Community Corner

DEEP to Hold Lake Beseck Dam Meeting Tonight

State officials will provide information and answer resident's questions about a preliminary plan to rebuild the lake's dam during a meeting that begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Middlefield Community Center.

 

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."

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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.

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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.


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