The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
FLOOD CONTROL
Torrington, Norfolk expected to receive nearly $2 million for repairs to dams
State bond funding for repairs and maintenance for seven state- owned flood dams in Torrington and Norfolk is expected to be approved on Friday in Hartford.
Close to $2 million will be directed for the area flood control sites. Torrington’s three sites are receiving a combined $782,500, while four sites in Norfolk will receive a combined $959,130 when the bond funding is approved.
The announcement of the expected funding was first made in a news release by Roberta Wills (D) of the 64th District on July 19.
Torrington’s Publ i c Works Director Jerry Rollett said the city is not involved in the routine maintenance, nor does it receive any of the funds directly.
The East Branch, Hall Meadow and Stillwater Pond dams are the sites that will be repaired in Torrington, according to the news release. In Norflk, Norfolk Brook No. 6, Site 15, Site 9 and West Side Pond dam are scheduled for repair.
Art Christian is a supervising civil engineer for Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). He said the department oversees flood control throughout the state, and the sites in Norfolk and Torrington were both built after 1955.
Christian said the bonding requested was allocated from a portion of the DEEP budget that works on flood control dams and provides cost sharing with municipalities.
“People starting bond fires on a dam would be bad enough, but they actually dug a fire pit, but they dug into the dam.” — — Art Art Christian, Christian, supervising supervising civil civil engineer engineer for for Connecticut’s Connecticut’s Department Department of of Energy Energy and and Environmental Environmental Protections Protections
“These are all state owned dams, built by...the Natural Resource Conservation Service, a federal agency,” Christian said, adding that the when they were built the organization was known as the Soil Conservation Service.
The Natural Resource Conservation Service is under the Department of Agriculture, Chrisitan said, and the service has the state work on the dams. The Army Corps of Engineers sometimes provides assistance.
The dams in Norfolk and Torrington are known as dry dams, Christian said, because they do not have a body of water behind them. Most of these dams fill up only when there is a flood to impede its progress, and include outlets which can measure the amount of water.
Most of the dams will have repairs that involve regular maintenance, Christian said.
Repairs for Norfolk Brook No. 6, which is lo- cated about a mile from the center of town and had $163,900 requested for its repairs.
Christian said clearing off sediment buildup, which can plug up the outlets used for measuring f lood waters, are also a common fix scheduled for some of the sites. Some structures need concrete reenforcing and repairs. Site 9 and Site 15 have such damage, with $261,830 financed for Site 9 and $294,300 for Site 15.
Repairs for the West Side Pond dam, located off Route 44, is being financed with $239,100 in bond funding.
Christian said the structures in Torrington also have similar issues.
Stillwater Pond, for example, is not a f lood control damage dam, Christian said, but it still needs work.
The $67,400 requested for its repairs is the smallest amount among the seven sites. The primary issues there are its safety fencing, which is need of repairs.
Christian said people have been starting bond fires near the dam, damaging it.
“People starting bond fires on a dam would be bad enough, but they actually dug a fire pit, but they dug into the dam,” Christian said.
Hall Meadow is a flood control dam on Route 272, which will be financed with $419,700, the largest amount among the seven sites. The dam requires 1,000 cubic yards of dredging, Christian said. The site will also require the clearing of trees and brush due to beaver activity.
About three miles north of downtown Torrington, the East Branch dam will require $295,400 to repair staff gauges, Christian said, which are surveying rods. Additional repairs include fixing broken fencing and clearing embankment.
Christian said he couldn’t estimate the number of jobs created or retained by the projects.
The state bond commission will meet on Friday at the Legislative Office Building at 10:30 a.m.
They are expected to approve the $3,272,875 request for statewide funding that includes funding for the local sites.