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NORTHEAST AQUATIC RESEARCH

RESPONSE TO RFQ/RFQ Town of Guilford Lake Quonnipaug Management Plan RFP/RFQ #3-2021

Submitted to the Town of Guilford Attn: Kevin Magee Environmental Planner

March 17, 2021

EXPERT LIMNOLOICAL CONSULTING WATER QUALITY MONITORING CYANOBACTERIA MANAGEMENT CONSULTING INVASIVE PLANT ASSESSMENT & CONSULTING WATERSHED EVALUATION STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ONSITE WASTEWATER IMPAIREMENT STUDIES SOIL & SEDIMENT TESTING www.northeastaquaticresearch.net BATHYMETRIC MAPPING [email protected] VOLUNTEER TRAINING 860-456-3179 EDUCATION & OUTREACH Proposal for Services 1. Letter of Interest

March 16, 2021

Kevin Magee, Environmental Planner 50 Boston Street Guilford, CT 06437 [email protected]

Dear Mr. Magee,

We are pleased to submit our formal response to the Town of Guilford Request for Qualifications/Request for Proposals for the Lake Quonnipaug Management Plan (#3-2021). Northeast Aquatic Research is dedicated to objective scientific evaluation and aquatic consulting. We wish to provide our professional services to the Town of Guilford and to guide the community through long-term aquatic plant and water quality management.

Sincerely,

Hillary Kenyon, Certified Lake Manager Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 74 Higgins Highway Mansfield, CT 06250 [email protected]

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 1 of 17 2. Company Information

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 74 Higgins Highway Mansfield, CT 06260

Project Contacts Hillary Kenyon, MS Hannah Moore George Knoecklein, PhD Certified Lake Manager & Project Contact/Client Manager Principal Limnologist/Owner Supervisory Scientist [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 860-942-9269 860-456-3179 203-848-4610

Firm Statement of Qualifications

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC (NEAR) is a small limnological research and lake management consulting firm. We work directly with homeowners, lake associations, municipalities, and government agencies. We strive to develop open lines of communication with stakeholders to guide communities through ecologically and economically responsible lake management. Lake management is propelled by both science and community, and we do our best to communicate complex information and ecological principles needed for sustainable water quality, watershed, and aquatic plant management. Since the company was founded in 1997, we have authored hundreds of lake monitoring and management planning reports for waterbodies in the northeast. The company has always (23yrs) operated under the Northeast Aquatic Research name, and is a one-member LLC. We primarily service CT, NY, and MA, but we have also had clients in RI, VT, and NH. The company was founded by Dr. George Knoecklein, who remains the owner and principal of the firm. Dr. Knoecklein now typically serves as an expert technical advisor, and project management is overseen by NEAR staff.

The company does not sell and does not have any financial stake in any type of in-lake treatments or remediation implementation systems. We believe it is extremely important to remain objective and financially separated from in-lake treatments. When we make lake management recommendations that require implementation and remediation, we encourage our clients to contract directly and separately with implementation companies. In those cases, our clients will frequently have us serve as supervisory scientists and as objective evaluators of implemented techniques.

3. Relevant Experience

The following presents a list of several projects that our firm has completed within the last five years.

Coventry Lake (378-acres): Coventry, CT Project contact – Eric Trott, Land-Use Director (860) 742-4062, [email protected] Town Hall, 1712 Main Street, Coventry, CT 06238 NEAR was hired jointly by the CT DEEP and Town of Coventry to be part of the Invasive Hydrilla management task force. Our work with the Town primarily involves detailed aquatic plant surveying to find and manage Hydrilla verticillata, a highly invasive aquatic plant that has newly invaded select CT waters. Our work at Coventry Lake also includes water quality monitoring in herbicide treatment areas to ensure that there are no adverse impacts to dissolved oxygen or protected state-listed species. Detailed Hydrilla management included underwater diving surveys, experimental benthic barrier installation/maintenance/removal, mapping, and reporting to CT DEEP. This project involves detailed whole-lake aquatic plant surveys to find and document the coverage of invasive, native, and

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 2 of 17 state-listed species. The project involves coordination with the CT DEEP NDDB office to locate and ensure protection of the state-threatened Vasey’s pondweed (Potamogeton vaseyi). NEAR works jointly on this project with Ecosystem Consulting Services and Solitude Lake Management. NEAR was the primary author on the most recent Coventry Lake report, which can be found at: https://www.coventryct.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/10835?fileID=14318

Lake Oscawana (386-acres): Putnam Valley, NY Project contact – Kathleen McLaughlin, (347) 526-2573; [email protected] Lake Oscawana Management Advisory Committee Town Hall - 265 Oscawana Lake Rd, Putnam Valley, NY 10579 Our firm has been contracted for long-term water quality monitoring, aquatic invasive species monitoring/management consulting, and limnological consulting with the Town of Putnam Valley since the early 2000s. Beginning in 2016, the Town expanded our role and took on a total watershed assessment. This assessment included detailed nutrient loading models, stream monitoring, stormwater sampling, onsite wastewater treatment assessment, and ongoing consulting with the Town Highway Department, Engineer, and Building Inspector. We mapped and prioritized catch basins in the watershed, identified illicit discharges, prioritized high-nutrients pollution areas, and made recommendations for hard and soft LID and BMPs in the watershed. The final Lake Oscawana Management Plan was published in early 2020, and we are now in the process of helping the Town apply for state funding for watershed implementation construction projects and catch basin retrofits. The Lake Oscawana Management Plan can be found at: https://www.putnamvalley.com/wp- content/uploads/2020/10/NEAR-Oscawana-Lake-Management-Plan-Final-Draft-03-02-2020-1.pdf

