A meeting is being held in Ridgefield tonight about proposed rehabilitation of the Norwalk River Great Swamp Dam.  The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is looking to craft a plan to rehabilitate the dam so it meets current safety, performance, and design criteria.  The dam provides flood protection to residents of the Towns of Redding and Ridgefield and enhances habitat for wetland wildlife. 

Tonight's meeting is at 7pm in the Charter Oak Room in the Ridgefield Recreation Center on Danbury Road. 

DEEP will evaluate several options for the dam including taking no action, removing it, rehabilitate the structure or taking non-structural measures.  Federal funding is helping to pay for the planning phase, but none has been secured at this point for the design or construction.  Public input and time to answer questions or concerns will be part of the meeting.  

Staff from DEEP, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and their consultants, along with the Connecticut Dam Safety Program, will provide an update on planning activities to date, the reasons dam rehabilitation is needed, and the alternatives being considered.