Easygrants ID: 2436 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation NFWF/Legacy Grant Project ID: 2009-0061-004 Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2009 - Large Grants - Submit Final Programmatic Report (Activities) Grantee Organization: The Nature Conservancy Project Title: Saugatuck River Watershed Diadromous Fish Passage (CT) Project Period 08/01/2009 - 12/31/2010 Award Amount $87,976.00 Matching Contributions $44,800.00 Project Location Description (from Proposal) Aspetuck and Saugatuck Rivers, Fairfield County, Connecticut Project Summary (from Proposal) Design a fishway which should restore access to the Saugatuck’s entire historic river herring habitat and create a downstream eel passage on the Aspetuck, while avoiding system pumps. Summary of Accomplishments We completed an engineered design for a fishway for the Hasen Pond dam in Weston, CT. The initial rise from the tail water to the yard level is achieved with a pre-fabricated steeppass. Running across the back yard and in front of the massive wall that is the lower side of the dam, a slightly ramped channel connects the first steeppass section to a second steeppass section on the far side of the yard within the original tailrace of the dam. This second steeppass connects the yard-level channel with the headpond. Also, with Aquarion Water Company we installed and operated an eel diversion system at the Aspetuck Reservoir. Submerged lights powered by wind and solar energy are designed to dissuade eel from entering a conduit leading to a reservoir where they become entrapped in the water treatment plant’s filtration system and die. A siphon is placed in an unlit corner near the conduit where we expect eel to swim and provides safe passage over the dam to the Aspetuck River below. Lessons Learned Partnering with Aquarion on a grant-funded project was new. Together we wrote the narrative and developed the budget and SOW, but later partner obligations seemed to be confusing. Corporate contracting requirements were difficult and getting permission for a volunteer to assist was challenging. In the future I would ask for sign-off on a list outlining expectations of each partner before submitting a grant. Had we done this we might have identified concerns and modified plans. On Hasen we worked with a private dam owner who was not obligated to pursue construction, but we felt her interest and support for the project (and the river) was genuine. We didn’t know she was selling the property. In this area most dams are privately owned, properties are expensive and most dams are visible from a house. If we require complete advance buy-in we may not have any projects getting developed and without these projects, high-quality spawning habitat in areas like this will remain out of reach. Conservation Activities Contract to design engineered fishway at Hasen Progress Measures Other Activity Metric (Engineered plan prepared for fishway) Value at Grant Completion completed plan Conservation Activities Obtain permits and necessary approvals for construction of fishway Progress Measures Other Activity Metric (Permits obtained) Value at Grant Completion no permits obtained Conservation Activities Install alternative energy sources to power submerged lights Progress Measures Other Activity Metric (Wind and solar power units installed) Value at Grant Completion green energy operating Conservation Activities Install safe passage for eel over Aspetuck Reservoir dam Progress Measures Other Activity Metric (safe passage established for eel migrating out of watershed) Page 1 of 22 Value at Grant Completion Passage established Page 2 of 22 LISFF - 2009 Hasen Pond Dam – Proposed Fishway, Design Project The Nature Conservancy’s Saugatuck River Watershed Partnership Saugatuck River, Weston, CT View of the river from the yard at the side of the house. Staking out the proposed fishway with the owner, (note size of dam.) View from the house across the lawn toward the dam. Cut in wall to old mill race to the left of tree. Color renderings of the first iteration of the plan (left) and final design (right). Page 3 of 22 LISFF - 2009 Aspetuck Eel Passage Project The Nature Conservancy’s Saugatuck River Watershed Partnership Aspetuck River, (Saugatuck River Watershed), Easton, CT Hemlock’s water treatment facility raw water line with eel traps and trap basket removed. These traps are emptied a few times during migration season but eel do not survive in the traps. Page 4 of 22 Entrance to siphon located in this darkened corner where conduit grates were covered with heavy plywood to stop flow. No lights shine in this area. Page 5 of 22 Page 6 of 22 Page 7 of 22 Page 8 of 22 Page 9 of 22 Page 10 of 22 Page 11 of 22 Page 12 of 22 Page 13 of 22 Page 14 of 22 Page 15 of 22 Page 16 of 22 Final Programmatic Report Narrative Instructions: Save this document on your computer and complete the narrative in the format provided. The final narrative should not exceed ten (10) pages; do not delete the text provided below. Once complete, upload this document into the on-line final programmatic report task as instructed. 