Ramapo Mountain Lakes, Inc. Crystal Lake Dredging Frequently Asked Questions & Answers What is dredging? Dredging is an excavation activity carried out in a body of water with the purpose of gathering bottom sediments and disposing of it at a different location. Why remove sediments from a lake? Removing sediments improves recreational access for swimming, boating, and fishing, and improves water quality. How does dredging improve water quality? Dredging improves water quality by reducing the amount of nutrients available from the sediments, thereby reducing nuisance algae blooms. This can occur through direct removal of nutrient-rich sediments or by deepening the lake sufficiently to allow thermal stratification to develop and thereby limit nutrient movement from deep-water areas to the upper waters. For lakes that freeze in the winter, fish survival can be enhanced by removing oxygen-demanding sediments and creating deeper water areas. What is a watershed? A watershed is the land area that drains into a body of water. The boundary of a lake’s watershed is defined by the highest points and ridges of land around the lake. Rain falling or snow melting on the inside of the ridge flows by gravity, over the ground and in streams and groundwater, to the lake. Other names for a watershed are drainage basin and drainage area. What is the size of the watershed or drainage area for Crystal Lake? The size of the Crystal Lake watershed or drainage area is 7.7 square miles. Crystal Lake receives water from street storm drains, unnamed streams, and lakes that are in Franklin Lakes and Oakland. The lakes include Franklin Lake, Huber Lake, and Mirror Lake. There are networks of street drains and underground pipes that direct water to the lakes and streams. The networks end in Allerman Brook (called Pond Brook in Franklin Lakes), which is the principal source of water into Crystal Lake. What are the sources of sediment in Crystal Lake? Sediment comes from eroding stream banks and from municipal storm drains. The principal sediment source entering Crystal Lake is eroding stream banks along Allerman Brook. Major storms and hurricanes drive large amounts of sediment, tree limbs, and leaves into the lake, along with trash that residents and motorists throw or leave along streets and highways.

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Ramapo Mountain Lakes, Inc. Crystal Lake Dredging Frequently Asked Questions & Answers Are there any areas of major erosion along Allerman Brook that require near term remediation? Yes. The NJ Department of Transportation property at I-287 Exit Ramp C has a significant eroding Allerman Brook bank that the NJDOT has known it must remediate since Hurricane Irene in August 2011. No progress has occurred despite an inspection and follow-up emails and telephone calls. There is also bank erosion at the stream curve behind the properties at 17 and 19 Sioux Avenue, Oakland. There has been no action to remediate this area because neither the Borough of Oakland nor the County of Bergen has been willing to acknowledge responsibility for repairing the stream bank. Hurricane Irene and previous storms damaged the bank armoring installed to prevent erosion. Has Crystal Lake been dredged? Yes. A major dredging of Crystal Lake occurred in 1968 -1970. Over 295,000 cubic yards of silt was removed. A minor dredging occurred in 2012-2013, when 15,000 cubic yards of silt was removed. What are the most important items needed to complete a dredging project? 1. 2. 3. 4.

Funding Finding a location to place the dredged material Obtaining government-issued permits Identifying a contractor with the resources to do the entire project

Why is funding listed first? With sufficient funding, items 2, 3, and 4 become relatively easy to accomplish. How much funding would be required? The amount of funding required depends on many factors:    

The volume of material removed The distance to the move the material Whether the recipient of the dredged material needs the material Whether the Borough of Oakland sponsors or participates in the dredging

Why is finding a location to place the dredged material important? Federal and state environmental laws have made finding a property owner willing to accept dredged material increasingly difficult. The material must be tested to identify any unacceptable chemicals. The cost of one test can range from $1,000 to $1,500.

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Ramapo Mountain Lakes, Inc. Crystal Lake Dredging Frequently Asked Questions & Answers Does New Jersey have rules that govern dredging? Yes. The Flood Hazard Control Act Rules, N.J.A.C. 7:13 Which state department or bureau administers the Flood Hazard Control Act? New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Division of Land Use Regulation 501 E. State Street, Mail Code 501-02A, PO 420 Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0420 What is the website address for the NJDEP Division of Land Use Regulation? The NJDEP Division of Land Use Regulation website: www.nj.gov/dep/landuse Does the Flood Hazard Control Act require an owner to obtain a permit to dredging a lake? Yes. N.J.A.C. 7:13 has extensive requirements for lake dredging. Which form must be submitted to obtain a permit? Division of Land Use Regulation Application Form (LURP-2) must be submitted with a Flood Hazard Area Individual Checklist. What are the documents that must be submitted with the Application Form? Item 1 2 3 4 5 6

