Without lowering, Keuka at last year's level

KEUKA LAKE--Even with Keuka Lake's annual water level lowering postponed 30 days, the current lake levels are below the minimum desired level. The summer desirable range for Keuka Lake is between 714.25 feet above sea level and 713.72 feet and was maintained until Oct. 1, prior to this year. At that time levels would decrease to winter levels between 712.50 feet and 711.95 feet over a period of about a month. The annual drawdown -- or manual lake lowering by manipulating the water gates in Penn Yan -- was delayed until Nov. 1 according to the Keuka Lake Association (KLA), but KLA President Bill Laffin said the levels are currently near where they were last year at this time due to the lack of precipitation.
Laffin said the Keuka Lake Outlet Compact (KLOC) made the decision for the 30 day delay last fall in order to allow for an extended boating season. As of Monday, Oct. 13, the lake level was 713.68 feet, which is below the minimum objective of 713.72 feet. Laffin said the levels remain around the same level they were at last year at this time.
"Mother nature is doing everything on her own," Laffin said. "We have not started the draw down, there has just been so little precipitation since the late summer that any reduction in the lake level has pretty much been due to mother nature's lack of input."
Laffin said the KLA conducted a survey late last summer, adding two-thirds of the respondents were in favor of a delay into the fall season. He said while this is the first year of the delay, the date will continue to be pushed back the 30 days unless the KLOC votes again to change it.
"The drawdown which the KLOC voted to push off 30 days, they did that last fall," Laffin said. "Really, the official drawdown won't start until right around Nov. 1. They used to start it Oct. 1, but the KLOC -- which is made up of all the town supervisors and the village mayors from around the lake -- was getting some feedback from lake residents and fisher people who would come in and fish in the fall, 'wouldn't it be nice to delay the drawdown to extend the boating season?' "
According to the KLA's website, the old draw down would take place beginning in October and ending in November, remaining at the lower level until March, where the level would start to increase again. This year, however, the KLOC decided to begin the drawdown in November in order to extend the boating season. The low level guide of 713.72 feet will still be reduced to 711.95 feet once the drawdown is completed. The high level guide will also remain the same, going from 714.25 feet to 712.5 feet.
"It is not affecting us right now because the water is a little low without the drawdown," said John Wheeler, owner of Basin Park Marina in Branchport. "Just getting boats in and out is a problem. But I think since they delayed the drawdown last year, it is better this year."
Wheeler said while many boaters have removed their boats for the season, there are still a dozen boats in the water at his marina. He said even if the water were higher, there would still be around the same amount of boats in the water, adding this is usually around the time people remove their boats.