DNR Selects 10 Deep Creek Lake Coves For Sediment Study

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Oct. 28, 2010

The list of coves selected for Phase I of the Department of Natural Resources' Deep Creek Lake Sediment Plan/Study was announced during the recent DCL Policy and Review Board meeting.

Those areas are Brushy Run, Thayerville (Arrowhead), Pawn Run, Penn, Chadderton School, Hickory Ridge, Turkey Neck (Back Bay), Hazelhurst, Poland, and Gravelly Run. Some of the coves not included in the study are Deep Creek, Deer Haven, and Green Glade.

Bruce Michael, head of DNR's resource assessment service, announced during the "State of the Watershed Forum" in August that the study would be conducted. The forum was sponsored by Friends of Deep Creek Lake.

The group's director, Barbara Beelar, reported that property owners in coves not selected for the plan have voiced their concerns to DNR and DCL manager Carolyn Mathews. The owners are concerned that if their coves are excluded from the study, they will also be excluded from possible sediment dredging operations.

Beelar said 16 residents from Deep Creek Cove attended the Policy and Review Board meeting and delivered a letter signed by 27 people requesting that their cove be included in the plan. The letter noted that a low-water level and high sediment during the 2010 boat season limited recreational use to less than 10 weeks in Deep Creek Cove.

Mathews explained this week that the coves chosen for Phase I were selected based on several reasons. She noted that DNR wanted to get a broad look from various types of areas and already had data from some coves.

"They (the chosen coves) represent areas around the lake where DNR does not have sufficient data to analyze, and some were selected because they represent different drainage basins, soil types, slope, or land uses," Mathews said.

She noted another part of Phase I is to conduct a wholistic surficial sediment survey.

"This survey will characterize the existing sediment throughout Deep Creek Lake so DNR can understand the extent of the current situation and to identify the problems," Mathews said. "Once DNR has the results from the various tests and sampling and compares it to existing U.S. Geological Survey data and historical data, scientists can extrapolate general results for the other areas of the lake and determine areas of concern."

Implementation of Phase I of the plan has an estimated cost of $103,000. DNR Boating Services is funding $75,000 of this cost, and $25,000 is coming from the Deep Creek Lake Management Fund, according to Mathews.

"If the results of Phase I determine that DNR should move to Phase II, that work will quantify and characterize the accumulated sediment in the lake and then identify reasonable, feasible, and sustainable alternatives to address accumulated sediments," she said.

Another goal of Phase II will be to identify ways to reduce sediment inputs to the lake, she noted. Ways to reduce sediment loads into the lake would include designing Best Management Practices for minimizing sediment introduction and transport from adjoining property and tributaries to Deep Creek Lake.

"Cost estimates to conduct Phase II are close to $200,000 and sources for those funds are not identified at this time," Mathews said. "The actual cost of any type of sediment removal would be hundreds of thousands of dollars."

The manager noted that just because a cove was not included in the Phase I study does not mean it will be excluded from future sediment removal operations. But, at the same time, the dredging operations may not include all DCL coves, based on a variety of reasons, including operation costs and study results.

Beelar explained that sedimentation accumulation is a natural process that is shaped by many factors, including rainfall amounts, soil types, land use, vegetation, land slope, and existing sediment controls.

"There is additional erosion coming from lake shorelines, storm water runoff, and channeling of road runoff into the lake," she said. "Lake levels controlled by operation of the hydroelectric dam and boating wakes during high water levels contribute to shoreline erosion. Shoreline characteristics influence the mount of erosion, with the best having natural shoreline protection such as grasses, shrubs, and trees, or effective stabilization controls and low-wake zones in unstable areas."

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