A new $40,000 water control gate at Congamond Lake in Southwick was recently installed to better control the lake levels. (File photo by Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – The lakes are better protected from flooding now that a new gate has been installed at Canal Brook.
Lake Management Chairman Richard Grannells said the heavy-duty metal gate replaced an old wooden “gate” made of stop logs.
“We had to manually replace those when they deteriorated,” Grannells said. “You had to physically get in the water to do it.”
That was a difficult – and sometimes dangerous – task because the stops were used to keep quickly flowing water from spilling into the lakes.
“During times of heavy rain, the brook can flow backwards into the lake and you can have millions of gallons of water rapidly flowing,” Grannells said.
The extra water causes the lakes to flood, creating problems for neighbors and streets.
The $40,000 project was part of the town’s capital budget. Grannells said Southwick paid for $30,000 and the town of Suffield paid $10,000. The work was done by a contracted construction crew as part of its annual bidding, with assistance from the Southwick Department of Public Works.
“About one-third of the lake frontage is in Suffield,” said Grannells. “About half of South Pond and Middle Pond, but none of North Pond, is in Suffield.”
Grannells said volunteers monitor lake and canal levels but a new weather station being installed at the visitor’s center at North Ramp will digitally monitor the lakes once complete.
