1/30/2012

PROJECT UPDATE
Pond Lily Dam Removal
Public Meeting

PRESENTED BY:
Jeanine Armstrong Gouin, P.E., Vice President
Jenn Hoyle, Water Resource Engineer
Milone & MacBroom, Inc.
Cheshire, Connecticut
January 30, 2012
MILONE & MACBROOM®
Pond Lily Dam Removal

Project Goals & Objectives

• Restore River Habitat to a More Natural Condition

• Enable Anadromous and Resident Fish Passage
• Provide Flood Relief
• Mitigate Liability Associated with Dam Failure
• Maintain and Enhance Habitat
• Promote Environmentall Education
d & Passive
Recreation

MILONE & MACBROOM®

Pond Lily Dam Removal

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Work Completed To Date

• Project Kick-Off Meeting
• Existing Data Collection and Review
• Field Survey and Base Mapping
• On-Site Assessment:
• Spillway and Dam Inspection
• Ecological Communities Identification
• Sediment Probing and Sampling
• Hydrologic Assessment
• Hydraulic Assessment & Flood Analysis
• Alternatives Analysis
• Preliminary Design
MILONE & MACBROOM®
Pond Lily Dam Removal

Pond Lily Dam

• 191-foot long spillway

• Six-feet high

• Stone Masonry
Construction with
Concrete Cap

• Spillway is in Poor
Condition

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

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West River
Watershed
• West River: 34.6 square
miles
• Pond Lily: 16.6 square miles
(47% of West River
watershed)
• 32% developed, 50%
forested (5% increase in
developed land between
1985 and 2006)
• 18 river miles between
Bethany and West Haven
Harbor
MILONE & MACBROOM®
Pond Lily Dam Removal

Observed Wetlands

• Vegetation cover types

are typical and include
native as well as non-
native and invasive plant
species

• The p
pond is slowlyy filling
g
with sediment and
transitioning to wetland

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

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Observed Wildlife
Mammals Birds
white tailed deer Canada goose
eastern chipmunk
p mallard
common raccoon American robin
Virginia opossum woodpeckers
gray squirrel European starling
striped skunk common grackle
ground hog red winged blackbird
house + song sparrows
Retiles & Amphibians Northern cardinal
painted turtle black-capped chickadee
snapping
i turtle
t tl tufted titmouse
t ft d tit
Eastern garter snake white-breasted nuthatch
American toad American goldfinch
northern water snake blue jay

MILONE & MACBROOM®

Pond Lily Dam Removal

Fishery Resources

• pumpkinseed
• bluegill
• largemouth bass
• brown bullhead
• white sucker
• American eel
• blueback herring
• American shad

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

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Sediment Types

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

Sediment
Thickness
• Sediment thickness ranges
from less than a foot to five
feet, with the majority of
the pond in the range of
three to four feet of
accumulated sediment.
• Approximately 7,500 cubic
yards
d off sediment
di in
i the
h
proposed channel.

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

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Alternatives Analysis
Dam Alternatives:
• Do Nothing
• Total Dam Removal (spillway and embankment)
• Full Spillway Removal (full depth, full width)
• Partial Spillway Removal (full depth, partial width)

Channel Restoration Alternatives: Sediment Alternatives & Issues:

• Left Bank Alignment
• Right Bank Alignment
• Thalweg Alignment
• Do Nothing (allow natural erosion)
• Full Removal
• Partial Removal, In-Situ Stabilization
• On-Site vs. Off-Site Disposal
• Quality & Quantity Considerations

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

Alternative 4

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

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 1/30/2012

Preliminary Design Considerations

Dam Removal
• Creation of a fish passable river
• Elimination of the long-term liability associated with
the dam
• Appropriate management and long-term stability of
accumulated sediment
• Restoration
i off a whole
h l riparian
i i ecosystem, including
i l di
the stream corridor and floodplain

MILONE & MACBROOM®

Pond Lily Dam Removal

Preliminary Design Considerations

Sustainable Urban Greenway & Nature Preserve

• Evergreen screenings
• Native understory tree and shrub masses
• The stream bank community
• The floodplain community
• Herbaceous Meadow with Native Shrubs
• Scrub Shrub Wetland
• Herbaceous Meadow with Large Fern Groves

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

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Preliminary Design Considerations

Public Interaction & Education

• Create an environment that is conducive to site access
• Embrace educational opportunities
• Create a people-friendly environment
• Plan for future site amenities, such as walking trails,
pedestrian bridges, viewing and passive recreational
areas
• Create a safe environment

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

NEXT STEPS

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

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Preliminary Design: Channel Design

The proposed channel is a low gradient single stem alluvial channel

with connectivity to a well-defined floodplain.

MILONE & MACBROOM®

Pond Lily Dam Removal

Preliminary Design: Flood Analysis

• West River in the project

reach has a low slope.

• Under existing conditions,

dam is overtopped.

• Removal of the spillway

will reduce upstream
nuisance flooding.
flooding
• Little flood control relief
during major storm events.

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

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Preliminary Design: Fish Passage

Design creates an easily passable reach that will allow the migrating
alewife and herring easy access to upstream ponds for spawning.

MILONE & MACBROOM®

Pond Lily Dam Removal

Current Project Status

• Preliminary design completed.

• Grant applications for necessary funding – in
progress.

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

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Next Steps
1. Permitting
• New Haven Cityy Plan Department
p
• Dam Safety Permit (CT DEEP)
• Water Diversion Permit (CT DEEP)
• Flood Management Certification (CT DEEP)
• 401 Water Quality Certificate (CT DEEP)
• Section 404 Permit (USACE)

2. Final Design & Construction Documents

3. Contractor Selection
4. Construction

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Pond Lily Dam Removal

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