Public hearing on Greenwood Lake draw-down plan is Feb. 10

The state of New Jersey is considering a 20-year plan for Greenwood Lake draw downs and will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Feb. 10.

The hearing is scheduled at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 40 Mountain Lakes Lane in Greenwood Lake Village, New York.

An initial hearing was held at Camp Hope in West Milford, New Jersey last month.

The title of ownership of the Greenwood Lake dam, located in Hewitt, and control of the sluice gates controlling the waters belong to the State of New Jersey and are the responsibility of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Park Service.

The 20-year state plan for the draw-down schedule, according to information at a public hearing last month at Camp Hope, calls for a draw-down of five feet (60 inches) that the proposal said should begin the year this plan becomes effective.

It would continue every four years thereafter, but not conflict with the draw-down of Lake Hopatcong unless directed by the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection during a declared drought warning or emergency.

By Jan. 1 of each year prior to a scheduled draw-down the Greenwood Lake Commission will request whether or not a draw-down be conducted.

The actual water lowering permit will be transferred to the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry which will hold the permit and provide a copy to the commission once it has been approved.

The draw-down would commence on the second Tuesday of October for a requested three to five feet.

Stable water levels at the reduced elevation will be maintained for the duration of the draw-down.

A slow refill may be required to avoid deck damage due to heavy ice formations on lake surfaces, according to the plan.

During the duration of the draw-down the lake bed will freeze, and this action is expected to kill roots of nuisance aquatic vegetation.

The duration is also an opportunity for lake front property owners to make repairs on docks and bulkheads and perform moderate cleaning of their properties, according to the plan.

Approval will always be dependent on water supply conditions, and the maximum drain is five feet below the spillway elevation.

A gradual draw-down is proposed for the first 10 days.

Outflow at the dam increases the 11th day and goes to 150 million gallons per day as soon as permissible to effectively draw down the lake.

For more information about the upcoming meeting and contents of the proposal, including reports of past draw downs, go to the Greenwood Lake Commission web site at gwlc.org.