Candlewood Lake (5,240-acres): Danbury, New Fairfield, Sherman, New Milford, CT Project contact – Brian Wood, (860) 350-3294; [email protected] FirstLight Power Resources, Land Management Department 143 West Street, Ste. E, New Milford, CT 06776 NEAR has served as the primary limnological consultant for FirstLight Power Resources since 2015. The company owns and operates hydropower facilities on Candlewood, Lillinonah, and Zoar Lakes. Our work for FirstLight in the past five years involved a detailed data analysis of historical Candlewood water quality data, aquatic plant management techniques, and water-level drawdown practices. As part of a comprehensive nutrient reduction planning strategy, we coordinated five years of in-lake and watershed monitoring. Our firm provides ongoing lake management consulting and identified the significant issues with onsite wastewater treatment in certain areas of the Candlewood shorelines. That effort supplemented the Town of Danbury in their municipal sewers feasibility project. Our nutrient mass modeling effort and long-term comprehensive data assessment has aided in the Candlewood Lake Authority’s renewed effort to publish a formal lake management plan, which is currently underway. The 2019 Nuisance Plant Monitoring Report can be found at: http://www.lakelillinonahauthority.org/Reports/2019_Nuisance_Plant_Monitoring_Report.pdf

Highland Lake (445-acres): Winchester, CT Project contact – Beth Papermaster, (860) 614-2740; [email protected] Highland Lake Watershed Association / Town of Winchester PO Box 1022, Winsted, CT 06098 Our work managing Highland Lake has been heavily focused on aquatic invasive species management, water quality monitoring, and evaluating the impacts of lake water-level drawdown. We completed a comprehensive drawdown evaluation in 2017, which included a detailed water quality assessment of data collected from 2008-2016. We also recently completed a watershed roads, erosion, and nutrient track-down assessment in 2020-2021. This assessment included detailed

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 3 of 17 mapping of catch basins, review of Town MS4 and roads maintenance, stormwater sampling, evaluation of various private/public properties and recommendations for LID/BMPs in the shoreline and immediate watershed. We are currently in contract to complete a holistic Lake Management Plan in 2021. The 2017 report can be accessed at: https://www.townofwinchester.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif1461/f/uploads/ake_drawdown_report_2016_w q_final.pdf

Copake Lake (410-acres): Craryville, NY Project contact – Fred Bunger, (413) 717-0512 Copake Lake Conservation Society, Inc., PO Box 37, Craryville, NY 12521 NEAR has a long history managing Copake Lake (2000s-2020). Our work is a combination of water quality, cyanobacteria, and aquatic invasive species management. The Society has us perform routine monitoring visits, nutrient sampling, phytoplankton/cyanobacteria monitoring, and limited watershed planning and management. In the last five years, we have carefully engaged the community in key management decisions regarding onsite wastewater treatment, invasive plant management, cyanobacteria treatments, and nutrient reduction strategies. We are in charge of evaluating the lake- wide aquatic plant assemblage on an annual basis, determining if there is a need for periodic plant management, and we evaluate any herbicide treatments that are performed and provide recommendations to the applicator contractors. We frequently communicate back and forth with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) about permit requirements, herbicide & water quality testing, and provide plant survey data to the DEC.

Doolittle Lake (190-acres): Norfolk, CT Project contact – Jenny Byers, [email protected] Doolittle Lake Company, 515 Doolittle Dr, Norfolk Historic District, CT 06058 Our work for the Doolittle Lake Company spans two decades. The lake monitoring program was initiated in the late 1990s. Doolittle lake is a relatively pristine waterbody with no history of cyanobacteria or severe watershed impairments. In addition to ongoing routine lake monitoring and aquatic plant management, fisheries management, and general limnological consulting, NEAR recently (2016-2017) completed a watershed monitoring assessment designed to identify problematic septic systems and cesspools that were contributing to high nutrients in groundwater seepage. We have also provided consulting to residents regarding road runoff, stream sedimentation, and long- term watershed management planning. Our current primary work at Doolittle Lake is in maintaining a long-term water quality dataset, mapping the aquatic plant community, and supervising the management of nuisance-level Large-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton amplifolius), while preserving the state-endangered Slender water-milfoil (Myriophyllum alterniflorum) and other native species.

