By Friday, Oct. 11, 2013, Greenfield Lake had risen to within a few inches of its normal level. StarNews photo by Si Cantwell.
Q. Why is the water level at Greenfield Lake so low? What is the normal level? What conditions must exist so they add water and how high does the level have to be before they drain water off?
A. The water level of Greenfield Lake was recently lowered to allow for the installation of a trash barrier at the spillway pedestrian bridge on Third Street, said Malissa Talbert, city of Wilmington spokeswoman.
“This will help city stormwater crews with the removal of litter and other debris in the lake,” Talbert said.
The normal level for Greenfield Lake is just above the height of the spillway on Third Street.
“Occasionally, lake levels are lowered in anticipation of a large storm event, or for other maintenance,” Talbert said.
Greenfield Lake is fed entirely by rainfall.
“The Greenfield Lake watershed contains a lot of impervious or hard surfaces like roads, rooftops and parking lots, and these do not allow stormwater runoff to soak into the soil. Therefore, whenever it rains, stormwater runoff flows from these surfaces into Greenfield Lake,” Talbert said.
Typically, the water level remains consistent through much of the year “and does not require additional draining unless a large storm event is anticipated,” she said.
Nina Johnston, city superintendent of parks and urban forestry, added that Greenfield Lake has been lowered periodically over the years for maintenance by stormwater services.
RELATED LINKS:
Are there any maps of Greenfield Lake and the trails and fixtures from the mid-1960s?
Date posted: October 11, 2013
User-contributed question by:
Derrick Miller
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