CANDLEWOOD LAKE AUTHORITY RECEIVES $100,000 DONATION FROM FIRSTLIGHT POWER TOWARDS NEW PATROL BOAT

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The Candlewood Lake Authority is pleased to announce a donation for $100,000 from FirstLight Power to help purchase a new boat to patrol Candlewood Lake next summer.  “This donation is key to the CLA’s increasing focus on public safety on Candlewood Lake and we greatly appreciate FirstLight’s generosity” said Mark Howarth, Executive Director of the CLA.  

 

“FirstLight places the utmost priority on the protection of public safety and the environment at Candlewood Lake and values the work CLA does to safeguard the public’s use and enjoyment of the Lake.  Heading into next summer we wanted to help CLA meet those needs, which have grown amidst the ongoing pandemic,” said FirstLight spokesperson Len Greene. “On behalf of all of the employees of FirstLight we’re proud to make this contribution to help the CLA in its effort to keep Candlewood Lake a safe place for people to continue to enjoy for years to come.” 

 

This commitment follows FirstLight’s collaboration with the municipalities, CT DEEP, and Candlewood Lake Authority this past season to ensure public health and safety amidst the pandemic. 

 

New Milford Mayor Pete Bass, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, New Fairfield First Selectman Patricia Del Monaco, Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn, and Sherman First Selectman Don Lowe issued the following joint statement: “We, the municipal leaders on Candlewood Lake, are pleased to be working with both the CLA and FirstLight to ensure we have the capacity and the equipment needed to keep everyone safe on the lake. We applaud FirstLight for stepping up at this critical juncture and donating $100,000 to the CLA to help purchase a patrol boat.”

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CANDLEWOOD LAKE DRAWDOWN 

 

FirstLight Power (FirstLight), the owner and operator of the Rocky River pumped hydroelectric station, will conduct a deep drawdown of Candlewood Lake, which includes Squantz Pond.  In consultation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Candlewood Lake Authority the drawdown season will begin December 1 and run until the opening of fishing season in April 2021. The normal summer operating range of the station is from 429.5’-427’ and the drawdown will target an elevation of 418’-420’. Water levels will fluctuate throughout the season and will drop to minimum pond levels to expose invasive Eurasian Water Milfoil to freezing temperatures, which helps to reduce the annual proliferation of the plant during the recreational season.  Due to unknown weather patterns exact dates and associated lake levels are not available. Homeowners are therefore strongly encouraged to remove their structures, boatlifts, and docks from Candlewood Lake prior to the winter season to prevent ice damage along the shoreline. All work planned to occur along the shoreline requires prior permitting from FirstLight, who can be contacted at lake.permits@firstlightpower.com.

The Candlewood Lake Authority provides lake, shoreline and watershed management to foster the preservation and enhancement of recreational, economic, scenic, public safety and environmental values of the Lake for the City of Danbury and the Towns of Brookfield, New Fairfield, New Milford and Sherman in cooperation with the State of Connecticut and Northeast Utilities.