Posted on February 8, 2022
The swimming season may start later than usual after the remnants of Hurricane Ida eroded the Fairfield beach last year.
FAIRFIELD, CT — The swimming season at Lake Mohegan may start later than usual this year due to erosion caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida, which blew through Fairfield last September, forcing swimming at the lake to end early.
“A lot of the sand is now in the lake itself,” Director of Parks and Recreation Anthony Calabrese said.
Ida dropped nearly 6 inches of rain on Fairfield, causing widespread flooding. At Lake Mohegan, the town will likely need to dredge the swimming area and replenish the sand on the beach.
The lake normally opens for swimming on Memorial Day, but with eight weeks of work necessary before the beach can open, town officials are uncertain.
“It’s just a matter of timing at this point,” Calabrese said.
Officials hope to start work on the $500,000 project in March. The swimming season could open on time if work begins as late as April 1. The project must first be approved by the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance and Representative Town Meeting, and the town is seeking approval for 75 percent reimbursement through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which could further slow the undertaking. Supply chain issues are another possible concern.
“It just depends on when we get started,” Calabrese said. “Unfortunately it’s out of our control.”
If the town doesn’t complete in-water work before April 15, the project would be delayed for weeks — possibly more than a month — due to hatching season for the lake’s fish.