Description Flood Hazard Area Individual Checklist Application Report Environmental Report Public Notice Requirements documentation Application Fee Drawings, signed & sealed by a NJ licensed engineer

N.J.A.C. Ref. -7:13-15.3 7:13-15.5 7:13-16 7:13-16 --

Copies 1 3 3 1 1 6

Are there any other state permits required to dredge a lake? 1. A Water Lowering Permit must be obtained from the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries (Refer to the website at www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw for the application and fee schedule. 2. A Scientific Collecting Permit and a Fish Stocking Permit must be obtained from the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

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Ramapo Mountain Lakes, Inc. Crystal Lake Dredging Frequently Asked Questions & Answers Are there any county permits required to dredge a lake? Yes. A prerequisite to lake dredging is a permit from the Bergen County Soil Conservation District. Refer to the website at http://bergenscd.org for the application and fee schedule. What documents must be submitted with the application for a Bergen County Soil Conservation District permit? A soil erosion and sediment control plan must be submitted. Does dredging require lowering the lake? Dredging would require lowering the lake water level below the lowest level achieved by the two existing outlet pipes (spillway & 173 Lakeshore Drive). It would therefore require use of a pump to direct the incoming water from storm drains and Allerman Brook to and over the spillway into the Ramapo River channel. The pump would have to operate continuously throughout the dredging operation. Does the NJDEP require fish to be collected and removed when a lake is completely lowered for dredging? Yes. The guidance from the NDEP Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries is as follows: “When a waterbody is completely drained or lowered beyond the extent able to support fish the fish must be collected and relocated (salvaged). The salvage is the responsibility of the permittee and should be conducted during the early spring or fall (from September 15 to November 1 for northern waters), when handling and transportation is less stressful on the fish and reptiles and amphibians have yet to begin hibernation. Allowing fish to be flushed downstream is an unacceptable practice as it overloads the receiving waters with fish and can result in fish mortality downstream. A Scientific Collecting Permit and Fish Stocking Permit are required to perform fish salvage.” Fish salvage must be performed by a NJDEP-approved aquatic consultant firm. Does the condition of the Crystal Lake dam a consideration by NJDEP for issuing a permit? Yes. NJDEP Bureau of Dam Safety & Flood Control must consider the Crystal Lake dam to be in good condition before NJDEP Land Use would approve a permit to dredge. How much material must be dredged from Crystal Lake? Based on a 2012 survey, Boswell Engineering determined that 106,000 cubic yards should be removed, assuming that RML wanted to dredge the entire lake. The 2012-2013 dredging project removed 15,000 cubic yards. The balance would be 91,000 cubic yards.

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Ramapo Mountain Lakes, Inc. Crystal Lake Dredging Frequently Asked Questions & Answers What are the major construction cost items? 1. Excavating material from the lake 2. Trucking dredged material from lake to destination 3. Tipping fees for dredged material at destination

How long would the project take? The project could require one to two years to complete, depending on weather and the area used to dry the dredged material. The work year for outdoor construction in New Jersey is typically limited to 180 days because of adverse weather. Heavy rainfall that would fill part or all of the lake would delay progress. Why is the area used to dry the dredged material important? The dredged material cannot be transported to the final destination if it is very wet. The material cannot dry in the lakebed because a major storm can fill the empty lake in one day. The only drying area available is the limited area of the beach property. The dredged material would be piled high on the beach property to compress the material, which causes it to dry more quickly. What must a prospective contractor consider in preparing a bid or proposal? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Silt Fence Temporary Water Diversion Channel Electric Pumps Jobsite Office Trailer Excavating Equipment Dump Trucks Wheel Cleaning Pad Street Cleaning

What is a silt fence? A silt fence is a temporary sediment control device used on construction sites to protect water quality in nearby streams, rivers, lakes and seas from sediment (loose soil) in stormwater runoff. A typical fence consists of a piece of synthetic filter fabric (also called a geotextile) stretched between a series of wooden or metal fence stakes along a horizontal contour level. A 3,000 foot long silt fence would be required around the edge of the lake. Why is a temporary water diversion channel required? Dredging will require creation of a temporary diversion channel to direct the incoming water flow from Allerman Brook and the three Oakland storm drains to the spillway.

