Harvey's Lake Clean-Up Underway
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- Created on Tuesday, 22 September 2015 21:26
- Written by Kaitlyn Manktelow
Barnet - Harvey's lake is undergoing it's first major cleanup in over 40 years, and it's not going to be cheap. This project is going to cost $116,000 because it is the most expensive method of removing sediment from the front of the lake's dam.
After being delayed for weeks due to a beaver dam along the South Peachem Brook, the sediment removal project is finally underway. With half the man-made dam being surrounded by vegetation, the dam isn't being used to it's full potential. Which is why workers are attempting to remove the vegetation surrounding the dam. The backflow is caused by a piece of land in the lake preventing the water from moving forward, so it is being continuously pushed back.
"Attempts deal with the backflow through other means, removing flashboards in the dam, using a slooth-scape that's built into the dam have not worked. So, this is the real fix."
According to Harvey's Lake Association Trustee, Steve Adler one of the main issue at Harvey's Lake is backflow, which is causing concerns that the backflow will lead to invasive species entering the lake. While this is not yet a problem, they are still viewing backflow as a major problem.
"This is one of the lakes in Vermont that still remains free of invasive species, and we are trying to keep it that way."
The beaver dam delaying the project ended up being good news for both the citizens of Barnet and the construction workers. The dam was in between Harvey's Lake and the man-made damn, causing the water to be high in the lake but low near the construction site. This allowed the citizens to continue beating the heat by enjoying the lake, while allowing the workers to continue removing the vegetation due to the low waters
Despite the good that came from the beaver dam; due to the delay the construction may possibly run into October instead of finishing in September like it was previously scheduled to.
