Updates after a weekend in the Great White North

Carol Anne and I left "Tad" in Albuquerque, though, as it turned out, snow in the Gallup area resulted in cancellation of his Key club work party at Camp Kiwanis. That gave him extra time to practice cello for his mock audition on Sunday, where customers and staff at the Blue Dragon turned out to listen to the cello pieces and a cello duet finale.

The weather was cold enough, with a bit of snow and sleet, that we ran a roaring fire in the fireplace on Saturday night. Fortunately, the precipitation had mostly held off during the day Saturday, so I was able to join a work party at the Heron Lake Marina and make more progress on rehabilitating the marina and preparing for opening it.

Our group's main accomplishment on Saturday was strengthening "B dock" with the addition of four-foot triangular "knee braces" in a dozen places where finger piers intersected with the main walk. We also added a winch base, a heavier construction designed to support two winches with cables connected to heavy anchors, to be used to stabilize and adjust the position of the docks. To install the knee braces, we had to do a lot of work to prepare the piers and walkways, unbolting and unscrewing deck boards, corner gussets, cleats, and cutting and notching banding boards and vinyl trim strips.

We also positioned two cross-trusses on the outer and central piers of C south dock, so that a diver and work party will be able to install them, although one of the trusses needs a small repair before it or a substitute truss can be installed. I also put a bit more gravel on the lower end of the trail, which needs more work. We also have the idea of setting up another, gentler, trail, which would run along the north side of the point to near the parking area.

We also learned the hard way that some deck screws had been drilled with the heads below the surface of the deck boards; when this happens in green wood, the wood can subsequently swell into position over the screw head, making the screw hard to find and unscrew. "Highlander" and crew also moved a damaged piece of pier to the north cove, in spite of a breeze that made a challenge of maneuvering the work barge and tow.

Sunday I refilled two propane bottles at the Stone House and brought back the club's cordless drill with recharged batteries. T. J., the new dockmaster, and I cleared out a lot of space under the marina pavillion. We dragged another winch base to B dock and carrying out a couple more knee braces. We also launched the three club dinghies, and moved many of the large encased floats to the floating swinging gangway and to the floating pier south of the dockhouse. This let us unstack and place most of the picnic tables so they could be used; now all but two picnic tables are set out for use. We also set out life rings on each mainwalk pier, moved the gas grill to under the pavillion, and began a bit of preparation for installation of more knee braces. I also launched two sunfish dinghies and sailed the short distance from the Willow Creek ramp to the marina, doused sail, and paddled into a slip.

This coming weekend I'll be helping run race committee at Elephant Butte Lake for the Joshua Slocum and Jack and Jill regattas. I also hope to get some race results and articles for the RGSC "Foghorn" newsletter.


Lake Conditions

Elephant Butte Lake, after dropping about four feet during the past several weeks of spring irrigation season, has stabilized. As of 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 7, 2007:

Elevation is 4,343.30 feet above benchmark, with 548,606 acre feet.
The lake is up 1/4 inch and 274 a.f. in 24 hours, and down 1.4 inches and 1,640 a.f. in 71 hours.
The San Marcial Floodway is flowing at 1,230 cubic feet per second (488 to 1,230 c.f.s. during the past 71 hours). Water is being released from the dam at 1,510 c.f.s. (1,480 to 1,570 c.f.s.).


Heron Lake as of 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 7, 2007:
Elevation 7,142.52, 189,695 a.f.
Up 2.3 inches and 726 a.f. in 24 hours.
Up 8.3 inches and 2,030 a.f. in 71 hours.
Depth in marina cove is nearly 17 feet.
Willow Creek flow is 336 c.f.s. (336 to 643 c.f.s. in past 71 hours).
Azotea Tunnel flow is 325 c.f.s. (325 to 634 c.f.s. in past 71 hours).
Rio Chama flow is 1,210 c.f.s. (1,210 to 2,360 c.f.s. is past 71 hours).