BAILEYVILLE – Valuable lakefront property that camp owners bought or inherited is a rocky shore again this year, as Georgia-Pacific Corp. hydro employees engage in a delicate balancing act of keeping the water at a level that satisfies camp owners and canoeists.

On Thursday, G-P officials met with the lake stakeholders – the individuals, businesses and governmental agencies that have an interest in the water system. After a discussion about this year’s water levels, some of the stakeholders walked away with an appreciation of G-P’s effort, but also frustration because the water levels on some lakes are low.

Mother Nature has a lot to do with the level of the spring runoff any given year. This year, there was a lot of snow but it evaporated. That problem, coupled with a moderate amount of spring rain, created problems on lakes in the upper reaches of the St. Croix watershed, including Spednik Lake. New Brunswick and Maine share an interest in the international St. Croix River.

Uncertain water levels occur each year. In 1993, G-P announced that higher-than-normal water levels would allow more time on the St. Croix River for canoeing and other water-related activities, and canoeists took advantage. The rapids just above the Milltown Dam, north of downtown Calais, were as challenging as some of the rapids on larger Maine rivers.

Contrast that with other years when the water levels were low, and stakeholders expressed concern to the International Joint Commission, which is made up of people appointed by the executive branches of the U.S. and Canadian governments.

The IJC has broad regulatory powers over the waters that form boundaries between the two nations. As part of its responsibility, the IJC issues orders of approval to operators of dams along the waterway.

In the early to mid-1990s, stakeholders in the upper reaches of the river pressured the IJC to allow their input into its review process. G-P, which controls seven dams in Washington County, is subject to review by either the IJC or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

In its 1996 report, the IJC concluded that G-P had shown an improvement in water level and discharge management. Many camp owners remain dissatisfied.

Several water-management objectives guide the operation of the St. Croix Waterway System. Flood control, hydro-electric generation, fisheries, recreation and regulatory requirements are priority concerns.

Working with the stakeholders, G-P set up a hot line so people who canoe or boat on the St. Croix watershed can learn about current water levels.

On Thursday, company officials again reviewed flow charts and graphs. They talked about conditions and what affected this year’s water levels.

Spednik Lake property owner Richard Packert, who lives near Forrest Township, said after the meeting that the waters near his camp remain low. “The water levels on Spednik Lake are, I believe, lower than East Grand. Basically, I am not satisfied by the answers I am getting here. I think these folks are operating under the mandates they are given, but I’m not happy with the mandates,” he said.

Donna Q. Adams, G-P’s hydro superintendent, said it is her job to look at the guidelines established by the various agencies. “We do the best we can with what we have. I try to accommodate as many people as I can,” she said after the meeting.

Adams said her group measures the river throughout the year. “I have to look at the whole picture and try to maintain a balance,” she said. She said complaints this year have not been as bad as last year, and she said people do use the hot line. That number is 1-800-427-3117.