The Quabbin Reservoir was at 96.4 percent capacity heading into the weekend, but a Massachusetts Water Resources Authority spokesperson says that is not a rare or problematic occurrence.
Ria Convery said water can be released from the reservoir or transferred to the Wachusett Reservoir if its capacity is reached.
“It’s actually not a bad thing,” she said, adding that the water level usually decreases this time of year due to usage in people’s pools and lawns. “Since it rains every five minutes, water use has been lower this summer.”
Convery said the Quabbin Reservoir typically fills up each spring due to snow and ice melt.
“It happens all the time. It’s not an ‘Oh-my-God’ rare occasion,” she explained. “It’s something that happens in wet years.”
Convery said the reservoir is so big it takes a massive amount of water to make the level go up or down.
Anglers on the shoreline will have less room to fish, but those on boats will have access to more spots due to the increased volume of water.
According to the state’s website, the 412-billion-gallon reservoir covers 39 square miles, with 181 miles of shoreline, and recreational activities are regulated and limited to protect the drinking water that serves 3 million people in Boston and other eastern communities. The valley was flooded in the 1930s to make the reservoir following the disincorporation of the towns of Dana, Prescott, Greenwich and Enfield. An infamous fire in Boston in 1872 started a discussion of how the city was in need of more access to water.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.