By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — A lake that is shared by two towns needs repairs done to the dam.

Last week, representatives from the Thomas Pond Improvement Association (TPIA) appeared before the Casco Select Board with a request for $15,000.

Moving forward, the financial request will be considered by the Town of Casco during the budget process that usually starts in March. Ultimately, residents will vote whether to fund the project when they pass the budget at annual town meeting.

Casco resident and TPIA member Tom McCarthy provided some history about the dam as well what its needs are now.

The total repair cost has been estimated at $40,500. That is the current quote from a contractor.

TPIA has saved $16,300 for the project, McCarthy said.

Both the towns of Raymond and Casco are being asked for a monetary contribution.

“The dam was built in 1935,” McCarthy said.

“In 1990, the ownership was awarded to TPIA. In 1992, we had contributions from Casco and Raymond that allowed us to do repairs,” he said.

“The dam is aging, it is coming up on almost 100 years. The most substantial repair was 1992, about 30 years ago,” he said.

“It is currently believed that the issues that need to be repaired are NOT structural. We want to repair it, before it becomes structural,” he stressed. “With additional repairs, we believe we will extend the life of the dam.”

He showed photos and explained there are some weeping cracks. As the temperatures change, the water coming through freezes and thaws, causing more damage to the dam.

McCarthy tied the comp plan’s objectives to having a well-functioning dam.

“The comp plan talks about importance of the lakes and water quality. The lake level impacts the water quality and the dam controls the lake levels,” he said. “We would greatly appreciate the select board’s support on this.”

Select board member Robert MacDonald asked about preventative maintenance.

Raymond resident Frank Jaffe addressed that question.

“We are dealing with concrete repairs. This goes beyond our ability. For general maintenance: Keeping it clean, clearing debris and logs. We replace the stop logs, that control water every few years,” Jaffe said.

What needs to be done “is beyond the routine maintenance,” he said.

Someone asked if the Town of Raymond was being asked for money as well.

“We have approached Raymond. They said come back once we have bids in hands,” McCarthy said.

Most likely, the concrete work on the dam would be done in August or September when water is lower.

Vice-chair Grant Plummer spoke, saying Casco has dealt with shared town dams in the past.

“This isn’t the first time for the board to have dam problems,” Plummer said, asking “What is the original purpose of the dam?”

McCarthy answered, “It was originally a mill. It ran two mills, one was wheat. Today, the purpose is to maintain the water level.”

Plummer spoke.

“There are a couple projects in Maine. There are a couple locations in Maine, they used a few hundred feet of stream restoration to maintain the lake level. We at least need to consider all of our options in the long-term game plan,” he said.

McCarthy said investing in the dam is a long-range game plan.

“For $40,000, we can get another 20 to 50 years out of that dam,” he said. 

Raymond resident Bob Chapin reminded the group that there 225 Casco residents are property-owners along Thomas Pond.

“We think this is a little money upfront. This is less than the millions of dollars for a substantial rebuild of the dam,” Chapin said.