Water level at Mae Kuang Dam

[LawrenceN]

Oops, sorry I forgot the photo.

[chiang mai]

Post #10 confirms that Sankampaeng relies on a separate and different water source.

[LawrenceN]

Not true. That was Mae Rim (on the other side of the Ping River). Canals from Mae Kuang Dam go through Sankampaeng all the way into Lamphun Province.

Edited September 5, 2015 by LawrenceN

[sappersrest]

Thank you for a great post and keeping us informed.

[chiang mai]

Not true. That was Mae Rim (on the other side of the Ping River). Canals from Mae Kuang Dam go through Sankampaeng all the way into Lamphun Province.

My mistake Lawrence, you are of course correct, apologies.

[LawrenceN]

Full outflow in the main irrigation canal. Plenty of water in farmers' fields, but the water level in the reservoir is down again. I suppose the management is confident we'll have a super wet final month of the rainy season. I'm not so sure.

[LawrenceN]

Full outflow in the main irrigation canal. Plenty of water in farmers' fields, but the water level in the reservoir is down again. I suppose the management is confident we'll have a super wet final month of the rainy season. I'm not so sure.

[cloudhopper]

New photo Saturday morning. Gates are open to allow irrigation outflow, which surprised me. Maybe one of our friends in Sankampaeng can tell us how long it's been flowing this time.

The canals in Doi Saket started flowing again 1 week ago and are still going strong.

[taotoo]

They're currently putting in water level markers on the middle dam

Edited September 12, 2015 by taotoo

[kaptainrob]

They're currently putting in water level markers on the middle dam

Wishful thinking?

El Nino continues to build and next 6 months do not hold much promise for Central regions.

[taotoo]

Wishful thinking?

El Nino continues to build and next 6 months do not hold much promise for Central regions.

Possibly (they don't appear to have put in any markers beneath the current water level...). That said I'm sure I've seen it emptier than this in recent years.

[LawrenceN]

They're currently putting in water level markers on the middle dam

Thanks. That may be helpful if I do this next year. I admit I could have chosen a better place to take these photos, but now that I have started, I figure I should stick with this spot to allow comparison.

I posted this once before:

http://www.maekuangudomthara.com/home

The first graph on that page shows how full the reservoir is by percent. 11.xx% as of 11 Sept. That may be a good way to monitor if I don't get up to the dam as often as you'd like me to (not speaking to anyone in particular).

[taotoo]

Data here in case it's of interest:

http://www.maekuangudomthara.com/home

Indeed

[Moontan]

Thanks very much for these pictures. I am sure there are more than a few of us looking forward to more. Not asking you to do it. Just saying I'll be happy if you do.

[LawrenceN]

No outflow today. I am surprised at how little change since last week, given the all-day soaking we got Friday.

[MESmith]

The link to the data, you provided earlier is very useful.

[LawrenceN]

Data here in case it's of interest:

http://www.maekuangudomthara.com/home

Indeed

Of course you did, taotoo. I must have been thinking of this one with similar data for the entire country, which I posted earlier.

/https://m.facebook.com/raorukcholpratan/photos/pb.181317751941273.-2207520000.1437870695./900571560015885/?type=3&theater

[Loaded]

Thanks for the updates Lawrence

Quite scary to see the level didn't rise after Friday's rains and just 4 - 6 weeks away from the end of the 'wet' season.

I think farmers are going to suffer. Low water levels in the dam will lead to reduced food production over the next year, higher prices for consumers, more debt for farmers etc.

Older Thais have told me that the Ping flows across a very wide area and isn't just limited to the river you see running through the city. People for centuries have tapped this water. There are wells tucked away in gardens, small ponds and streams that local people call 'taa naam', or water eyes, where the water breaks through the ground from the underground flow of the Ping. They say this never dries up. Hopefully, this will help to compensate for the lack of irrigation during the next year.

Edited September 20, 2015 by Loaded

[LawrenceN]

Water level up a bit this morning (after my two-week absence).

[LawrenceN]

Data here http://www.maekuangudomthara.com/home

shows the level above 12% again. I hope that storm on the way dumps on us.

[moe666]

I recently visited Sirikit Dam and it is very low, they were not allowing any outflow from the dam during my visit and the river had a few pounds here and there but noactual flow. Three years ago the river was rageing out of this dam. It is going to be a desperate dry season for many this year

[LawrenceN]

Water level is up again, slightly. Our favorite graph shows the reservoir at 13.xx% capacity.

I'm really baffled by their management. The main irrigation canal is full and flowing this morning. This seems to be true when we have a little rain. Then sometimes we go for days with no rain and dry canals, just when the fields need the water.

[LivinLOS]

I'm really baffled by their management. The main irrigation canal is full and flowing this morning. This seems to be true when we have a little rain. Then sometimes we go for days with no rain and dry canals, just when the fields need the water.

OK so I am a suspicious sort.. But do you think they could be 'sabotaging' the levels ??

I mean, with the level in the low teens, wouldnt it be better to save everything, let crops survive on rainfall now, while there is some, and have as much as possible for when we dont ??

[MESmith]

Yesterday, the canal over east side of valley was empty.

[LawrenceN]

I'm really baffled by their management. The main irrigation canal is full and flowing this morning. This seems to be true when we have a little rain. Then sometimes we go for days with no rain and dry canals, just when the fields need the water.

OK so I am a suspicious sort.. But do you think they could be 'sabotaging' the levels ??

I mean, with the level in the low teens, wouldnt it be better to save everything, let crops survive on rainfall now, while there is some, and have as much as possible for when we dont ??

My point exactly. That's what I find so baffling. Why aren't they saving the water, especially when it's raining?

[rebo]

My point exactly. That's what I find so baffling. Why aren't they saving the water, especially when it's raining?

May it have something to do with the golf courses ...?

[Sparkles]

In our part of CM ,BWT , Hang Dong, we have had 2 - 5 min showers over the last few days.Hardly laid the dust

Of course the recent typhoon that was supposed to sweep across Thailand never happened ,they rarely get past the Vietnamese coastal areas.

Time is runing out if we are relying on the tail end of the wet season.

Without a couple of days of consistent, heavy rain run off into dams will be negligble.

[LawrenceN]

Slightly down again. The second photo shows water roaring through the gate this morning. Outflow canal is full.

[cloudhopper]

Well I suppose there is no reason to conserve knowing that they won't/can't be doing a second crop come January. Hope they can salvage the main crop - many of the paddy fields in our area are not looking too good and are choked with weeds.

[harness]

Weirs on the Ping have been discharging a lot of water for days now. This is planned to flow in the Bhumiphol Dam from where later the water will be used to flush the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok of saltwater intrusion. That the North will have a water shortage is a secondary consideration.

The city state must come first.