Sand Hill Reservoir Project
Update
Background
The Reservoirs
The
Old and New reservoirs in the Sand Hill Road and Isaac Frye Highway
area of Wilton are located in the Aquifer Protection District and the Watershed Protection District. These
districts
include all land from
which rainfall
ultimately ends up in either of these reservoirs. Mill Brook is the
only Class A water source in the town and this is what fills the
reservoirs. The Planning Board, Water Commission, Select Board, and
Conservation Commission have all expressed their desires over the
years to maintain the quality of this unique resource and the
corresponding zoning district. The zoning district’s purpose is to
protect this water resource which up until the mid 1980s was the sole
source of the municipal water supply and continues to support the
character and rural nature of this part of Wilton.
The
Dam
The
town was issued a letter of deficiency by The NH Department of Environmental Services (DES), which will require significant and
costly repairs and modifications to the dam. The town has been
diligently working with the state and private contractors who are modeling
the hydrology and other factors required, and has passed several
warrant articles in the last few years to begin funding the project.
The Select Board has decided the reservoir is such a unique resource that
it must be preserved as such and that the option of repairing its
dam would
be followed, as opposed to the alternative which is to permanently
breach and remove the dam, draining the reservoir. The
Select Board agreed specifically to fund the repairs and
modifications only if the general public was provided access to the
reservoir for passive recreation.
Status
of Project
There
are no improvements planned at this time other than those
detailed in this article and associated documentation. The project’s
goal reflects the public’s desire to keep the reservoir as wild and
natural as possible by permitting only
passive recreation.
The Sand Hill
Reservoir Advisory Committee, led by Bart Hunter and comprised of
Wilton residents and town department heads, submitted a detailed plan and recommendations for opening the site for public use,
that was accepted by the Select Board in early December 2020. The
SHRAC committee had commissioned a residents' survey of 361 respondents to
inform their work. The Conservation Commission is coordinating the
project consisting of a forest management plan, signage, a new
trail network and a 14 car parking lot
at the former logging site on Isaac Frye Hwy.
A timber harvest is scheduled to begin Monday, January 10 to address
the threatened Red Pine and to open old logging roads before the
parking lot and trail network are constructed.
Work to Date
The fire department
has already implemented some safety measures with swimming buoys near
the dam and a dry hydrant access point on the beach. The Select Board
addressed the parking issues by posting all bordering access roads
and making scenic Sand Hill Road one-way.
The area is already
open to the public but currently without a management plan to protect
the site and provide safe access. This town property is governed
under the zoning ordinance associated with the Watershed Protection
District (see Planning Board site for details) which provides
enforceable restrictions governing usage, such as prohibiting fires,
camping, and alcoholic beverages. Additional restrictions are under
consideration to ensure the site’s character will be preserved and
that it can continue to be a habitat for native wildlife.
As of Jan 19, 2022
Mechanized cut of red pine on the reservoir peninsula Jan 17, 2022.
Fort Mountain’s machines avoid understory and lay down cut trees without overly disturbing the forest floor. A few larger stumps have been left for building natural benches. The area will be replanted with trees from the state in the spring.
This page will have additional information as it becomes available. The project documents are here, including some that may not be linked from this article.
If you have questions, please read the documents linked above or email the Town Administrator at: [email protected].