Real estate owners in Thompson Lake are concerned that Oxford does not open water on the old Robinson Woolle Mill DAM before heavy rains increase the water level of the lake. The installation of a Center Fish Gate, the last of three, which are to be carried out in a large rehabilitation project, is expected to alleviate the erosion along the coast of the lake. Nicole Carter / advertiser Democrat
Oxford – Bancroft contracting has completed the installation of the Western Fish Gate, the third and last goal, on Thompson Lake Dam on Old Robinson Woolen Mill.
The Select Board approved Bancrofft's cessation for the project at its business meeting on May 15 at a price of $ 18,350.
The project is paid for by the Thompson Lake Reserve account.
“We tried to do the work in the past three or four years, but we have not been able to find a qualified contractor for it over time,” city manager Adam Garland told Select Board during a business meeting last month. “The project includes a boom truck, divers and other employees.”
Adding the fish screen is one of the last reconstruction of the dam in the past five years. In 2020, Bancroft replaced damaged stop trunks, installed an electronically operated sled on the eastern gate and reinforced the original DAM wall with concrete.
The following year, a second slude with the support of divers with the Maine Department of Fisheries & Wildlife was installed.
Jim Skinner, a resident of Thompson Lake, took part in the meeting to talk about the too high water level on the lake, which he hopes to replace the third goal. He advised the board that the city has been waiting too long this spring to reduce the water level and must proactively manage it.
“Maybe I made 10 visits on site,” Skinner told the board. “On May 1st, I called the city over the level, which was three inches too high, with a storm on the way. We had a rush of water. I spoke to 20 to 30 people who are very concerned about their property.”
Skinner said water rose to the people's courtyards, which causes erosion around trees and threatens to drown them.
“I hope the dam has been managed more effectively than in the past four years since it was partially rebuilt,” he said to Garland and Selectmen. He posted that if & W might want to keep the center to keep in spawning, but said that storms added that more water could leave through the dam.
“Can we make a way to let the water out faster?” he asked. “Inserting the fish screen helps. But the east gate cannot let everything out and the west gate only has four slots.”
He also said that the release of more water from rainstorms would help to maintain an overall reasonable level and to prevent the dam from being at risk or fail.
Garland explained that it could not be concluded at the third goal without a qualified contractor, and added that the reconstruction of the retaining wall along the outlet will be the next large rehabilitation project.
“We put money aside and work with Pine Tree Engineering to examine and design the exchange and estimate the costs,” said Garland.
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