Water Levels

Rain over the past two weeks seems to have washed away a potential problem with the trout population in the Lower Savage River, Robert Bachman said Thursday.The drought in Garrett County had created problems with the water levels in the Savage River Reservoir and, you may recall, some fishermen in Western Maryland had worried that reduced flows in the lower river would endanger its trout.Bachman said that water levels in the reservoir are still lower than normal, but that water lost to controversial white-water trials in the river had been replaced by the rains.

About two inches of rain are expected to fall on the soaked Baltimore region Tuesday morning, and sustained winds could topple more trees as Sandy plods north, forecasters said. Although the brunt of the massive storm pelted the area overnight, the slow-moving system will continue to dump rain throughout the morning, said Kevin Witt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "It's going to stay on the wet and windy side the rest of the day," Witt said. Water levels in eastern Baltimore County are expected to rise four feet above normal levels due to a storm surge, county officials said.

Hampstead will temporarily lift its 2-month-old ban on the outdoor use of water from Sept. 21 to Sept. 28, but lawn watering will continue to be prohibited.Drought conditions throughout the summer forced town officials impose water conservation measures in July."We've had a lot of people saying they want to plant trees and shrubs," said Neil Ridgely, town manager.He also said the one-week reprieve of the water moratorium will allow businesses to clean parking lots and sidewalks to meet Health Department regulations.

The normally peaceful Eden Mill Park has been transformed into a busy construction site as crews begin repairing and restoring its 18-foot, rock-filled masonry dam.But by the time warm weather arrives, officials say, a clambucket crane and other heavy equipment will be gone.Wetlands will be restored, water levels will be raised and recreational activities such as fishing and canoeing will resume at this out-of-the-way park in northern Harford County."When the weather breaks, the park should be cleaned up and ready to go with normal programming," said Robert Bailey, supervisor of the Northern District Office of the county Department of Parks and Recreation.

For the first time, Westminster is considering its own drought management plan to curtail water use during dry weather conditions. Although the city implemented water-use restrictions in the fall, it has not had a formal plan in place. Its restrictions included prohibitions on watering grass and filling pools. Worsening drought conditions prompted the state to implement similar restrictions in the spring. Despite torrential downpours this past month, Westminster officials are concerned about water levels at the city's public water sources, including a reservoir along Cranberry Branch north of Lucabaugh Mill Road and wells.

PIERRE, S.D. - Bruce Peterson's Lighthouse Pointe resort on clear-blue Lake Oahe is caught in the middle of a major water war for control of the Missouri River - and he's losing the battle 1 foot at a time. Not only is he coping with a yearlong drought, but the Army Corps of Engineers regularly draws water from the lake, formed by a dam on the once-meandering river, to create higher water levels more than 1,000 miles downstream for barge traffic, farm irrigation and power generation. The lake has been going down between 6 inches and 1 foot weekly since late spring, said Peterson, who worries that continued drops in water levels could force him to close his sailboat marina.

Time warps somewhat on the way down Lander Road in Frederick County, over the railroad tracks, across the wooden bridge at Lift Lock 29 on the C&O Canal and down the rutted dirt road to the river.The morning rush on the interstate is 30 minutes gone, and the day is as slow as it might have been when mules trod the canal towpath and barges filled the locks.Early in the day, a doe bolts for cover, a woodchuck waddles into the brush and a great heron lifts from the shallows of the Potomac through the river mists, laconically voicing its displeasure.

ABERDEEN - A deepening drought in the Susquehanna River basin may soon force golf courses, power plants and other big water users in the three-state watershed to cut their usage, find alternate sources or pay hefty fees for the river water. Susquehanna River Basin commission officials said yesterday that if flow rates in the 444-mile-long river continue to fall, the commission would move to impose curbs on major consumers and move to seek water releases from upstream reservoirs. "Up until two or three weeks ago, the main stem [of the river]

WESTERNPORT -- The same thunderstorms that devastated parts of north-central Virginia with flooding this week have caused $1.7 million in damage to this small town along the Potomac River's north branch.About 200 homes and three businesses in Westernport, an old coal-mining town of about 2,500 people tucked along the edge of a mountain in southwestern Allegany County, sustained damage ranging from basement flooding to fallen walls and washed-out foundations, said Dick Long, assistant director of Allegany County Emergency Management.

Calling the dwindling supply of water here threatening, the Town Council last night unanimously imposed a ban on outdoor water use.The measure, which carries fines of up to $50 for watering lawns, washing cars, filling swimming pools or any other use of water outdoors, is the third such mandatory restriction of water consumption in the county."