Watershed Trivia Question: Over the past 12 months, how many times have GLA Volunteers made adjustments to the Crystal River Dam to help manage lake level and river flow?
Watershed Trivia Answer: Over the past year, our team of volunteers (called “captains”) visited the dam twice a week to take readings, inspect the dam, and make decisions on changing the dam gate height. The captains made a total of 14 gate changes to help manage the water elevation of Glen Lake, but nature is still ultimately in control; the dam has only a minor impact on lake levels relative to precipitation and summer evaporation.
At its maximum flow setting, the dam can only lower the lake 0.03 feet (i.e. about 1/3 inch) per day, and that’s if there is no new inflow. The frequent rain we’ve experienced in recent weeks has kept the lake level high in spite of the dam gate being wide open.
The watershed surrounding Glen Lake also contributes to its water level. Nearly 5x the size of the lake, the Glen Lake/Crystal River Watershed captures rain and snowmelt which seep underground and flow towards the lake. This means that if we receive rainfall, not only does the lake immediately rise, but continues to rise over the next week or so as water flows and seeps from the watershed to the lake.