Commission ratifies emergency certification to breach beaver dam after flooding threat to sewer lines

A staff member told the commission that the Department of Public Works requested an emergency certification to breach a beaver dam near Chance Street and the Brook area to prevent inundation of sewer lines. The request covered wetlands around Mahoney Brook near the large cross depot at Matthews off Bennetts Creek Road.

The request matters because the beaver dam was reported in close proximity to multiple sewer and water lines, creating a risk that rising water would inundate buried infrastructure. "In order to prevent inundation of the sewer lines, the DPW requested a, emergency certification to be able to breach said dam and lower the incumbents so that way they could prevent said inundation of the sewer system," the staff member said.

Commission members discussed past, similar incidents in the area and moved to ratify the emergency certification. One commissioner noted previous flooding in September 2018 and an earlier emergency certification in June 2021 for a related beaver-dam breach, urging preventative measures. A motion to ratify the emergency certification was made and seconded during the meeting; the motion was recorded as seconded though an explicit roll-call tally was not included in the transcript.

The staff member said the certification was issued on the 15th and that equipment had already been brought in that day to breach the dam and lower water levels. "From initial observations today, it seems as though...the water level has gone down a lot, you know, a couple feet," the staff member said, and added they would return to collect data and prepare a report on changes in hydrology.

Commissioners directed staff to continue updating the commission and to check prior records about who performed earlier preventive work and how ongoing maintenance might be funded or assigned. One commissioner asked staff to "talk to Rob and, gain about that? And, check out those dates and see who we did and who we've reached it and if there's any discussion on, any type of ongoing maintenance." The transcript shows the commission considered recommendations that DPW evaluate possible preventative steps to avoid repeat emergency certifications.

Next steps identified during the meeting included staff data collection and follow-up reporting; commissioners did not adopt a written long-term maintenance plan at the meeting.

Less critical details: the location was described as near the large cross depot at Matthews off Bennetts Creek Road; staff said they would "keep the commission updated" as correspondence and data became available.