What is the Management Plan and how will it be implemented?
The Management Plan specifies operating procedures and monitoring measures to protect the environments of Lake Whitney and the Mill River. Key operational elements of the Plan include water withdrawal operating guidelines, water releases to the area downstream of the dam, and environmental monitoring. In general, as the amount of natural water flow over the dam spillway subsides during dry periods of the year, water withdrawals from Lake Whitney into the water treatment plant will also be reduced. Before the lake level drops to the point when water is just flowing over the waterfall (0.1 feet over spillway), the withdrawal of water into the water treatment plant will be minimized to less than one third of the maximum allowed daily withdrawal. The only exception to this strategy is when water is needed for critical operational periods such as summer peak demand periods lasting several days, fire protection needs, drought, or other water system emergencies.
