Dredging Lake Quannapowitt

(Wakefield, MA) – Dredging of sediment in the Hartshorne Cove area of Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield has started and is expected to continue until the beginning of July. A barge is in place and the impacted 22,000 sq. ft. area of the lake has been cordoned off by a curtain and containment buoys. A fence has also been erected around the parking area at Veterans’ Field.

The barge holds the specialized equipment that operates much like a vacuum, removing 5,000 cubic yards of sediment along the bottom of the lake, and filtering over 3,000,000 gallons of water to remove any of the contaminated soil that is churned up by the machinery. The sediment will be removed from the site as needed.

The project is under the direction of Brown & Caldwell of Andover. The Town of Wakefield has received a $250,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation to partially fund the project. The Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department and its insurance provider are paying the remaining funds.