BY CRAIG FREILICH

North Country This Week

NORWOOD – Brookfield Renewable Power apparently has a plan to begin working again on Norwood Dam maintenance early next month, but the plan is awaiting approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Norwood Mayor Tim Levison received word of the plan in a fax from Brookfield of a letter they had sent to FERC outlining the plan, and he admits he thought the plan was a “go.”

“I jumped the gun I guess, at least a little bit,” said Levison, tempering his understandable hopefulness.

He is eager to find out when dam workers will resume their work on the lake side of the dam, drilling out and filling up leaks, and how much lower the water level has to be for them to do the work.

That has implications for recreation on Norwood Lake this summer. If the water level is too low, there won’t be a beach for the summer swimming program for young people, and boating will iffy, with potential danger to watercraft from submerged obstacles being closer to the surface.

The letter, dated May 8, suggested Brookfield wants to start work on the dam on June 3, taking about nine weeks to finish. The plan is to lower the already-low lake level by six inches, not the three-and-half feet they lowered it last fall.

If the plan is approved, it could mean there will be enough of a beach for the summer swimming program.

That approval apparently is still pending, though attempts to confirm that with Brookfield have been unsuccessful.

“Now it’s a waiting game to see if FERC agrees with their decision,” Mayor Levinson said.

The letter also contained this caveat:

“It should be noted the dates included herein are merely estimates and do not incorporate contingency time for weather, increased flows or mechanical failures, which if experienced, will likely extend the project duration” the letter warned.

Brookfield began what they thought would be quick work to seal some minor leaks in 2017, but the work required is more extensive than they first thought, extending now into the summer of 2019.

With the Raquette levels threatening flooding along its course recently, there was speculation that the dam work would be delayed further, effectively cancelling out the parts of the summer program on the lake.

Brookfield has assured Mayor Levinson and the community that the integrity of the dam is not compromised.