NORWOOD -- Planning for the village summer recreation program is on hold and Norwood Lake boating, fishing and swimming might be impacted because of high water and flooding on the Raquette River.

The high water is also delaying leak maintenance work on the dam holding Norwood Lake back. The work can’t resume until the water subsides and the dam’s operator, Brookfield Renewable, can lower the lake still further.

“We’re having a difficult time planning our summer recreation program,” said Mayor Tim Levison. “We’ve expressed our concerns to Brookfield as a village, as much of our summer recreation program hinges on water levels on the lake,” as does swimming, boating, fishing and other activities by community members.

Levison said he had heard from the Long Lake Town Clerk that the ice on the lake, one of the Raquette’s sources, had moved out, diminishing in the last week from about six inches thick. He said that was a good sign.

Levison and the village’s Recreation Committee recently met, and they discussed alternatives to the usual summer program on the beach and in the water.

There have been discussions with SUNY Potsdam to use their Merritt Hall pool for swim lessons if the beach isn’t available.

“It’s possible (Brookfield’s) work will be done before school gets out, but right now it doesn’t look like there will be a beach for the whole summer, but perhaps for the later part of the summer,” he said.

“The recreation program depends on what does or doesn’t happen.”

Brookfield lowered the water in the lake in the autumn of 2017 to do some rehabilitation work. The understanding was it would take a few weeks. Last fall a similar schedule was set. But how much work is necessary was not completely understood, and still isn’t known.

“They seem sympathetic,” he said, but they’re not in a position to promise anything. “Honestly they don’t know the extent of the problem,” or how long it will take to repair the dam when the water level finally gets low enough.

So far, Mayor Levison said, “they do not know the severity of the problem, therefore they could not give us an idea when it would be complete. We’re waiting like everybody else.”

“There are all sorts of rumors flying around,” Levison said, including a belief by at least one person late last year that a collapse was imminent, “but Brookfield has dispelled most of them.”

The dam in Norwood became operational in 1928. The current maintenance work began a year and a half ago, but more work was needed and began last fall.

“So we’re still waiting. They’ve been good at giving us updates, but unfortunately all the updates are telling us they’re not sure” when the work can resume, he said.

“They couldn’t even give us a good estimate” of when the river will be low enough to be able to continue the repair work on the dam, he said.

“It could be late May or mid-June or even longer.”

“Brookfield Renewable continues to monitor the precipitation and snow melt conditions,” said Julie Pelletier, Brookfield’s manager of stakeholder relations. “Once spring runoff is complete, repair work will resume and the impoundment will be lowered to support the project and the safety of the workers.”

The workers “will continue their drilling from last fall, and put grout in the dam,” to plug a leak or series of leaks, Levison said, “but they couldn’t give me a specific time frame. We’re left hanging.”

“We remain in contact with the mayor’s office and have provided repair updates to the Norwood Lake Association,” Pelletier said.

“We recognize the inconveniences this has caused the residents and will continue to maintain communication with the town and residents as things progress,” she said.

“Please note, the structural integrity of the dam has not been compromised,” the Brookfield spokeswoman said.

“So it’s up to Mother Nature how much rain will be coming down in the next month or so,” Levison said. “Once the runoff is complete the engineers and construction people can get back to work on the dam. The more it rains obviously the longer this process is going to take.”