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Ramapo Mountain Lakes, Inc. Crystal Lake Dredging Frequently Asked Questions & Answers Why are electric pumps required? Two three-phase submersible electric pumps would be required to pump water from Allerman Brook over the spillway to the Ramapo River. A new 3 phase electric service could be required if the existing service to the beach club pump house is inadequate. The power line to the pump near the spillway would be carried on poles with power cutoff switches on each pole for maintenance and safety. The pumps would be required to be in use continuously throughout the project. What types of excavating equipment would be required? An excavating contractor provided the following list of the equipment that his firm would provide: Description Excavator, 5 CY bucket, 50 ft. reach Bulldozer Articulating Dump Truck

Qty 3 2 2

Function Excavate material Move material on lake bed to excavators Move excavated material from lakebed to drying area

What is a wheel cleaning pad and why would it be required? A crushed stone vehicle wheel cleaning blanket is required by code. It would be installed where the construction access road on the beach property intersects Lakeshore Drive. The blanket would be composed of 1” to 1-1/2” crushed stone, 6” thick, at least 30’ x 100’ in area, and would be underlain with a suitable synthetic sediment filter and fabric. Why would street cleaning be required? The code requires that all soil washed, dropped, spilled, or tracked outside the limit of disturbance or onto public right of ways be removed immediately. Paved roads must be kept clean at all times. Dump trucks leaving the work site would track dirt onto Lakeshore Drive and possibly onto Nokomis Avenue. Street cleaning would be required. The contractor would either purchase street cleaning service or purchase a street sweeper, which could be less expensive over the length of the project. What are the factors to consider for trucking the material to the final destination? The trucking rate would depend on the excavating progress rate, the availability of dried material after dredging, and the distance to the final destination. A truck scale located at the lake dredging site would be required if the material would be moved to a destination that does not have a truck scale.

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Ramapo Mountain Lakes, Inc. Crystal Lake Dredging Frequently Asked Questions & Answers What are the dump truck types, their capacities, and how many loads would be required to move the material to the final destination?

Type Dual Axle Tri-Axle

Dump Truck Capacities Max Max Weight Volume Capacity Capacity Dump Truck Loads to Move (Tons) (CY) 91,000 CY to Destination 22 15 6,067 25 17 5,353

Has RML found a location for the dredged material? Identifying a location that would accept material dredged from a lake is a significant issue. The dredged material would include large quantities of non-organic material and small quantities of organic material. Watercourse Cleaning (N. J. A. C. 7:13-2.5 Environmental Standards), requires that all dredged material be transported outside the 100 year floodplain. A location that would accept the dredged material is the former Tilton Quarry, operating as P. Park Reclaim & Flourish, 100 Planten Ave, Prospect Park, NJ, which is 10.2 miles from Crystal Lake.

What are the P. Park Reclaim & Flourish tipping fees? Dual axle dump trucks typically carry 14 to 15 CY. The weight of 1 CY is 1.5 ton. Using a conservative 14 cubic yards capacity, one truckload (TL) = 21 tons. The P. Park tipping fee is 14/ton ($294/TL) for material with less than 20 % moisture content and $19/ton ($400/TL) for material with more than 20% moisture content. The P. Park tipping fees are - The tipping fee for material with less than 20% moisture content = 6,515 TL x $294/TL = $1,915,481. - The tipping fee for material with more than 20% moisture content = 6,515 TL x $400/TL = $2,599,581. P. Park requires one test sample for each 3,000 CY of soil material delivered. York Analytical Laboratories has an office at the P. Park site and provides chemical testing for $1,000 / sample. The total estimated cost for soil chemical testing of all 91,000 CY of dredged material using York would be $1,000/sample x 30 = $30,000.

Could RML reduce the cost by dredging part of the lake? Yes. The lake area close to Allerman Brook and directly in front of the beach property accumulates the largest amount of silt. Limiting dredging to this area would reduce the cost and project length proportionately.

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Ramapo Mountain Lakes, Inc. Crystal Lake Dredging Frequently Asked Questions & Answers What would be the least costly dredging alternative? The least costly alternative would be a project similar to the Ramapo River Bank Stabilization Project, wherein the Borough of Oakland needed the dredged material; the Borough took the lead role; and it contracted with Boswell Engineering for the design / construction services and with the construction contractor to do the dredging and trucking work. Would it be possible to obtain a grant to dredge the lake? It is not likely that RML could find a grant source sufficient to dredge the lake because RML is a for profit corporation. Most grants are available only to government agencies and to non-profit organizations. In addition, grants typically cover only part of a project’s cost and require the receiving organization to provide a matching amount. Many organizations that seek grants contract with a specialty firm to identify grant sources and assist with the grant process. What will occur if RML never dredges the lake? Storms will move large amounts of sediment into the lake. The average lake depth will gradually decrease. Dissolved oxygen levels will decline, especially during the summer. Average water temperatures will increase during the summer. It will become difficult for some species of fish to survive. Algae blooms will occur more frequently during the summer.

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