Officials with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will be in Middlefield tonight to discuss a preliminary plan to rebuild the Lake Beseck dam.
"This construction will be an exciting event in our town’s history since we have had few “Civil Engineering” public works-type projects of this magnitude and consequence for many years," said First Selectman Jon Brayshaw. "Life in and around the lake will be affected for a considerable period."
At a public meeting last month, DEEP officials said the dam had undergone a series of repairs over the years but was in need of a permanent solution to fix structural issues.
"The old dam was built in 1848 and it cost a thousand dollars," said Lake Beseck Association vice president Richard Boynton.
The dam is built mostly of cut stone and was once used to power several mills in Middlefield.
Although a timetable for permanent repairs will depend on available funding officials said the project will require about a 12 foot drawdown of the lake for 10 months or longer.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Middlefield Community Center.
