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Warners Pond task force presents three options: dredging, dam removal or limited action
Summary
The Warners Pond Task Force presented three near‑final scenarios — dredging (estimated $5–12M), dam removal (roughly $1.1M plus potential access work), or limited/no major action — and staff said a public comment event is expected in late Feb–March before a final recommendation.
During commissioner comments, the Chair summarized recent work by the Warners Pond Task Force and said the group has three near‑final scenarios for public review: dredging, dam removal, or ongoing maintenance/no major project. Staff reported a wide range of preliminary cost estimates for dredging (about $5 million to $12 million) and noted that dam removal had a lower direct cost estimate in the notes (about $1.1 million) but could incur additional site or access costs depending on the preferred design.
Commissioners and members of the public raised environmental and habitat concerns, including potential benefits for certain species if water levels or flows change under a dam removal scenario; staff said they would avoid naming a specific species in the presentation but confirmed ecological impacts were part of the analysis. The Chair said the task force plans a public comment event in late February to March to solicit community feedback before finalizing a recommendation.
Next steps: staff will incorporate financial and environmental feedback, run comparative fiscal analyses to align scenarios on comparable financial terms and run public engagement events in late winter to collect community input prior to a final recommendation to Public Works.
