Information and History
I have not been able to verify exactly when and who built the first dam on Whitney Brook in Canton but it is believed to be around 1849. In the late 1980s, Ray Fortier was the dam keeper for owners, M/M Richards, before becoming part owner in December 1990 and sole owner of the Anasagunticook dam in March of 1997.
In 1978, the Introduction to the “Water Level Management Plan for Canton Lake” describes:
“Lake Anasagunticook Dam has a hydraulic height of 20 feet and a total length of 175 feet. It consists of a concrete gated spillway structure, 25 feet in length, and a 150-foot long earthen embankment. The average width across the crest of the earthen embankment is 25 feet. Four wooden rectangular, vertical lift gates, 6.4′ H x 4.5′ W, span across the entire length of the spillway and serve to regulate the lake level. The dam spans the headwaters of Whitney Brook and is located in south-western Maine. The drainage area above the dam is 14.95 square miles. Maximum storage capacity is about 5,800 acre-feet. Normal pool is approximately 11,500 feet long and has a surface area of about 582 acres. Lake Anasagunticook is used for recreational purposes.
This Management Plan will focus on the proper management of this dam to effect the following concerns:
(a) to prevent the erosion of shorefront property and the flooding of sewage disposal systems on Canton Lake.
(b) to prevent damage to properties downstream of the outlet dam due to extreme water levels.
(c) to maintain and improve the fisheries management program for the lake.”
This area of the “blog” will have DEP and MEMA orders, inspections, and important documents giving the history of the difficulties which have been documented with the administration of the Water Level Management Plan and the recommended repairs to the Anasagunticook dam over the last couple decades. When reviewing these documents which give a better understanding of the history of the long-standing dam safety issues, please note that some are well before the current owners tenure in this matter. It is also worth noting that along with inherited property rights (flowage or flooding rights) are the inherited historic problems which I hope to document.
Judy Hamilton