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Dear Fellow Paddler,
Please take a few minutes to read the information below and complete the survey that follows. The background information is included so that you may understand the contraints that affect the current paddling situation on the Dead. It will be clear to you that some of the things that you might like to see (such as more release dates) are simply not possible at this time. The survey results will be more useful if all respondents share an appreciation of why the current release schedule looks like it does.
The dates and flow levels of Dead River recreational releases have historically been established through negotiations between representatives of several private boater organizations, commercial raft companies, FPL Energy (formerly Central Maine Power), and the Kennebec Water Power Company. The players in this process have generally been able to come to amiable agreement on a schedule of releases that satisfies the sometimes competing interests of the parties involved.
Over the last several years, FPL has been in the process of applying to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a new 30-year license of the Long Falls dam on Flagstaff Lake. A number of constituencies have weighed in with their concerns during this process, among them the Town of Eustis and Flagstaff Lake camp owners (who wish to maintain high lake levels in the summer), fishermen (who don't want to see very low flows that threaten to leave spawning beds high and dry), and boaters and rafters (who want lots of water, and often). Although this license has not yet received final approval, FPL has begun to abide by some of its terms, which require, among other things:
In a dry year, FPL will have its hands full trying to satisfy the three requirements above, but even in a wet year, private boaters must live with the reality that 18 release days is six days fewer than the historical average of 24 release days. Below is a tabulation of the last 10 years of Dead River release schedules, which shows that the number and diversity of release levels is not what it used to be:
| Release Level (cfs) |
| Year | 1000 | 1300 | 1800 | 2400 | 3500 | 5500 | 6000 | 7000 | Total Release Days | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 22 | |
| 1998 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 23 | |
| 1999 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 23 | |
| 2000 | 0 | 12 ** | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 27 | |
| 2001 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 24 | |
| 2002 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 24 | |
| 2003 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 24 | |
| 2004*** | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 24 | |
| 2005 | 0 | 5 ** | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 19 | |
| 2006 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 18 |
You can see from the table above that when the number of releases was reduced from 24 to 18 (and 18 is where it will stay for the next 30 years), only the lower flows were eliminated. For many Class IV boaters, and perhaps the majority of all private boaters, the elimination of six releases between 1300 and 2400 cfs may be no great loss. To others, especially open boaters, it may represent a significant and hard-felt loss in paddling opportunities. The purpose of this survey is to gather the opinions of as many private boaters as possible, so that the representatives who negotiate the annual release schedule with FPL and the commercial users can be confident that they are representing the wishes of the majority.
As a result of this survey, we may find that the release schedule as presently configured is doing the best job it can of satisfying the needs and desires of a solid majority of private boaters. Or we may find that we really should be strongly advocating for a schedule that looks different than the current one. In the latter case, hard data derived from this survey will serve as a powerful negotiating tool as we take our seats at the table with other Dead River users in November.
Thank you for your time and interest!
Kyle DuckworthThis survey has also been made available to various organizations by email and on paper. Responses are 100% anonymous, therefore there is no way to track who has responded to the survey and who has not. To ensure the validity of the survey results it is vitally important that individuals do not complete the survey more than once. If you have already completed this survey in another form, please do not complete it again.
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