Dear Lake Quinsigamond/Flint Pond Abutter:
The Lake Quinsigamond Commission plans to lower the water level, or draw down, Lake Quinsigamond and Flint Pond on or about Monday, November 2, 2020. The Irish Dam in Grafton will be lowered two or three inches a day until the water elevation in Lake Quinsigamond and Flint Pond is twenty-four to thirty inches lower than normal. The purpose of the draw down is to expose the roots of nuisance aquatic vegetation proliferating in Lake Quinsigamond and Flint Pond to freezing temperatures and thereby reducing some of the heavy weed growth along the shoreline and in the shallow areas of the lake and pond.
This proposal has been subject to public hearings and is approved by the Conservation Commissions in Worcester, Grafton and Shrewsbury and the MA Department of Environmental Protection. This is your notice that the 2020-2021 draw down is about to begin. Lake Quinsigamond and Flint Pond will be refilled by April 2021.
The Conservation Commissions require the following statements:
a.) The exposed bank and bottom of the lake and pond are a protected resource under the Wetlands Protection Act and the filling or dredging of the lake and pond bottom is prohibited. Homeowners may remove trash and debris materials using non-mechanical methods. Disposal of the debris is the responsibility of the homeowner. Debris must be disposed offsite in accordance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
b.) All boats should be removed from the water a minimum of two days prior to the draw down date to prevent damage.
c.) Homeowner care should be given to docks and shoreline structures to prevent damage from
flowing ice. Property owners may make repairs to structures or walls on the shoreline and remove debris from the exposed bottom during draw down. However, residents that plan to make repairs that require more than hand tools must file a Notice of Intent with their local Conservation Commission and obtain the necessary permits before making the repairs.
If you need any additional information regarding the drawdown, please do not hesitate to call your local Conservation Dept. Shrewsbury Conservation at 508-841-8502, or the Conservation Commission in Grafton at 508-839-5335 x 138.
Very truly yours,
Peter Collins, Chairman
Lake Quinsigamond Commission