JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — If you have a boat or dock in Chautauqua Lake, you will need to make plans to remove them before water levels drop.
Officials are encouraging stakeholders to remove their boats and docks before Oct. 20.
"Starting on that date the Warner Dam will open and Chautauqua Lake levels will trend downward for the winter season," said Chautauqua County Watershed Coordinator Dave McCoy. "Each fall we reduce the lake level from the summer recreational level of 1308.2 feet to a lower winter elevation."
The Warner Dam, which is located along the Chadakoin River in Jamestown, serves to reduce flood damage to homes that surround Chautauqua County Lake. The dam is opened annually during the fall and winter to lower lake levels to help reduce potential flooding and shoreline damage caused by ice sheets in the winter and spring.
"We are rarely able to get much below 1307.0 feet, but stakeholders can anticipate that the lake may drop a foot or more within two to three weeks after we open the Warner Dam," McCoy said. "How fast the lake will drop depends upon the weather."
Chautauqua County officials say 2021 has been a challenge to maintain lake levels due to the dry spring, then the large amount of rain in July.
“We are looking forward to the 2022 season and hope Mother Nature gives us enough, but not too much water to maintain lake levels at the desired level,” said McCoy.
For more information on lake levels, click here.
