Water Quality at Lake Beseck Under The Microscope

A wide ranging effort to improve the water quality of Middlefield's Lake Beseck continues.

This week, town officials announced the formation of the Lake Beseck ad hoc advisory committee, a group of local residents tasked with guiding the lake's future by working together with the Board of Selectmen to offer solutions to lake related problems such as water quality, sedimentation and invasive weeds.

The committee has until this week existed as the Lake Beseck Environment Committee, an informal but dedicated group of volunteers who came together in early 2012 to identify lake related issues and secure funding for projects involving Lake Beseck.

"We've been having regular monthly meetings trying to figure out how we can address some of the issues of the lake, which are algae blooms, high phosphorus counts, sedimentation and financing to take care of those issues," said Amy Poturnicki, the committee's chairman.

Over the years, Lake Beseck has filled in with what one local official recently described as "muck" as invasive weeds and residential sprawl increased.

One of the committee's main objectives has been to create a water quality improvement plan to coincide with the anticipated year long drawdown of the lake by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which is necessary while the state repairs the lake's dam.

The work is scheduled to begin in late-summer and will result in the nearly complete emptying of the lake. Last fall, when the town learned that the dam project would likely begin within a year, officials saw an opportunity to address some of the silted in areas of the lake.  

Although Lake Beseck is state owned, management of the lake has been left up to the town.

"Any other lake in the state of Connecticut that is managed well or is good condition, it's being done by the municipality," said committee member and second selectman Edward Bailey. "The state doesn't have the resources to manage the lake or advocate for stewardship. It's really up to the town.

"If we want the lake to be one of our primary recreation resources in the town it's up to us do something about it," he said.

Poturnicki is working on public outreach by organizing a number of events to help raise awareness about the overall health of the lake, and the surrounding watershed.

"We don't want people to change their lives but if they can just do simple things, take a moment to consider simple changes they can make to help improve the water quality," she said.

On Saturday, a Lake Clean-Up will be held starting at 10 a.m. Poturnicki said residents will coordinate at the Lake Beseck beach area where they can pick up trash bags and then head out to pick up litter throughout the lake community's neighborhoods.

The event was coordinated around Earth Day, which is Monday.

On Earth Day, the committee will sponsor an aquatic plant workshop by the Connecticut Agriculture and Experiment Station in New Haven. Participants will learn how to identify about a dozen live aquatic plants, including the invasive species now threatening the lake.

The event will start at 6 p.m. at the Middlefield Community Center auditorium. 

"People will learn about watershed management, including things you can do to prevent weed growth," Poturnicki said.

Examples include using phosphorus free fertilizer, preventing grass clippings and leaves from blowing into the lake and washing your car on your lawn, rather than your driveway.

"If you have a paved driveway what happens is the suds and the phosphorus in those suds washes down the street and into the catch basins and goes directly into the lake," Poturnicki explained.

The Lake Beseck resident has been working closely with New England Environmental, a consulting firm that recently opened an office in Middlefield, to more specifically identify some of the problems in the lake.

Poturnicki is also chairman of the town's Park and Rec department, which is currently seeking permission to treat the lake's swimming area with a chemical commonly used at other town swim areas to reduce weeds.

According to Dr. Mark June-Wells, limnologist and plant ecologist with NEE, the treatment would be a temporary fix that will have a more permanent result after five or six years of treatments. The proposal will be presented at a public hearing next month. 

"The beach will actually be closed for a couple of days. There will be notices in the paper, as well as signs placed on the beach,"  Poturnicki said. "It actually falls before our official swim season."

"We are also coordinating efforts for the environmental organization to lead a kayaking tour around the lake to educate residents about the lake's ecosystem,"said Poturnicki.

Middlefield unsuccessfully applied for a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency that would have allowed it to complete necessary studies at the lake, such as a storm water study, but officials have requested $90,000 in next year's budget to fund their efforts.

"We need water studies and soil testing before we can even get started," Poturnicki said.

She recently launched lakebeseckliving.com a website she describes as “a great resource for lake residents to keep up with community events, opportunities and activities.”  

Anyone interested in getting involved with the committee or Lake Beseck related issues should contact Poturnicki at RAHR25@comcast.net.