Members Present
Jennifer Polcari, Fred Ernst, Deborah Hinman, Charles Montgomery, Sam Sutcliffe, Austin Hunter, Cathy MacDonald

Members Absent
Michael Heidorn, Susan Lichty, Carol Drummond

Members of the Public Present
Sean Sweeney

Guests
Sean Sweeney, a professional held in high regard by the Cold River LAC. Deb referred to his excellent fluvial geomorphology work with and for us over the years and Fred referred to the current day that he and Mike spent in the field with him. The Alstead Select Board has hired Sean to assess the stabilization work done on Warren Brook since the flood and we heard his opinions tonight with great interest. DES has provided the town a grant to do assessment, documentation, and a survey of the modifications done to Warren Brook after the October 2005 flood, thus Sean has revisited the riprap and plantings from Cooper Hill intersection downstream to the confluence of the Cold River. The match requirements of this grant were met through donations from Sean, the LAC and the Alstead Conservation Commission.

Mini-History
After the flood, the NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service) provided important funding to Alstead thorough the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) for stabilization work only, not restoration. The LAC, DES and Sean had hoped to use in stream structures and native materials to begin the necessary process of rebuilding and raising the streambed to its former level, for the flood had lowered it by as much as 8 feet in the wetlands above Cooper Hill and equally huge depths in the stream below. Conflicting opinions by partners and funders resulted in Sean’s suggestions not being followed and NRCS using riprap to stabilize the stream channel above and below Cooper Hill without attempting to rebuild/raise the stream to its previous height. The floodplains of Warren Brook are now inaccessible to the stream due to the excessive scour, which occurred during the flood.

Sean’s Report
Phase I
The opportunity available to the stream’s restoration was lost in not using the fluvial geomorphologic approach after the flood. It is not surprising that once landowners make their property stabilization and other repairs after the devastation of a flood, it is difficult if not impossible to expect them to tear it all apart and do the additional work of river "restoration". At this point, Sean feels that the stream channel is so low and the stabilization work so heavily rocked up, the only option left to Warren Brook is to lower the floodplains and make them smaller. In making his report, he will document the continued "impairment" of Warren Brook.

Phase II
Sean will work to develop a restoration design and to get the environmental permits for a 900’ section from Griffin Hill Road to Rt 123A. Woody structures are needed in the stream but the new bridge location hinders any new work that could be done. Sean will consider removing all the riprap in this particular stretch. In addition, floodplain culverts that will divert overflow waters up onto the rebuilt floodplains will be needed.

If funding becomes available, this Warren Brook work could become a Demonstration Project. The Design phase will be done in early winter, then Sean will meet with DOT in December. There is a possibility that there will be Stimulus Funds to complete this work but it is hard to know. Every landowner will need to be contacted in the sections where the work is being proposed. In Steve Couture’s absence (via deployment to Iraq), Laura Weit and Eric Williams of DES will fill his role. A broad level assessment of Warren Brook from Cooper Hill to the Cold River is much needed. Projects below Breshear’s property might still be able to show signs of successful return to a fully functioning stream system.

Comments from the LAC will be needed before any designs and permit applications get too far along.

Deb will email Sean the current email addresses of the LAC and we will all stay in touch. At this point, Sean left the meeting to head north to home.

Minutes of September 24, 2009
Minutes were amended as follows: typo was fixed on page 2 ("no" to "now"); addition of statement that "The LAC requires two officers’ signatures on transactions over $1,000", and a clarification of topics covered at the Langdon Planning Board presentation by Mike Heidorn. Fred Ernst moved and Austin Hunter seconded that the minutes of September 26, 2009 be accepted as amended. Motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report – Sam Sutcliffe
A written report dated 10/22/09 was received from the Treasurer with signed copies to Co-Chair Montgomery and the Secretary. The balance as of September 30, 2009 was $7767.81. See attached report.

Water Quality Monitoring –Fred Ernst in Mike’s absence
Fred reported that Mike will update the WQM site map, as some sites do not have names or numbers. Entering all sites via GPS in the future is possible. Fred is willing to help Mike on this.

Designated River Signs
Defer until next month when Sue returns.

Land Protection
Deb reported that she has spoken with the landowner on the river regarding the land protection issue as well as with the abutters who already have a conservation easement on their property. She will also contact the Acworth Select board to see if they would be interested in accepting this particular land gift and follow up with DES about the logistics of an LAC owning land.

Stream Crossing Rules
Defer to next month.

Trout, Pools, and Rocks – Fred Ernst
Defer to next month

Website - Jen
Defer to next month

Meeting adjourned at 8:45PM.

Respectfully Submitted,