By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Lane Rumelhart
Q. What did the December 2024 inspection show?
A. Once the lake was lowered, LPA staff, Shive Hattery Engineers, and Certified Power Solution, which is LPA’s hydraulic services provider, performed a thorough inspection on the dam. This inspection did not reveal any emergency issues. However, signs of wear on the cylinders were observed that dictate these be rebuilt following the 2025 season. The current cylinders have been in service for 20 years, which the inspection noted was an excellent lifespan.
Q. How will this work be done?
A. All work will begin in October 2025. LPA will need to lower the lake approximately 5 feet to safely make these needed repairs. Fortunately, LPA has spare cylinders on hand, so we don’t have to purchase those new. The cylinders have been pressure tested by Certified Power in Des Moines, and confirmed these are ready to be installed.
LPA received proposals on this project on July 25, and the apparent low bidder is the Weitz Company, which performed the previous cylinder replacement at the dam. LPA is working with Weitz and Shive-Hattery Engineers to finalize documents for the project. LPA will begin lowering the lake level Oct. 1. Repairs are expected to begin in mid-October and will include replacement of the cylinders, as well as some minor patching and repair to the concrete spillway.
Q. When will boats need to be removed from lifts, and how will the three barge services and Panorama Marine be involved?
A. The last time LPA had to lower the lake to this level to work on the dam was in 2015. At that time, the lake was split into three zones, allowing the marina and barge services to coordinate efforts. The plan used 10 years ago worked well, so we’ll be implementing the same strategy this year. Zone boundaries are approximate, and progress will depend on the weather. To ensure fairness, the order of the zones will be reversed from what it was in 2015.
Members are encouraged to call their providers prior to Labor Day to coordinate. Members who will be done boating before Sept. 1 are highly encouraged to reach out to their provider to get boats and lifts serviced ahead of time. Panorama Marine and the barge companies will appreciate as much advance notice as possible.
Zone A is the area from the Main Basin to Dale’s Cove. Members living in this zone will be serviced first and should be ready for removal beginning Sept. 2.
Zone B includes Dale’s Cove all the way to, and including, Burchfield Cove. Members living in this zone will be serviced second, and should be ready for removal beginning Sept. 9.
Zone C includes all the lake upstream from Burchfield Cove. Members living in this zone will be serviced last and should be ready for removal beginning Sept. 16.
Members are not required to adhere to these zones, but please know anyone who doesn’t is not guaranteed service if they delay beyond the start date of their zone.
LPA staff developed these plans in coordination with the three barge services and Panorama Marine. All four businesses will be available to help remove boats, boatlifts and docks before the water level drops. To ensure you are on their list, please plan to notify them before Sept. 1.
Panorama Marine offers a service to pull boats off the water in the fall, winterize and store, then return boats to lifts in the spring. Call Panorama Marine with any questions related to these services and to get on their list for winterization.
Finally, members in small coves and inlets who do not normally have docks or lifts taken out are not required to do so. With that being said, these members ultimately accept the risk for their property and are reminded their boats will be stranded on lifts if not removed before the lake level is lowered. If you have a question specific to your dock or lift, please call your provider. LPA staff are not equipped to answer these questions.
Q. How long will it take the lake to refill to full pool?
A. Lake Panorama’s return to full pool is entirely dependent upon the rainfall received. We are confident the lake will be at full pool for the 2026 boating season, but it is impossible to predict whether the lake will return to full pool before winter arrives.
Traditionally, river flow is lowest during the fall months, which is one reason why fall timing makes the most sense for projects of this nature. If river flow is low, it is likely the lake will freeze below full pool. If this happens, the lake will be maintained at the same level until spring thaw, as we do not raise and lower the lake level once ice has formed on the lake.
If the lake does freeze below full pool, we know 2026 spring rains will replenish Lake Panorama fairly quickly. A healthy April shower in our watershed would comfortably top off Panorama in a timeframe of one to two weeks.
Q. What else should we know about this project?
A. LPA makes every effort possible to limit the frequency of lake lowering events. However, judicious maintenance of the dam, spillway and associated components dictates the need to lower the lake by multiple feet at least once a decade. Members should be proud our dam remains in excellent repair due to the association’s consistent and proactive approach.
LPA does not prohibit members from using the lake while the level is down, but LPA strongly discourages lake use. Dropping the pool level by this amount exposes countless underwater hazards that can pose serious safety risks to boaters.
LPA must meet Iowa Department of Natural Resources requirements for outflow from the lake into the Middle Raccoon River and will meet the thresholds currently in place of 20 cubic feet per second once every 24 hours.
Anyone with questions about the dam project, lake lowering and the plans in place to get boats, docks and lifts off the water before the lake is lowered can contact the LPA Office, and the appropriate staff member will be assigned to respond to you.