Bolton Lakes (Lower-175ac., Middle-121ac., Upper-50ac.): Vernon/Bolton/Coventry/Tolland, CT Project contact – Joshua Steele Kelly, Bolton Town Administrator (860) 912-7624; [email protected] 222 Bolton Center Rd, Bolton, CT 06043 Water quality monitoring, cyanobacteria bloom-formation and remediation research, and aquatic plant management consulting for Upper, Middle and Lower Bolton Lakes. CT Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant funded Lower Bolton Lake stormwater investigations and cyanobacteria management 2013-2020. This project included a detailed assessment of stormwater runoff in the watershed, watershed nutrient modeling for land-use planning, and recommendations for Low Impact Development and stormwater best management practices. This project also included an intensive nitrogen and phosphorus mass modeling effort, lake sediment sampling, and internal nutrient loading control recommendations. The STEAP-funded project was completed in December 2020, with a comprehensive Draft Bolton Lakes Management Plan that is

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 4 of 17 currently in review by CT DEEP and US EPA to be accepted as a formal Watershed-based Management Plan. This plan is not yet publicly available, but it should be shortly.

Throughout the duration of the STEAP project, NEAR provided ongoing consulting for the Towns of Bolton and Vernon, began and supervised a resident volunteer lake water quality monitoring program, and participated in many public outreach and education events. These events were jointly supported by the Towns, the Friends of Bolton Lakes, and the Bolton Lakes Watershed Alliance. We worked with multiple community stakeholder groups, Town Commissioners, Staff, and Selectmen for successful lakes management from 2013-2020. In this time, our firm supervised multiple successful lake treatments, performed by application companies, to manage cyanobacteria and aquatic invasive species. Our work with the Towns of Bolton and Vernon will continue through ongoing aquatic invasive species management and stormwater implementation projects in 2021- 2022.

Lake Pocotopaug (512-acres): East Hampton, CT NEAR was contracted to perform a complete watershed assessment of the Pocotopaug drainage basin and to develop an EPA-format Nine Elements Watershed Management Plan from 2015-2017. This contract included a comprehensive review of all past water monitoring data, studies and reports, as well as a detailed mapping of all watershed stormwater runoff problem areas. The plan made specific and prioritized recommendations for watershed improvements that would drive in-lake water quality remediation over time. Since that time, NEAR has guided the Town through two successful applications for Clean Water Act 319 funding for LID retrofits and nutrient reduction projects in the watershed. The total 319 grant funding acquired for the Town of East Hampton to date is over $380,000. The first round of 319 projects was completed towards the end of 2020 and the second phase of projects will begin in spring 2021, following renewed contract with CT DEEP. The Watershed Based Plan can be accessed as a pdf at: https://portal.ct.gov/- /media/DEEP/water/watershed_management/wm_plans/pocotopaugwbppdf.pdf

Additional relevant past projects with state-listed and invasive aquatic plants:

West Side Pond Dog Pond Winchester Lake West Twin Bantam Lake North Spectacle Lake Crystal Pond Pachaug Pond

All of our past and current projects require attention to detail, stakeholder engagement, and cooperation with Town and State governments. We tailor our consulting contracts in order to accommodate local budgets and community concerns, and we pride ourselves on providing superior and practical management recommendations.

4. Team Format

There should be no need for any sub-consultants, as we are fully qualified to assess and make objective recommendations for Lake Quonnipaug. Should the Town of Guilford proceed with any implementation of our recommendations, we are capable of supervising any of the CT licensed herbicide applicators or implementation contractors.

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 5 of 17 5. Experience of Key Personnel

If NEAR were to be contracted for the Lake Quonnipaug project, we anticipate that all key personnel listed below would be involved in ongoing communication, review of past and present information, management planning, and reporting. All key personnel work out of the Mansfield, CT office.

Key personnel bios & individual qualifications:

Hannah Moore, Project Contact Hannah is an experienced aquatic field scientist, GIS technician, and data analyst. She has worked at NEAR since 2016 and has extensive experience evaluating lake water quality data and GIS mapping of aquatic plants, including state-listed species. Hannah serves as the project contact person for a number of NEAR clients. Her attention to detail ensures that all contracting, billing, deliverables, and essential communication goes smoothly. Hannah would be responsible for scheduling field visits and meetings, and ensuring that the project remains within budget and on the required timeline. Hannah works out of the Mansfield, CT office.

George W. Knoecklein, PhD, Owner/Supervisory Limnologist & Aquatic Plant Expert George has over 40 years of experience in aquatic ecology and limnology. He has particular expertise in the fields of lake aeration/oxygenation, phytoplankton management, and identification of state- listed aquatic plant species. Many of George’s past projects involved surveys and conservation plans for state-listed Potamogeton species and others. George served as a founding member and past President of the Connecticut Federation of Lakes (CFL), and he has served on the New England Chapter of the NALMS board of directors. George has a long history of performing diagnostic lake assessments for the State of CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), in partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He has extensive experience working to guide communities through complicated environmental information to make informed lake management decisions, particularly surrounding state-listed aquatic plants in lakes that require invasive species management programs. George works out of the Mansfield, CT office.

Hillary Kenyon, MS, CLM, Limnologist, Watershed & Soil Scientist Hillary began working for NEAR in May 2013 and also operates out of the Mansfield, CT office. Hillary serves as the lead project scientist for many NEAR lake clients. She was formally recognized by the North American Lake Management Society as a Certified Lake Manager in 2017. Hillary’s primary disciplines are limnology, aquatic plant management, aquatic geochemistry, watershed management, and soils sciences/Low Impact Development (LID). Hillary has over ten years of experience with GIS and limnological data analysis. She is a past board member and newsletter editor for the CT Federation of Lakes and has recently taken over for George as a CT representative and planning committee member for the New England Chapter of NALMS. Hillary leads all NEAR watershed field work and/or communication with Town Commissions regarding sustainable watershed management planning.