1. Summary of Accomplishments - provide a brief summary of the project’s key accomplishments and outcomes that were observed or measured. The final engineered fishway plan (completed to 100% and ready for permitting) was completed for the Hasen Pond dam in Weston, CT, which is the last obstacle to fish passage within the historic range of spawning habitat for diadromous fish in the Saugatuck River. The design incorporates the remnant tailrace from the original Bradley Edge Tool Factory and provides a unique fish passage solution for this residential property. At the Aspetuck Reservoir in Easton, CT, alternative wind and solar energy systems were installed to provide electric power for submerged lights designed to direct seaward- migrating American eels away from a conduit which leads to a migratory dead-end and possible entrapment and death in a drinking water treatment facility. 2. Project Activities & Outcomes Activities Describe and quantify (using the approved metrics referenced in your grant agreement) the primary activities conducted during this grant. Briefly explain discrepancies between the activities conducted during the grant and the activities agreed upon in your grant agreement. HASEN POND FISHWAY Developed and sent out a request for proposals to qualified engineers for the development of an engineered fishway design for the Hasen Pond Dam. Five firms sent representatives to a mandatory on- site meeting to review our expectations and see the property and dam. A review team selected a firm after assessing the proposals and qualifications of the three firms that submitted bids. The Nature Conservancy refined the Scope of Work and contracted with the selected firm, Milone and MacBroom, Inc. The firm produced engineered plans, an estimate of probable cost and construction specifications, but the delivery of the final products was much later than anticipated (Dec. 2010). The TNC project manager had an unexpected six-week medical leave in the spring of 2010 and the contractor’s project manager also went on maternity leave two months after the contract was awarded. As a result, there were unanticipated delays in meeting the proposed deadlines. Additionally, modifications were necessary in the conceptual and construction plans developed by the interim project manager in order to reduce project cost and complexity. TNC requested an engineering redesign which simplified the first draft plan in terms of the approach to a section at the upstream end of the fishway. While TNC is pleased with the final design, the redesign resulted in additional lost time. However, the final design will be less expensive to construct, will take up less space on the property and will not protrude into the Saugatuck River channel as much as proposed initially. Unexpected delays occurred over the course of the summer as the property owner needed additional information and assurances about aspects of the design and operation of a fishway. TNC provided information and assurances and arranged for additional on-site meetings with the design engineer to discuss the proposed fishway layout and hydraulics. Even with active engagement in all aspects of design, the property owner did not fully commit to fishway construction and then unexpectedly sold the house and surrounding waterfront with transfer of the property in December 2010. Without property- owner support and lacking final designs from Milone and MacBroom before December 2010, TNC was not able to procure permits or funding for the construction of the fishway. Page 17 of 22 The factors described above prevented TNC from preparing or circulating a second RFP for firms interested in constructing the fishway. Grant funding that had been allocated for these tasks (mostly staff-time) remains unspent. The grant proposal submitted for funding the construction of the fishway was rejected. TNC is now actively working to establish a relationship with the new property owner and hopes to gain approval for the construction of the fishway. The new property owner was initially unaware of the project, but through TNC’s outreach and education efforts has become interested. TNC plans to schedule a meeting in the spring of 2011 after the new property owner has taken up residence. The final engineered fishway plan (completed to 100% and ready for permitting) was completed for the Hasen Pond dam in Weston, CT, which is the last obstacle to fish passage within the historic range of spawning habitat for diadromous fish in the Saugatuck River. The design incorporates the remnant tailrace from the original Bradley Edge Tool Factory and provides a unique fish passage solution for this residential property. The Bradley Edge Tool Factory was the area’s largest employer and incorporated a massive stone dam built of boulders the size of small automobiles.