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Highland Lake group warns of declining water quality, urges town action on stormwater
Summary
At the April 14 Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, a Highland Lake Watershed Association representative presented a water-quality report showing long-term decline and urged the commission to consider stricter stormwater controls and work with the association on best practices.
Mary Anne Marino, a Highland Lake Watershed Association board member and resident of 631 Vera Road in Winchester, told the Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission on April 14 that a new water-quality report shows a steady decline in Highland Lake conditions over the past five to ten years.
"The cliff notes are, good news ... the treatments we've been doing have helped mitigate the invasives, which is fantastic. But this report taken with the reports over the last 5 to 10 years does show a steady decline in water quality on Highland Lake," Marino said, and she identified stormwater runoff as “the number 1 offender.” She also said the association recorded the lake’s first cyanobacteria bloom in October and cited rising nutrient levels that feed those blooms.
Marino asked the commission to factor the report into land-use reviews for projects within the Highland Lake District and offered the association’s help drafting best practices. Commissioners and staff discussed forming a subcommittee that would include association members, and Marino volunteered to serve as a liaison.
Commissioners noted the town’s current low-impact development (LID) regulations and suggested a multi-pronged approach that combines regulation changes, education and enforcement. Staff said short-term steps could include posting best-practice guidance on the town website and linking to the association’s materials; longer-term steps could involve revisiting zoning or overlay tools to address watershed-wide impacts.
Marino recommended convening the land-use boards and inviting technical experts, including those familiar with Connecticut’s updated stormwater guidance, to advise on development standards.
The commission did not take formal regulatory action at the meeting. Members asked staff to coordinate follow-up, including a possible subcommittee meeting that would include Highland Lake Watershed Association representatives and town staff.