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 6 of 17 Hannah Moore Address: 133 Depot Rd, Coventry, CT 06238. Email: [email protected]. Tel: (860) 942-9269

EDUCATION Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA B.A., Environmental Studies: Politics, Policy & Economics; Development Studies minor, May 2015 Danish Institute for Study Abroad, Copenhagen, Denmark European Sustainable Development study abroad program, Spring 2014

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC Environmental Scientist, Lake Management/Limnology (January 2016 – present) • Collect water quality and aquatic plant data from lakes and watersheds in Connecticut and New York. • Analyze data using R, ArcMap and Microsoft Excel and write lake management reports for clients.

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Forest Resource Assistant (January 2015 – September 2015) • Compiled and uploaded forest stewardship plans and property maps into a USFS monitoring database • Created maps and baseline reports for Forest legacy properties and visited properties to gather data • Produced a forest management education packet for private forest landowners in Connecticut.

Assistant to State Forest Resource Planner (June 2013 – August 2013) • Wrote federal grant to receive funding for Connecticut’s division of the Forest Legacy Program • Collaborated with co-workers, communicated with landowners, conducted background research, visited project areas, and created GIS maps.

Mount Holyoke College Research Assistant (September 2013 – December 2014) • Edited manuscript of a scholarly book on environmental foreign aid politics in Madagascar

Teaching Assistant- Environmental Science 200 (Fall 2013) • Collaborated with course professor to design course structure and create lesson plans and research projects • Supervised student work, taught statistical analysis, held weekly tutoring sessions, and graded assignments

SKILLS Statistical analysis and data visualization in R, GIS mapping using ArcMap, Microsoft Office

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 7 of 17 George W. Knoecklein 74 Higgins Highway, Mansfield Center, CT 860 - 456 - 3179 EDUCATION Ph. D., 1997. UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT, Storrs, Connecticut. Major: Limnology. Thesis: Anaerobic Respiration Dynamics of a Eutrophic Lake. M.S., 1981. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, East Lansing, Michigan. Major: Limnology. Thesis: The Vegetation and Hydrology of a Lakeside Wetland. B.S., 1978. SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY, New Haven, Connecticut. Major: Biology. A.A.S., 1973. UNITY COLLEGE, Unity, Maine, Major: Fisheries and Wildlife. C.L.M., 2013. North American Lake Management Society.

EMPLOYMENT 1997 - Present: Principal, Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC Founder and principal investigator of ecological consulting and research company specializing in: Lake diagnostic studies, continued monitoring programs, and aquatic plant management planning for over 30 lakes in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Aquatic plant surveys, including detection and mapping of invasive and protected species, and evaluation herbicide and other plant management projects.

Selected projects include: • FirstLight funded monitoring of trophic status of Candlewood Lake, CT in 2014-2020. • Expert limnological witness for the defense in pond impact litigation, North Granby, CT. 2018. • Planned and implemented intensive hydroraking project for pike fishery habitat remediation at Winchester Lake, Winchester, CT. • Aquatic plant surveys of VT lakes; Lake Iroquois (2014), Lake Saint Catherine, and Lake Fairlee, 2015. • Intensive investigation of nutrient budget and trophic status of Mirror Pond on the Storrs campus of University of Connecticut 2013-2014. • CT DEEP funded feasibly study of Hatch Pond with Water Resources Services 2013-2014. • EPA/DEEP 319 funded diagnostic investigation of Lake Zoar in 2011. • EPA/CT DEEP 319 funded 5-year diagnostic investigation of Lake Lillinonah, CT, 2006–2010. • CT DEEP funded diagnostic/feasibility study of Hatch Pond, Kent, CT, 2004–2005. Follow-up EPA/DEP 319 funded trophic assessment and watershed loading evaluation 2010-2012. • Intensive diagnostic evaluations of; Nantucket Harbor, Hummock Pond, Miacomet Pond, Long Pond, and Madaket Harbor, on the island of Nantucket, MA. 1998 – 2008. • Conducted water quality characterization of storm water discharges from Tilcon CT’s Branford Quarry.

2/85 - 10/97 Research Director, Ecosystem Consulting Service, Inc. Coventry, CT • Directed all phases of limnological evaluations of Connecticut - New York - New Jersey-Massachusetts lakes and reservoirs, including; proposal preparation, contract negotiation, sampling protocol, field collections, data analysis, and report writing. • Conducted diagnostic/feasibility studies of reservoir systems for CT Water Co., South Cen. Regional Water Auth., and Bridgeport Hydraulic Co. • Managed limnological investigation of Cedar and Linsley Ponds to determine impact of runoff from Tilcon CT’s Branford traprock quarry. • Managed preliminary research evaluation of the relationship between tidal flushing dynamics and eutrophication in Nantucket Harbor, Nantucket, MA. • Directed US EPA Phase III Clean Lakes Restoration Project of Lake Waramaug, CT.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Connecticut Federation of Lakes, (President 1999 – 2007) Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society (Board of Director 2010 - 2013) North American Lake Management Society (member since 1986) New England Chapter of North American Lake Management Society, (Leadership Committee) American Society of Limnology and Oceanography

