Northwood Conservaiton Commission

December 22, 2006

Approved January 2, 2007

Friday 12/22/06

Town of Northwood Conservation Commission Site Visit

Property of Mr. Everett Robinson, 268 Bow Lake Road

NCC voting members in attendance: Steve Roy, Jim Ryan, Steve Hampl

11:00

CC members meet Mr. Robinson at his property.

• Mr. Robinson directs CC members to 3 sites where runoff from small streams that drain to the west facing hillside have washed out his loop road on his tree farm.

• Mr. Robinson directs the CC to one location where he has redirected approximately 300 feet of the course of an ephemeral stream, via an approximate 4 foot deep X 2 foot wide trench that he dredged with an excavator.  The stream was re-routed southwesterly to intersect a second small stream.  Flow was active in both streams at the time of the visit.

• Mr. Roy stated to Mr. Robinson that the activity would most likely require a wetlands impact permit from the state wetlands bureau.  Mr. Ryan stated that it would most likely be an after-the-fact permit because Mr. Robinson had already redirected the stream.  Mr. Ryan stated that, given the steepness of the trench sidewalls, the walls of the trench will likely be undermined and cave-in after a fairly short period of time or a modest rain event.  The CC took numerous pictures and a discussion followed regarding the need to attach the pictures to a memo to the state wetlands bureau and request a site walk from a bureau inspector at the next CC meeting.

• Mr. Robinson then informed the CC that runoff from the new Deer Run subdivision located easterly and uphill from his property has increased the siltation load to one of the ponds on his land.  Mr. Robinson stated that, in a relatively short period of rain events approximately 6 inches of silt accrued in his pond from the subdivision under construction.  Mr. Robinson stated that he held a discussion with the project coordinator (a Mr. Quimby), and was told that additional siltation control would be put in place.  Mr. Robinson also stated that the USDA built the berm on the northern end of the second pond with federal grant money in the early 1990s.

12:00

• CC members moved to the Deer Run subdivision lot (under construction) to view general drainage, wetland and stream crossing issues.  The CC observed: two to three soil fill piles with little siltation control; silt fences and haybales were present on the downstream side of the most southerly box culvert (also the most southerly permitted wetland crossing) yet some of the silt fences had slumped and fallen and a silt-laden high water mark was present on the remaining silt fence and haybales about 2-feet above the ripped rock which form the bed of the culvert outlet and a heavy silt and fine sand load was present in the woods on the downstream side of the culvert; and a large (15 feet wide by >600 feet long) west draining swale filled with ripped rock was present about 500 feet north of the box culvert.  Most of the northerly sheet flow appears to be directed to this swale. 

• Mr. Hampl stated that both the drainage from the box culvert and the drainage swale focused site related runoff directly towards Mr. Robinson’s property and ponds.

• Mr. Ryan stated that the CC should discuss sending a letter to the wetlands bureau regarding the observations at the site and Mr. Robinson’s pond at the next meeting.  Both Mr. Roy and Mr. Hampl concurred.

12:20

• The CC members in attendance reviewed the last quote for a survey on the Low Property dated 12/21/06 prepared and submitted to the Town by TF Bernier Inc. of Concord, NH.  The survey includes a survey of the lot that is to be subdivided and sold to the Town only.  Mr. Roy stated that the quoted cost for this survey ($14,996) is less the prior to quotes of $17,000 and $21,000.  Mr. Roy makes a motion to approve the quote and authorize the work, Mr. Ryan second and vote take, all in favor, none opposed (3-0).

12:35

• Mr. Ryan makes a motion to adjourn, Mr. Hampl seconds, all in favor, none opposed (3-0).

12:36   meeting adjourns.