Lake Beseck Living

~All things Lake Beseck brought together in one informative space~

MIDDLEFIELD, CT

Whether you are interested in family activities in the area, efforts being made toward issues such as weed control and algae of the lake, becoming a volunteer, or you want to stay on top of crime events in the area, this is the place to be.

Minutes of Lake Beseck Environment Committee January 22, 2020

January 23, 2020  /  Amy Poturnicki

MINUTES


1. Call to Order Meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m.


2. Members Present Amy Poturnicki, Randy Bernotas, Kathy Kukowski, Scott MacDonald, Jim Irish, Rick Santos, Ed Bailey called into the meeting at 7:09p and later joined in person. Also present: Larry Marsicano -AER, Rep. Buddy Altobello, Greg Bugbee – CAES

3. Approval of Minutes Motion to approve the minutes of November 16, 2019 made by Amy Poturnicki; seconded by Jim Irish. Passed without changes; Scott MacDonald abstaining, all others in favor.

4. Public Comment – none

5. Beseck Drawdown Statute Rep. Altobello was present and spoke about the process to amend the drawdown statute for the lake on six-foot years as previously recommended by Larry Marsicano, AER as a tool to mitigate weeds. Rep. Altobello and Senator Mary Abrams received letters from both Larry and First Selectman Edward Bailey. Greg Bugbee stated that the current statute leaves people hoping for the right conditions in a very short period to help with weed control. He expressed that extending the length of the drawdown by at least a month, if not more is a great idea and he is willing to appear to provide testimonial as an expert witness in support of this proposed change. Motion by Amy Poturnicki to proceed with a change in language of the Beseck drawdown statute that would extend the drawdown on six-foot years to January 31, as recommended by Larry Marsicano, AER and Greg Bugbee, CT Agricultural Experiment Station; seconded by Randy Bernotas. All in favor.

6. Dam Update Ed Bailey provided an update on the dam and spoke about a proposal by DEEP to replace the current wooden weir boards with aluminum boards that could be more easily removed without the need of divers. The wooden weir boards currently require divers to unbolt the boards to remove them from the weir chamber. A water level gauge was also installed inside of the weir chamber but can currently only be accessed by DEEP. Randy Bernotas suggested that a small window or door be cut into the access doors that would allow people other than DEEP to check the water level. Buddy also had a suggestion that marks could be placed on the asphalt at the boat launch to determine the water level. He took some photos when the lake was drawn down five feet and approximately eighteen inches of pavement remained. Amy updated the committee that Darin Overton, committee member and Engineer at Milone and MacBroom is working with Dan Biron, DEEP regarding ongoing issues with the drawdowns.

7. Sediment Monitors Greg Bugbee spoke about the 3 sediment monitors that were installed at the lake that are monitoring sediment temperature, moisture and air temperatures to determine if the lakebed is reaching the right conditions to control weeds. He went over some of the data to date, which has indicated that the sediment temperatures have not gone below freezing.

8. Misc. Larry Marsicano updated the committee about delays with permitting for the benthic barriers at the beach due to a staffing vacancy at DEEP. He was told that someone from Planning and Programs is being trained to oversee the Land Acquisition and Management Unit temporarily until staff is hired into the position. As a result, there is no word on when the next meeting will be to approve permits. Larry was also informed that DEEP is pushing back a bit on the expansion of benthic barriers in the swim area, stating that it may require that we go back to NDDB, even though our current NDDB permit is valid through December 2020. In addition, there was mention of push back on our General Permit since the state assumed the position of permittee to waive the $1,000-$2,000 application fee, due to the state not doing the actual work. Greg Bugbee spoke about a severe Hydrilla problem occupying hundreds of acres in the CT River and is also being found in some CT lakes. The plant has multiple forms of reproduction, which makes it very challenging to get rid of. He added that it can be transported and spread by boats and trailers. The committee discussed the feasibility of having a monitor at the state boat launch to inspect boats for weeds, as well as signage that could be placed to raise awareness about Hydrilla.

9. Adjourn Motion to adjourn made by Amy Poturnicki; seconded by Kathy Kukowski. The meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM.

Respectfully Submitted, Amy Poturnicki

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