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 8 of 17 SELECTED PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

NALMS (North American Lake Management Society): 2007 Understanding Lake Science: Developing a Lake Management Plan. 2007 Understanding Lake Stratification: Why we monitor Water Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen and Water Clarity. 2009 Stability and Uncertainty in Lake Trophic State. 2018 Advanced Phytoplankton Ecology, workshop presented in Cincinnati, OH 2019 Advanced Phytoplankton Ecology, workshop presented in Burlington, VT 2020 Cyanobacteria Ecology, remotely presented workshop.

NEC-NALMS (New England Chapter of North American Lake Management Society): 2000 Intensity and Capacity Factors in Lakes. 2007 How Much Data Do You Need? Detecting Changes in Lake Trophic State. 2011 Invasive Plant Management. Why we care about invasive species. 2012 Costs of Lake Management 2016-2017 Aquatic Plant Identification Workshop 2017 Invasive Aquatic Plants Mitigation Alternatives 2017 University of Connecticut – Pond Management Workshop

NEAPMS (Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society): 2001 Trials and Tribulation of Obtaining an Accurate Aquatic Plant Species List. 2004 Addressing Protected Plant Species in Nuisance Vegetation Management Programs. 2006 Water Quality Effects Due to a Continuous Lake-wide Milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum x pinnatum) canopy in a shallow CT lake. 2012 Evaluation of the Effects of Water Level Drawdown on the Ecology of Candlewood Lake. 2019 Use of Water Quality Data in Evaluation of Plant and Algae Problems

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 9 of 17 Hillary Kenyon 86 Sherman Street, Norwich, CT 06360 Contact: 203 8484610. [email protected]

Education: M.S. Soil Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. 2020. B.S. Environmental Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. 2013. Water Resources Concentration

Qualifications: Eight years of professional field research and limnological consulting experience at Northeast Aquatic Research. Certified Lake Manager with the North American Lake Management Society and CT Soil Scientist. Authored multiple lake management plans for lakes in Connecticut and New York. Specific expertise in subaqueous soils/sediments sampling, mapping, and internal loading assessments.

Relevant Certifications: Certified Lake Manager, Registered RI Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Inspector #091608, completed OSHA 40hr. HAZWOPER, PADI Divemaster, AAUS Scientific SCUBA Diver, DAN Professional Diving First Aid Provider (OSHA approved course).

Employment History: Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC. April 2013 – present Environmental and Limnological Consulting Scientist; supervisor Dr. George Knoecklein Project Manager for roughly 20 ongoing lake management clients in CT, NY, and MA. • Performs more than 40 aquatic plant vegetation surveys annually since 2013 • ArcGIS mapping - Aquatic plant coverage, density, & biomass - Lake bathymetry and watershed delineation - Watershed nutrient modeling • Water quality sampling; including research project design and limnological consulting • Comprehensive watershed nutrient loading assessments • Identification of illicit discharges into MS4 • Wetland delineation, soil profile characterization • Identify sites for Low Impact Development (LID), assist with project design and implementation • Review engineering plans for LID and onsite wastewater treatment systems upgrades/installs • Review Town Zoning and Inland Wetlands Regulations for water quality concerns/protections • Phytoplankton/cyanobacteria identification and ecological research • Review of hydrologic and nutrient budgets • Volumetric sediment release rate calculations, and experience with internal phosphorus loading models, aluminum sulfate (ALUM) and Phoslock dosing calculations • Advanced statistical data analysis in R

UCONN Department of Natural Resources. December 2012 – May 2013 Wetlands research and laboratory assistant; under Dr. Jack Clausen.

CT Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Aquaculture. May 2012 – May 2013 Oyster research project Co-Principal Investigator; supervisor Dr. Inke Sunila, State Shellfish Pathologist.

CT Sea Grant, NOAA. May 2012 – April 2013 Extension Intern; direct supervisor Tessa Getchis.

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 10 of 17 Professional Affiliations: North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) New England Chapter of NALMS, planning committee Connecticut Federation of Lakes, past board member and newsletter editor Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society New England Association of Environmental Biologists

Select Completed Projects: • Highland Lake Water Quality & Watershed Assessment. 2020. Winchester, CT. • Bolton Lakes Management Plan. 2020 Bolton and Vernon, CT • Lake Pocotopaug Nine Element Watershed Based Plan. 2015- 2017. East Hampton, CT • Lake Pocotopaug watershed improvement projects planning and oversight. 2018-2021. East Hampton, CT. • Bantam Mapping of Anoxia Extent & Prediction of Lake Internal Phosphorus Loading. 2016. Morris, CT. Land Use and Septic System Loading Model for West Hill Pond. 2017. New Hartford, CT. • Long Term Data Analysis and Internal Load Calculations for Lake Oscawana. 2016-2018. Putnam Valley, NY. Long Term Data Analysis and Water Quality Reporting for Hartland Pond. 2015-2018. Hartland, CT. • Water Quality Data Analysis Mount Riga Lakes. 2016. Salisbury, CT. • Coventry Lake Hydrilla Survey and Rapid Response Invasive Species Management Plan. 2015-2017. Coventry, CT. Upper Hudson River Invasive Aquatic Species Survey. 2018. NY. • Long Term Septic System Nutrient and Fecal coliform Data Analysis at Andover Lake. 2017-2018. Andover, CT. Lake Pocotopaug Subaqueous Soils Mapping Project. 2018-2020. East Hampton, CT. • Hatch Pond Water Quality Assessment for Watershed Based Plan for Impaired Waterbody. 2014. Kent, CT. • Long Term Data Review of Invasive Curly-leaf Pondweed Management at Lake Waramaug. 2016. Litchfield, CT. Overall Invasive Species and Water Quality Management Planning for Six Waterbodies in Vernon CT. 2016-2020.

