Dear Truesdale Lake Resident,

Last June and this past September, TLPOA and a small group of Truesdale Lake residents held two public meetings to determine if there was enough interest from lake residents to explore the possibility of dredging some areas of Truesdale Lake. Our goal was to see if dredging and removing accumulated sediment from areas of the lake bottom would be a feasible and affordable solution to improve the appearance and health of the lake. Thanks to a $3000 donation from TLPOA as well as donations from many individual residents we were able to raise approximately $6000 to hire a consultant,Kate Throckmorton from Environmental Land Solutions, to advise us. A group of 10 people representing all areas of the lake, the Hydro-dredging Initiative Group (HDIG), has been working with a consultant and meeting regularly all fall to thoroughly explore the possibility of dredging.

The format of this update is two-fold. First, below, there is short summary of the presentation our consultant, Kate Throckmorton of Environmental Land Solutions, gave to the HDIG in November to discuss progress, recommendations and next steps.

Second, many people have visited the Truesdalelake.com website and have submitted questions about the project. We promised to answer the questions as we found answers. Please refer to the FAQ section of the Truesdalelake.com website to find a list of FAQS with the answers we know at this time. We can’t answer all the questions yet but we will continue to keep you updated as we get more information.

        SUMMARY OF THE NOVEMBER PRESENTATION MADE BY KATE THROCKMORTON OF ELS

Kate has surveyed the lake to identify locations that are candidates for dredging (hot spots) and storing the sediment.
We learned that…
Dredging may not have the effect on the overall health of the lake that we had hoped because we would not be dredging at sufficient depth to make a difference.
That said, dredging should still be considered as an alternative to eliminating the sediment that has built up in select locations. This would improve the appearance and usability of the lake.

Partial draining the lake has moved to the fore as a complementary or alternative approach. This would enable either natural compression of the sediment or the ability to dry-excavate the same select locations. Repairing the dam by-pass drain at the north end of the lake (or finding another way to significantly lower the lake) would probably be necessary to drain the lake enough in winter to expose the hot spots of sediment around the lake.
Lastly, we discussed in-season treatment options that should be considered whether we dredge / drain or not
Next steps…
Work with Kate to estimate the maximum volume of silt to be dredged and identify drying locations. Given that the latter is likely our binding constraint, work with her to prioritize where dredging would have the greatest impact.
Kate to assist with identifying the viability of partial draining, including; permitting requirements and engineering.
Consider the most effective ways of limiting sediment from continuing to enter the lake and working with the town to achieve this.

We are on schedule to hold our next Lake-wide information session early in the new year. Please feel free to ask questions directly to any of us or through the website.

Thank you for your interest and support in this project,

The HDIG

Taka Andrew, Vreeland Cove
Rob Cummings, TEA
Dave Douglas, north end
Sue Enos, north end
Lara Gorton, TLPOA
Steve Macaluso, south end
Cliff and Lucille Munz, east side
David Sachs, TLPOA,
Laura Sanchick, east side