Just received this email from Beth Callahan:
Per the directive of the Presiding Officer, the attached documents are being sent to you for your review and comment. Parties may submit written questions or comments on the documents no later than May 9, 2013. Questions and comments must be copied to all parties on the Service List. If additional time is needed to review the documentation, please send your request for additional review time along with a reasonable alternative submittal date to me no later than May 6, 2013, and copy all parties on the Service List. Subsequently, the attached documents and all comments received will be added to the administrative record of the Clary Lake Water Level Petition, #L-22585-36-B-N.
The first document contains comments from the Maine Emergency Management Agency regarding the Clary Lake Dam’s current hazard classification. The second document is a revised minimum flow recommendation submitted by the Department’s Division of Environmental Assessment. This recommendation is based upon the regulations outlined in the Department’s Chapter 587 for Instream Flow and Lake and Pond Water Levels and also the data gathered from the Department’s September 2012 bathymetric survey of Clary Lake.
The Attached documents:
- Maine Emergency Management Agency Comments 8-28-12
- Clary Lake Assessment 3-Apr-13
- New Service List dated 9 April 2013
I’ll comment as soon as I’ve had a chance to review the material.
Looks like the lake level recommendations are headed in the right direction to preserve the sensitive wildlife habitat and enjoyment of the lake for all!
Yes David! The initial minimum flows recommendation specified a maximum draw down of 2.7′ so going to 2′ is a move in the right direction. But I’m a little confused as to how they arrived at it given what I know of Chapter 587 and the issues that exist with the new bathymetric survey.
I also make note of the statement:
“Recommended within basin water levels are protective for the maintenance of suitable Water quality, resident fish and Wildlife habitat, and prevention of shoreline erosion. However, it is quite apparent that significant dewaterlng of valuable Wetland habitat will result in the vicinity of the outlet stream, above the dam.”
So it appears the 2′ refers to water levels within the BASIN of Clary Lake and they acknowledge that at that level of draw down, significant dewatering of wetlands will occur. I’m confused.