Additional Waterbody Monitoring & Assessment Work since 2013:

Amston Doolittle Middle Bolton Snows Pond Andover Eagleville Nareneka Tibet Bantam Fisher North Spectacle Tyler Benedict Flat River Reservoir Oscawana Vernon Ponds (5 waterbodies) Bicentennial Hartland Pachaug Waramaug Candlewood Harwinton Pocotopaug West Hill Copake Hayward Quassapaug West Side Coventry Highland Quassett White Lily Crystal Lake (Ellington) Hudson River (Mid-Upper) Queechy Winchester Crystal Lake (Middletown) Indian Raquette Zoar Crystal Pond Kirk Riga (North and South) Dog Pond Lower Bolton Roaring Brook Campground

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 11 of 17 6. Project Approach and Methodology

We begin all lake management consulting projects with a review of past reports and historical data. We are very familiar with the survey and monitoring work performed by the CT Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES). We have acquired GIS survey data from CAES in the past, and anticipate that will be part of the review of past reports: to compile all available plant survey data into one file that is shareable with the Town.

Due to the technical difficulties with accuracy in aquatic plant mapping, particularly in the late 1990s-early 2000s, with less GPS accuracy and fewer standard plant mapping methods, we expect there to be some inaccuracies with the polygons and species distribution. It is very difficult to draw accurate polygons for all native and invasive species. The polygons also do not display any density or biomass information to the viewer. For that reason, we tend to prefer high resolution point-intercept surveys and maps that display individual species’ distribution, density, and biomass/growth forms. While we are unsure about the exact survey methods from CAES in recent years, it may be possible to transform their data into density-specific point data, to compare the invasive species expansion over the decades and re-evaluate the effectiveness of various types and dosages of herbicide treatments.

All historical records of state-listed aquatic plant species will be organized into a single map. Similarly, all records of narrow-leaf Potamogeton species will be compiled into a single map and transformed to GPS points to search for the plants in the field. We will verify the identities of all narrow-leaf Potamogeton species. Both P. berchtoldii and P. pusillus are very common in CT waters, and the species are taxonomically very similar to P. gemmiparus. We plan to assist the CT DEEP, UCONN herbarium staff/researchers, and CAES with elucidating any confusion regarding the Potamogeton taxonomy.

Similarly, all locations where Water marigold (Bidens beckii) was found by Nancy Murray (CT DEP, 2002) will be searched extensively. In other CT lakes where Bidens beckii has been treated alongside invasive Fanwort or Milfoils, we have been successful in finding remaining plants following an herbicide treatment, but it is also likely that the plant was impacted by herbicide treatments. Based on where we have located the plant at other waterbodies, Bidens beckii most commonly grows in the 2- 5ft water depths. The plant is very distinct to a trained eye, and snorkel surveying should be employed to verify that it is or is not present in historical locations. Bidens beckii often grows in densely vegetated areas, surrounded by other native species that could obscure its presence; hence, snorkel surveying in key areas will be essential. We have also found that Bidens beckii is extremely vulnerable to unregulated actions taken by waterfront homeowners, like benthic matting or diver- harvesting of plants around personal docks and swim areas, so this is something else that we will keep in mind during the search.

A preliminary review of the report prepared by Chris Mangels (2020) suggested that plant “raking” and “harvesting” was common at Quonnipaug, and we intend to engage the community to better define what type of potential mechanical and/or hand-harvesting has taken place in particular areas. A detailed summary of all past plant management techniques is needed.

We intend to spend at least three field days investigating the lake for state-listed species and inventorying particularly challenging plant management zones. Information collected during the field surveys will be used to strategize best future management actions. Based on the maps provided by CAES, none of the invasive species appear to have reached their maximum growth extents. Eurasian milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) and Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana) are both capable of growing in

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 12 of 17 water up to 18ft deep and could continue to spread across the surface area of the lake. If there were no aquatic herbicide treatments in 2020, the 2021 survey would provide much better data into the distribution of invasive and potential state-listed species. If either of the state-listed species are found, we will make creative recommendations for adequate protection and invasive species control.

As part of the overall lake and plant management planning effort, we intend to engage the Conservation Commission and community in identifying key management goals. We have a detailed list of questions that we ask our clients that helps us define community priorities, essential waterbody uses, and waterbody vulnerability to eutrophication. With many years with little to no water quality data for Quonnipaug, we also expect to design a custom watershed and water quality monitoring regime for the lake’s future management.

