Wetlands panel approves two beaver pond levelers

Inland Wetlands · Meeting of May 18, 2026

Brookfield Inland Wetlands Commission approved two pond-leveler installations to manage beaver habitats near 7 Toby Lane and 31 Obtuse Hill Road. Both votes were unanimous and required a Connecticut-licensed nuisance wildlife control operator, 10 days' notice before installation, and ongoing maintenance inspections; Vice Chairman Tom Keller and alternate Rob Scolera sat as voting members. The commission called the approach "so gratifying" for avoiding harm to the animals.

Separately, the board tabled a 40 Arrowhead Road addition pending written confirmation of the Candlewood Lake boundary from First Light Power, after landscape architect Abigail Adams said the work is "half on, half off" the disputed line. The commission also continued review of a $1.1 million state-funded Pocono Road parking and stormwater project, after town representative Greg Dumbowski outlined removal of 135 cubic yards of pond sediment, and continued a pipeline corrosion-protection project at 11 Diana Drive pending further documentation.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 986 words

Source: the Inland Wetlands meeting of May 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

BROOKFIELD — May 18, 2026 — The Brookfield Inland Wetlands Commission voted unanimously Monday to approve two pond-leveler installations meant to keep beaver habitats intact while giving property owners more control over flooding, the central actions of a lengthy special meeting that also saw the commission pump the brakes on a Candlewood Lake shoreline project tangled in a property-line dispute.

Commission Vice Chairman Tom Keller and alternate member Rob Scolera sat as voting members alongside two other commissioners for the session, which ran for hours and covered nine active applications plus a stack of enforcement cases. Wetlands Enforcement Officer Laura Barowski briefed the board on ongoing violations before the panel turned to new business.

The Full Story

The commission approved application W-26-26 for a pond leveler at 7 Toby Lane and W-26-27 for a similar installation at 31 Obtuse Hill Road, both intended to manage water levels at beaver dams without removing the animals. For the Toby Lane site, where the installation will lower water by a foot, commissioners added stipulations requiring a Connecticut-licensed nuisance wildlife control operator, 10 days' notice before installation so a commission member and Barowski can confirm the beaver lodge will remain safe, and an annual maintenance and inspection agreement. The Obtuse Hill Road project, a town-owned nature center site, carried similar notice and licensing conditions; a town representative, Anthony Capiello, told the board the water level there would stay the same or rise about a foot, to roughly 406 to 407 feet above sea level.

The board tabled an application for 40 Arrowhead Road, a Candlewood Lake property represented by landscape architect Abigail Adams of A2 Land Consulting, after extended discussion of where the regulatory boundary lies relative to a disputed property line tied to the lake's water company, First Light Power. Adams said the project work is split across competing boundary interpretations and the commission agreed to wait for written confirmation from First Light before acting. The application was continued to the commission's June 8, 2026 meeting.

The commission also opened review of a $1.1 million, state grant-funded project to pave the gravel parking lot at 100 Pocono Road near the Still River Greenway and add lighting and ADA compliance. Greg Dumbowski, presenting on behalf of the town, said the work requires removing about 135 cubic yards of accumulated sediment from a decades-old retention pond that also hosts a cattail colony free of invasive phragmites. Commissioners pressed Dumbowski on whether stormwater runoff would be adequately treated before reaching the pond and asked for written confirmation that the design meets 2024 Connecticut stormwater standards; the application was continued to June 8.

A separate application, W-26-34, covering anti-corrosion work by Iroquois Gas Transmission along a pipeline near 11 Diana Drive, drew detailed questioning from commissioners about tree removal, dewatering equipment and herbicide use. Wetland scientist Connor Makepiece, representing the applicant, said the work involves installing sacrificial zinc ribbon and grounding mats to protect the pipeline from corrosion linked to a nearby utility voltage upgrade. The commission asked for five additional items, including a townwide map showing the full pipeline route, a written description of dewatering equipment, and a pledge that no herbicides would be used in wetland areas, before continuing the matter to June 8.

In enforcement business, the commission voted to remove a violation at 23 Elbow Hill Road after a property owner removed vehicles that had been parked on the site, and approved application W-26-12 for site work at 67 Delmare Road, including a stipulation that 14 newly planted trees be at least one inch in caliper to resist deer browsing.

"It is so gratifying that they're taking this step, in my humble opinion, and not murdering these animals," — the commission chairman, on the beaver pond-leveler applications.

"Everything that we're doing is half on, half off," — Abigail Adams, landscape architect for the 40 Arrowhead Road applicant.

"It's $1.1 million today. We got the letter, commitment to fund," — Greg Dumbowski, representing the town of Brookfield on the Pocono Road project.

Why It Matters

The two pond-leveler approvals give property owners near beaver dams on Toby Lane and Obtuse Hill Road a sanctioned way to manage flooding without harming the animals, which state wildlife officials say are important for wetland creation. The commission's new notice-and-inspection stipulations could become a template for future beaver-management permits in town.

The Arrowhead Road boundary dispute and the 100 Pocono Road stormwater questions both carry near-term consequences: the Arrowhead project cannot proceed until First Light Power clarifies its jurisdictional line, and the $1.1 million Pocono Road paving project, which would add parking and lighting near the Still River Greenway, cannot move toward bidding until the commission is satisfied the design protects a rare cattail wetland from road runoff. Both items return to the commission June 8, 2026.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Remove enforcement violation at 23 Elbow Hill Road for vehicles on property Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Approve application W-26-12 for site improvements at 67 Delmare Road Tally: Approved unanimously - Action: Reviewed application W-26-17 for 40 Arrowhead Road amid Candlewood Lake boundary dispute with First Light Power — Continued to June 8, 2026 - Vote: Approve application W-26-26 for a pond-leveler installation at 7 Toby Lane with licensing, notice and maintenance stipulations Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Approve application W-26-27 for a pond-leveler installation at 31 Obtuse Hill Road with licensing and notice stipulations Tally: Approved unanimously - Action: Reviewed town-led $1.1 million paving and stormwater project at 100 Pocono Road (W-26-32), requested additional engineering documentation — Continued to June 8, 2026 - Action: Reviewed Iroquois Gas pipeline corrosion-protection project at 11 Diana Drive (W-26-34), requested five additional items of documentation — Continued to June 8, 2026 - Vote: Accept April 27, 2026 meeting minutes as written Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 1, Total: 4

Source

BrookfieldCT: Inland Wetlands meeting, May 18, 2026