HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-04-22 Conservation Commission MinutesTown of Reading
0\N iJ CLERK
Emergency Meeting of the Conservation Commis!, "
And Site Visit Report L ItNS, MASS
Saturday, April 22, 2000 - 9:45 a.m. 2001 FEB 13 p 4. 4
Attendance: Nancy Eaton, Chair, Bethann Matathia, Will Finch and Vincent Falcione,
Commissioners; Leo Kenney, Consultant (at 10:30)
Also present at various points: Mike deBrigard and Jim Flanagan, DPW, Mr. and Mrs.
Daniel Mulawski, 270 Lowell Street and Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Manager.
Locations: Intervale and Lowell Streets, 270 Lowell Street, Maillett Conservation Area
and railroad tracks off Willow Street at beaver dam.
Weather: Several days of rain during the week followed by heavy rains Friday evening.
45F. Raining, overcast. Additional rain forecast for next 2-3 days with heaviest
precipitation over. Small stream flooding alerts had been issued.
Chair opened the meeting at the corner of Lowell Street and Intervale Terrace. Also
present were Mike deBrigard and Jim Flanagan, DPW. We have been monitoring this
site since November of 1999 watching the beaver activities and water levels. The Chair
and Administrator conducted a Site Visit several weeks ago with Chuck Bell from the
Mass. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and reviewed the status of the site and what
action his department could allow should water levels change. At that time water levels
were not causing any health or property concerns. All standing water was contained
within Conservation Areas and/or bordering vegetative wetlands.
She stated she had received a telephone call from Mrs. Mulawski today at 7:50 am
reporting that they had water in their basement and wanted us to declare it an emergency
and destroy the beaver dam.
Chair called the Commissioners and scheduled an emergency meeting to be held at the
above place and time. Chair also notified the Town Manager at home who arranged for
DPW to be present to assist with any actual work that was approved. Chair conferred by
telephone with the administrator before, during and after the site visit and emergency
meeting.
Mr. DeBrigard reported he had had crews out the previous week clearing downed wood
from the stream channel. He stated there were two other dams they knew of down
stream, one off Arcadia and another in Woburn at Route 93. He has received reports of
beaver activity upstream from the P & S (at Lowell Street) but he has not had a crew in to
look for it.
He stated the culverts at John Carver and the railroad tracks were both free flowing and
- that-the reason the culvert at ntervale Terrace looked blocked was that itwas afoot
lower than the culvert on Lowell Street, so it always backs up. DeBrigard stated there are
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other residents who in the past have called about downstream flooding and he was
concerned what doing a dam breach would do to those individuals.
Finch and Eaton both observed the culverts at the end of Birch Meadow to be free
flowing with plenty of flood storage capacity upstream of Lowell Street in Pitman and
Higgins Conservation Areas. There were only small pockets of standing water in the
soccer field at Birch Meadow that usually floods during major storm events. There were
no rainfall data available so we could not rank the storm event. Standing water was
considerably higher than last week behind the P & S store.
The Commission observed the basement at 270 Lowell Street. Residents stated they had
been using a shop vac and a small pump that we observed. At the original phone call
owner stated the water was two to three inches deep. When we were present, there was
no depth and only wet spots on both concrete in the shop area and on carpeting in another
section. The point of entrance seemed to be the right rear corner (from street facing
house) of the basement and that is the close to the stream and is within the current
groundwater elevation.
Outside we noted emergence of a lot of skunk cabbage along edges of yard. Existing
water elevation was not above normal high water levels and was within BVW and well
within defined floodplain line. Next house on Lowell Street to the east had a minimal
amount of water inside their rear fence.
We noted erosion at 270 Lowell from the roof edges, downspouts and the new addition
on the west side adjacent to the stream. Water levels are about a foot higher than they
were a couple of weeks ago. Administrator should discuss crushed stone erosion
measures with owner.
We then walked through Maillett Conservation Area and noted beaver cuttings of
shrub/saplings visible from Lowell Street. We went as far as the house where we had
seen water up to the fence line previously. In several locations we had to walk through
standing water. At that house on Willow Street, a triangular section in the right rear
contained standing water, several inches deep, from the fence line about 15' past the large
white pine.
Along with DPW workers and Mr. Mulawski, we then went to the area of the dam off the
railroad tracks off Willow Street. Mr. Finch measured 6-7" of capacity to the top of
culvert on the north side of the tracks. There was good flow through the culvert and was
actually exiting with white peaks on the south side into Thelin Conservation Area.
As we had projected, water was overtopping the dam, and on either side as well, so there
was adequate downstream flow. Mr. DeBrigard stated that historically once rainfall had
ended, upstream cresting takes 24 hours to reach this point. He stated that a 1' by 1'
breach at this time would have no effect as the dam was already overtopping; and that if
- we allowed such an activity; they would not do the work until Monday-or-Tuesday after
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the water had crested. He was also concerned about adding additional downstream
discharge during a storm event.
Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner and Leo Kenney, Consultant, arrived
(independently) while we were at this location. Mr. Kenney stated he had come from
Winchester and the Aberjona was overflowing its banks downstream.
After discussion, Mr. Finch moved and Mr. Falcione seconded the following motion:
MOVED that the Conservation Commission grant permission to the Town of Reading
Department of Public Works to breach a one-foot-by-one-foot section of the beaver dam
within Maillett Conservation Area, at a time when the work could be safely
accomplished, Conservation Administrator to be present when work was performed, and
to install a flow pipe following the standards of the Massachusetts Department of
Fisheries and Wildlife if deemed necessary. We recommended that flow pipe work take
place at lowest water season. This emergency order does not change any of the
conditions contained in the Town Wide Order of Conditions for culvert and waterway
maintenance. Goal should be to allow water level to drop approximately one foot.
Seconded. VOTE: 40-0.
Mr. DeBrigard said he would request engineering to shoot some elevations and provide
some calculations on water storage capacity.
Mr. DeBrigard will provide Conservation Administrator with location information about
the dam on the Aberjona off Arcadia Street so the Commission can visit the site.
Meeting was adjourned at 11:00 am.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy L. Eaton, Chair