Posted on July 20, 2017
By Mike Faher, VTDigger
Crews have removed more than 7,000 cubic yards of sedimentation at Townshend Dam, clearing the way for the much-maligned swim area to reopen as soon as this week.
The project was commissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in response to chronic sedimentation and low-water issues at the once-popular recreation spot.
But dredging likely is a short-term solution. And it’s still unclear whether the Army Corps will be able to address the problem in a more comprehensive way.
“The entire lake was surveyed last year to help quantify the volume of sedimentation to be removed for longer-term solutions,” said Tim Dugan, spokesman for the Army Corps New England District.
Any projects arising from that survey are “still in planning phase,” Dugan said.
Townshend Dam’s primary purpose is flood control, and the dam was tested in that regard when Tropical Storm Irene ravaged the area in 2011.
When Irene’s floodwaters receded, large amounts of sediment remained. An Army Corps official has said that anyone trying to use the beach and swim area at Townshend Lake after the storm would “get stuck in the mud up to your knees.”
The Army Corps, which operates the dam, reopened the swim area after a 2013 dredging project. But just a few years later, continued sedimentation again made the area all but unusable, spurring complaints from local officials and residents.
The problem has had a negative impact on recreation, tourism and, to some extent, the area’s economy.
“It was a wonderful place to swim, and there were tons of people who went there,” recalled Walter Meyer, a longtime Townshend businessman and a past president of Townshend Business Association.
Locals have sought help from Windham County’s state lawmakers and Vermont’s congressional delegation. But the Army Corps has said there are “limited dollars” for investing in a long-lasting solution.
The recent dredging project will provide some temporary relief. Dugan said the Army Corps drew down Townshend Lake on July 10, and sediment was removed over the following three days.
As of Tuesday, the beach and swimming area remained closed to the public. But Dugan said the site could reopen soon following water-quality testing and placement of signs and buoys.
Prior to the project, the beach had been open. The swimming area also had been open but, “with minimum water, it certainly wasn’t used frequently,” Dugan said.
He also said it wasn’t possible to undertake the dredging project prior to the summer recreation season.
“The dredging took place last week as we finally had a window of opportunity where there was no precipitation over several days following a very wet spring,” Dugan said.
Meyer’s family business, Mary Meyer Stuffed Toys, is situated along Route 30 just south of the lake. He took a look at Townshend Dam this week and came away with the impression that the dredging was a “Band-Aid” effort.
Due to ongoing sedimentation, the Army Corps has “the cards stacked against them,” Meyer said.
“I think they’ve done what they could there’s no long-term solution,” he said. “They’re going to have to do this over and over and over.”
Source: Brattleboro Reformer
