CONCORD, Mass. – Daniel H. Schulman 2012 Trust and Jennie A. Kassanoff 2012 Trust are seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the United States in conjunction with excavating sediment in Sodem Pond in Tyringham, Mass.

The permit applicants are proposing excavating accumulated sediment from the 47,000-square-foot Sodem Pond to maintain existing recreational uses (i.e. swimming, boating and fishing) within the pond. The project will involve the discharge of dredged and/or fill material into approximately 40,000 square feet of waters of the U.S. associated with Sodem Pond.

The applicants propose to dewater the Sodem Pond impoundment using existing water control structures at the downstream dam. Hop Brook will be diverted through an existing low flow channel along the east side of the Sodem Pond impoundment in order to allow the proposed excavation work to be completed “in the dry.” An excavator will be used to remove the accumulated sediments from the dewatered impoundment.

Approximately 1,825 cubic yards of bottom sediments will be deposited at an on-site upland disposal site. This pond dredging work will result in only temporary impacts to Sodem Pond and Hop Brook.  

The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U. S. waters, including wetlands. The public notice, with additional information, can be viewed on the Corps website at 

http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.

Public comments on the proposed work (file # NAE-2013-2643) should be forwarded no later than March 27, 2014 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Paul Sneeringer), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Paul Sneeringer at 978-318-8491 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: paul.j.sneeringer@usace.army.mil.