The City of Lebanon is soliciting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from interested consulting firms to develop a watershed-based management plan for Mascoma Lake Watershed located in Grafton and Sullivan counties in the central western region of New Hampshire. The watershed-based management plan shall meet the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requirements for nine-element (a-i) watershed-based management plan to mitigate phosphorus loading in Mascoma Lake Watershed. Mascoma Lake has experienced increased harmful algal blooms (HAB’s) events in recent years resulting in beach and recreational notices or closure on Mascoma Lake.
Development of an EPA nine key element (‘a-i’) watershed-based management plan for Mascoma Lake Watershed will assess the health of the waters in Mascoma Lake, result in identification of sources of pollutants, and provide a roadmap for mitigation and protection efforts in the future. The plan will address external and internal phosphorus loading to Mascoma Lake and the subwatersheds though development of a management plan that identifies the sources and the necessary steps to reduce loading from each of the subwatersheds within Mascoma Lake Watershed.
BACKGROUND
The Mascoma River Basin Watershed is in Grafton and Sullivan counties in the central western region of New Hampshire. The watershed covers 195 square miles, which includes nine communities and major regional water bodies of Mascoma Lake, Goose Pond, Crystal Lake, and Grafton Pond. The lakes and ponds in the watershed are operated as a unit for storage of water for hydroelectric power and recreation. Based on United States Geological Survey (USGS) data, the usable capacity of the four reservoirs is 1.06 billion cubic feet. Mascoma Lake feeds the Mascoma River the only source water supply for the City of Lebanon Water Treatment Plant. Mascoma Lake is surrounded by homes and cottages and is used for recreational purposes. A dam is used to control the water level in the lake, which also serves to regulate the outflow into the Mascoma River. According to 2023 reports, the flow of the river averages 15.6 MGD with a maximum of 150.2 MGD and minimum of 2.9 MGD.
Electronic copies of your Statement of Qualification should be emailed in PDF format and received no later than Wednesday February 16, 2024 at 4pm to Robert Buras at: robert.buras@lebanonnh.gov Include “Mascoma Lake Watershed RFQ” in the subject line. Alternatively, if unable to submit electronically, two (2) hardcopies must be submitted by the closing date and time to the City of Lebanon, 193 Dartmouth College Highway Lebanon, NH 03766, Attention: Robert Buras and include “Mascoma Lake Watershed RFQ” on the outside of the package/envelope.
See the Mascoma Lake Watershed Management Plan RFQ for more information.
This RFQ can also be found here: Project overview (opengov.com)
Contact Robert Buras at: robert.buras@lebanonnh.gov with questions.