7. References

The following references are also listed in item 3, above, besides the description of recent relevant NEAR projects.

Coventry Lake (378-acres): Coventry, CT Project contact – Eric Trott, Land-Use Director (860) 742-4062, [email protected] Town Hall, 1712 Main Street, Coventry, CT 06238

Copake Lake (410-acres): Craryville, NY Project contact – Fred Bunger, (413) 717-0512 Copake Lake Conservation Society, Inc., PO Box 37, Craryville, NY 12521

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 13 of 17 8. Workload Statement

Because we have multiple ongoing municipal and private lake clients, our expertise is sometimes stretched thin, but we do our best to be as responsive as possible via email and phone. Our schedule usually requires at least three weeks of notice for any proposed meetings, but we understand that lakes and communities are dynamic, and we make every effort to accommodate our clients when possible. Our field monitoring visits are heavily weather dependent. We schedule routine monitoring visits months ahead of time, but then frequently fine-tune the sampling schedule as needed on a week-by-week basis. Meetings are preferably scheduled Monday-Friday between 8:30am to 5pm, but occasional weekend and night time meetings are possible when arranged in advance. We require at least one month notice for public presentations.

Hannah Moore will be serving as the Project Contact in order to ensure that there are no lapses in essential communication. She will ensure that the project remains on schedule and within budget, and she will be responsible for coordination between stakeholders, Town Commissions, NEAR’s Certified Lake Managers, CT DEEP, and CT Agricultural Experiment Station, as necessary. We typically do not write lake management reports during “field-season,” but Hannah, who performs more office work and will be involved in fewer of our scheduled 2021 field-based projects, will ensure that the draft management plan is completed prior to the September deadline.

Should the Town of Guilford choose to proceed with any additional water quality monitoring or watershed field work, the desired number of routine monitoring visits should be agreed upon prior to the beginning of the sampling season (April through November). Stormwater and inlet sampling events sometimes require sampling at odd times of the day, though we do not perform night-time sampling unless previously agreed upon. High-priority or emergency water quality situations are usually addressed via phone or email within one or two business days. Laboratory sampling results take time to be processed by the lab (up to six weeks), and we need specific notice if quicker turn- around time is required (rush pricing applies).

9. Principals Dr. George Knoecklein, the sole owner of Northeast Aquatic Research, and Hannah Moore, Client Manager, are both authorized to bind NEAR in contract with the Town of Guilford. George serves as the firm supervisor. Hillary Kenyon is the senior Certified Lake Manager & field scientist. Hannah Moore will be the designated project contact person for this project. All parties will be involved in the Quonnipaug assessment and lake management planning.

10. Principal Contact Hannah Moore - Project Contact/Client Manager (860) 942-9269 [email protected] & [email protected]

11. Additional Information & Concluding Statement

Our firm is one of a select few consultants in the northeast that is uniquely qualified to serve as a professional limnological consultant and scientific lake management expert. As previously mentioned, our firm does not sell or profit from any form of in-lake management techniques or treatments, and the company was founded on the principal of remaining scientifically objective with all clients and recommendations. We routinely perform water quality monitoring, and conduct data assessments to provide the best solutions for both in-lake and watershed management. We also routinely review and prepare statistical analyses of long-term datasets. We provide technical

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 14 of 17 consulting to Town Boards and Commissions for ongoing water quality and aquatic plant management across CT and NY, as well as many smaller Lake Association clients in other New England States.

We have a long history of supervisory level lake management and consulting services, including a growing expertise in nutrient reduction through stormwater management. We are willing to work with the Town and residents to determine aquatic plant and water quality goals, and commit to guiding communities through various methods to achieve such goals.

NEAR utilizes multiple methods of communication for providing updates of pertinent information. Our primary mode of communication of new public acts, rulings, trends, grants, etc. is through email. We do not have a standard newsletter and do not send generic emails to clients. If the Town of Guilford would like to set up a community list-serv to better deliver lake management educational information to residents, we would be happy to help with that endeavor.

We would also like to offer the Town of Guilford the option to purchase additional trainings/presentations. We have found that Town-supervised lake and watershed management programs benefit from cooperative educational outreach, particularly geared towards Town Commissions and staff responsible for environmental planning, property/roads maintenance, local permitting, and public outreach.

• Threat of invasive aquatic species & prevention techniques; how to engage the public - the importance of periodic aquatic plant surveys & rapid response to any potential new invasive species. • Basic limnology, CT water quality standards/watershed management programs, and the EPA/State criteria and laws about impaired waterbodies. • Discussion about internal nutrient loading vs. external nutrient loading, as pertains to lakes in general. Detailed review of various techniques for controlling internal phosphorus loading: Phoslock, Alum, and various types of aeration/oxygenation systems – pros/cons of each. • Cyanobacteria ecology – including specific information about various types of blooms, relation to nutrients, relations to water column stability, new research in toxin-production and climate change • Lecture on the science and industry of bacterial additives in pond and lake management. • Nonpoint source pollution, the long-term goal of ‘disconnecting’ MS4 and impervious cover in the watershed to allow for better rainwater infiltration and subsequent nutrient filtration. • Various types of Low Impact Development – effects on nutrients, insight into how DEEP/EPA evaluate project success. • Best Management Practices for public and private property maintenance in the watershed. How to find a balance between protecting water quality and human land/lake uses.

