MINUTES
OLD LYME INLAND WETLANDS AND WATERCOURSES COMMISSION
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
Present were: Rachel Gaudio, Tom Machnik, Robert DiPianta, and Bill McNeill.
Chair Gaudio called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
MINUTES OF THE MEETING DATED JUNE 26, 2018
Tom Machnik made a motion to approve the Regular Meeting Minutes dated June 26, 2018. Bob DiPianta seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
AMEND THE AGENDA
Tom Machnik made a motion to amend the agenda to include the approval of the Site Walk Meeting Minutes dated July 12, 2018. Bill McNeill seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
SITE WALK MEETING MINUTES DATED JULY 12, 2018
Tom Machnik made a motion to approve the Site Walk Meeting Minutes dated June 12, 2018. Bob DiPianta seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Commission Member Gary Gregory arrived at 7:10 p.m.
NEW BUSINESS
FLORENCE GRISWOLD MUSEUM – 96 LYME STREET – THE CREATION OF AN ARTIST TRAIL WITH BENCHES AND NATIVE PLANTINGS
Roger Nemergut, PE of Nemergut Consulting was present to review the plans submitted with the application. He also noted that as part of the application a Landscape Plan was included by Stimson Landscape Architects located in Princeton, Massachusetts.
Nemergut stated the proposal is to create “The Artists” Trail which will be 4 ft. wide and comprised of decomposed granite chips. He said there will be 4 wood benches throughout the trail approximately 6 ft. long. He stated the project will be done in two phases but noted that Phase II is outside the upland review area. He said the trail will be ADA compliant. He said there will also be granite posts installed for aesthetics. Mr. Nemergut also reviewed the proposed planting plan with the commission. He further stated all of the work proposed on the site could be done with small equipment such as a mini excavator, bobcat or skid steer because it is not intrusive.
The commission agreed to set a Site Walk for Monday, October 15, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.
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OLD BUSINESS
REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT #18 – LYME/OLD LYME PUBLIC SCHOOLS – 69-2 LYME STREET – PROJECT IS INTENDED TO UTILIZE SURFACE WATER FROM THE POND ON SITE WHICH IS ON DUCK RIVER FOR LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION.
John Rhodes, Director of Facilities and Technology stated on August 2, 2018 Milone & MacBroom Inc. conducted a pump test on the pond to simulate summer pond withdrawals. He noted the nearby well was monitored before, during, and after the test to determine the effect of the withdrawals. He noted the commission members have been provided the results of the pond yield test. Rhodes noted they also shared this information with their neighbor Mr. Kerr and noted they are working with Mr. Kerr to reach a long term commitment. He said an elevation test was also done. Mr. Rhodes stated that the system would be monitored and controlled with an automatic shut off once it reaches a certain elevation to address the concerns expressed by the commission at the last meeting.
Thomas Knowlton, PE with Milone and MacBroom distributed copies of the Tooker Pond, Staff Gauge and Well Schematic. Mr. Knowlton stated on August 2nd they pumped water for about 8 ½ hours a little over a million and a half gallons and the pond level dropped about six inches. He said during this process they were able to monitor the water levels both in the pond and the well. Mr. Knowlton reviewed the Tables provided in the testing results. (see attached memo dated August 28,2 2018.) He concluded by stating that the pond recovers much more quickly than what is intended to be withdrawn. Mr. Knowlton stated there does seem to be a hydraulic connection between the pond and the well.
Mr. Knowlton stated the commission asked if there would be a water level set that would indicate that no further water would be withdrawn so as to not adversely impact Mr. Kerr’s well. Mr. Knowlton stated that automatic pump controls will prohibit pump operation when pond water level is below elevation 5.5. He stated they did not want Mr. Kerr’s water level to drop down to the submersible pump so the water level is 7.53 and the top of the pump is 3.72 so we split the difference in half which is the exact midpoint between the water surface elevation and the well at the top of the pump.
Bob DiPianta stated there is an electrical wire shown for the low level shutoff but no details are provided. Mr. Knowlton stated the automatic shutoff has not been shown in the detail yet and will be added to the plan. Mr. DiPianta recommended a log sheet be placed in the pump house that would have the date, the meter readings and the gallons pumped as a control. Mr. DiPianta also suggested a hook up for the Fire Department be provided. Mr. Knowlton said the fire department uses a 5 inch hose with a screen on the end and is already set up and the one on site will not be that large. They agreed to discuss this option with the Fire Department.
Bill McNeil asked if the meter would regulate the maximum 100,000 gallons per week. Mr. Knowlton stated the meter would register what is being pumped but a chart recorder will tell us the time period it was actually pumped. McNeil asked if it would exceed 100,000 gallons per week. Knowlton stated the controls on the irrigation system operate on a certain time frame so 100,000 gallons per week was based on the run times for the sprinkler system and the pull rates and the number of sprinkler heads. Rhodes stated the system will run from 1:00 a.m. to just around the time the sun comes up. He stated the system would not have the capacity to pump out more water in that timeframe unless it ran longer
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September 25, 2018
hours. Bill McNeill stated if you are recording and documenting if you reach 101,000 gallons a week then it would stop. He said the amount of flow needs to be regulated as well as the depth of the pond. McNeill stated his concern is if you pumped out 1.5 million gallons and the pond has 2.4 million gallons which is well over 50 percent of it and if it only drops six inches when that is done that is going to mean the next 6 inches will bring the surface of the bottom of the pond to the top. McNeill stated there is always more water at the top of the pond than at the bottom of the pond so as you are removing the top of the water it is shrinking in and you need to know how much shoreline will be lost. Knowlton said the system will be set to shut off if the pond water ever reached what the set point is. McNeill stated if the center of the pond is 6’8’’ and the average depth of the pond is 1.1” feet we don’t really have relevant numbers. Rhodes stated it would be cost
prohibitive to do a survey of the entire bottom of the pound. McNeill stated he felt it was difficult to render a decision based on a dredged out section of the pond which is perhaps 50 x 50 and the pond is 6 plus acres.
Knowlton stated the these millions of gallons are not what is being withdrawn from the pond so the pump test was 15 times more than what we are proposing to withdraw in a single week. McNeill stated there needs to be assurance that the number of gallons per week is limited, and no gallons will be banked for future use and the pond will not drop below a certain level.
Mr. Kerr asked about the length and time of year that they would be pumping. Rhodes stated the pumping would be between the second week of May till the end of September. Kerr stated he was concerned about the amount of use and did not want to see the pond sucked dry and become a mud flat.
No action was taken. The commission will continue the discussion at their October meeting and the applicant agreed to set a minimal level for shut off to avoid the pond shrinking, update the plans regarding the equipment, an establish an agreement with Mr. Kerr.
APPROVAL OF THE 2019 MEETING CALENDAR
Bob DiPianta made a motion to approve the 2019 Meeting Calendar. Tom Machnik seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
(Please note the new meeting time will be 6:30 p.m. and in the month of November the commission meets the 3rd Thursday due to the Thanksgiving Holiday).
Respectfully submitted,
Kim Groves
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