers Don't Lie

There have been several press articles written with verbiage in them indicating that the management of the dam had nothing to do with the flooding that occurred. At Mondays 5/7/07 Hamilton Twp Committee Meeting there were several handouts dealing with the Lake Lenape Dam and the April flood. One of those was the "Lenape Dam Log sheet" with logs from 8/06 - 4/07. Each day, except on weekends, holidays, and days off the operator of the dam checks the depth of the water at the spillway which should be maintained at 4" and opens or closes the 3 gates accordingly. The information then gets recorded in the log. Glancing over the March and April data at the meeting, it seemed quite apparent that the depth at the spillway was not being managed well at all. The gates of the dam had been closed for a 1 1/2 months allowing the water level at the spillway to get dangerously high, on March 20th it was at 13" and there was no action taken. This neglect and the fact that I have yet to read anything in the press suggesting that Township is responsible for this horrible event prompted me to do a little research of my own. I took 9 months of data from the Lenape Dam Log sheet as well as historical precipitation data from the National Weather Service and plugged it into a spreadsheet. While it is tricky to process 9 months of raw numbers in your head, plotting those numbers detailed a very disturbing trend that ultimately led to Aprils Flood. Click on the graph above to view in in full size, try printing it in landscape mode if you want a hard copy. I do apologize for it being a bit busy, however please take the time to understand it and come to your own conclusion. Take note of Oct. - Nov. where there was significantly more rain than what caused the April flood, all three gates were opened and the level at the spillway went down. Also take note how the spillway level bounces all over the place showing no consistency what so ever. Mark

Press Article about Township Committee meeting regarding April flood

County expects to find out if it will get federal flooding help

Hamilton Twp. Committee Meeting (Lenape Dam on Agenda)

Date: Monday May 7th - 6:30PM
Location: Cologne Fire House (view map)

On the agenda will be Lake Lenape Dam issues of repair, maintenance, and responsibility. Atlantic County officials will be on hand as well.

Press Articles About April Nor'Easter Flooding

Floods recede, leaving worries behind in Hamilton

Lake Lenape dam couldn't prevent flooding

Residents question whether action at Lake Lenape should have happened sooner

Waters still rising in sections of Atlantic County

Flooding problems persists in Atlantic and Cumberland counties>

Swamps take over in Mullica, Hamilton

Atlantic County near deal for Lenape park site

The Press is reporting on activity of the sale of Lenape Park...
Atlantic County near deal for Lenape park site

Welcome....

As you may know there have been a few issues in the past months regarding either Lake Lenape or properties around it. Unfortunately the first time any of us heard of the Atlantic County purchasing Lenape Park and "giving" it to Hamilton Twp or the Atlantic County Rowing Assoc 1200 buoy six lane course, was in a local paper. This site hopes to be a forum for these and any other future issues with the use and management of Lake Lenape and its surroundings... To contribute to this site send a request to mark@mjcohen.com