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 15 of 17 Fee Proposal

The list of responsibilities and line items in the RFQ/RFP sections II-C & II-D would cost an estimated $26,600 for NEAR to complete in 2021. Exact contract details can be agreed upon as part of the contract negotiation. This proposed cost anticipates roughly 212 hours of work. In addition to the items outlined in the RFQ/RFP this cost also includes one day of water quality monitoring, and a multi-day formal lake-wide aquatic plant survey and search for state-listed aquatic plants in 2021. as Follow-up GIS mapping is included, as needed.

Unfortunately, our firm is sometimes underbid by consultant groups who purposely cut corners to reduce costs. NEAR will always be transparent in what we believe needs attention or more detail, and we pride ourselves on providing lake clients with the best recommendations, supported by current science and environmental policies. We encourage the Town to engage us in open discussion regarding the level of detail required at this time, for each specified line item. We would particularly like to define the amount of oversight and recommendations needed for any potential future dredging, drawdowns/dam repair considerations, and long-term data organization/analysis recommended in order to complete the lake management 5-year plan. Our general personnel-specific hourly rates are listed below:

Dr. George Knoecklein – $225 for in-person meetings; $185 for remote work Hillary Kenyon - $150 for in-person field visits or meetings; $120 for remote services/Zoom Hannah Moore - $100 for in-person meetings; $90 for remote services/Zoom

We understand that the purpose of this RFQ/RFP is to complete the tasks outlined in section II-C & II-D in the RFQ/RFP document, but we would like to provide complete transparency in the costs of our additional professional services. The tasks outlined in sections II-C & II-D do not specifically list the requirement for any water quality sampling, detailed watershed investigation efforts/samplings, or formal aquatic plant surveys (we have decided to include a formal survey in the total fee estimate of $26,600), yet all of these should be part of a formal lake management plan. NEAR can complete additional water quality sampling in 2021 if the Town wishes to have updated and high-level water quality information in the lake management plan. The following costs and expenses are provided as individual monitoring and lake management consulting line items and hourly rates. For an updated baseline assessment of the lake, we recommend at least six water quality monitoring visits.

Task Description Unit Cost

Routine Monitoring Visit On-water water quality sampling including Secchi $860 (Equipment & Labor) clarity, 1-meter interval top to bottom temperature/dissolved oxygen/conductivity, nutrient sampling, plankton sampling.

Extra monitoring station addition to Add on additional monitoring locations as needed. $100 routine monitoring Unit cost is for one additional monitoring location at the time of regular sampling visits.

Phytoplankton ID and enumeration Identify and count all phytoplankton in a water $120 ea. sample by Standard Methods. If Lake Quonnipaug is not currently experiencing problems with cyanobacteria or poor water clarity, we generally recommend one phytoplankton sample per monitoring visit.

Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC 3/17/2021 Page 16 of 17 Cyanobacteria beach sample Separate visit, not always possible on short notice. $400 collection and/or beach scum No boat-accessed sampling. inspection

Cyanobacteria microscopic scan for Only cyanobacteria, not a formal cell count, $60 high or low density & dominant samples must be delivered to our office, or the genera beach sampling cost is incurred if NEAR must collect the sample.

Laboratory sample analysis Abbreviations… TP, TN = $25ea. TP = Total Phosphorus, detection limit 2ppb NH3, NOx = $22 ea. The number of recommended TN = Total Nitrogen, detection limit 8ppb Metals = $42 samples and parameters are specific NH3 = Ammonia nitrogen Mercury = $60 to lake morphometry and water NOx = Nitrate + nitrite nitrogen pH = $16 quality goals. Alk = Alkalinity Alk = $22 Chlorophyll-a (filtered) = Chla Chla = $60 Additional parameters available. Stormwater sampling (labor) Sampling during or immediately after active $150/hr rainfall events

Field visits for watershed planning In-person field visits as needed $150/hr projects

Zoom meeting preparation and Remote attendance at Zoom meetings, no formal $120/hr (Hillary), attendance presentations $90 (Hannah); $185/hr (George) – if more than one NEAR person attends remote meetings, the max rate will be $185/hr total.

Public presentations or Town Depends on the scope of the presentation, amount Typically, $1,300- training sessions of data analysis and preparation required, day and $2,800 time, etc.

Written newsletter articles for As requested. $120/hr educational outreach

Grant preparation As requested. $120/hr

Zooplankton Microscopic zooplankton animals in water column $100-120/sample, collection/ID/enumeration are essential to fisheries management and important depending on level of in understanding ecosystem implications of taxonomic ID requested ongoing lake management. However, for Quonnipaug’s described management objects, zooplankton sampling may not be necessary.

We thank you for the opportunity to submit a proposal to the Town of Guilford. We hope to guide the Lake Quonnipaug community through the process of developing a formal Lake Management Plan in 2021. Please reach out to us if you have any questions.

Sincerely, The Northeast Aquatic Research team [email protected]

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