A very popular CT lake needs a revised master plan. What to know.

A Connecticut lake that has not had its master plan changed for 45 years is ready for an update.

That’s according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, which says the process to revise the 1979 Mansfield Hollow Lake Master Plan for the Mansfield Hollow Lake project in Mansfield is about to kick off.

According to the corps, the existing Mansfield Hollow Lake Master Plan was last approved in 1979 and “needs revision to address changes in regional land use, population, outdoor recreation trends,” and the corps management policy, according to the agency.

The corps said the area annually “attracts more than 574,900 visitors,” and that those visitors “spend an estimated $8.45 million within 30 miles of the lake,” while an estimated “237 jobs in the local community are supported by visitors to Mansfield Hollow Lake.”

Further, the master plan serves as “the strategic land use management document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all recreational, natural and cultural resources throughout the life of the water resource development project. It defines how USACE will manage the resources for public use and conservation,” according to the agency.

The corps notes that topics to be discussed in the revised master plan will include: “updated land use classifications, new natural and recreational resource management objectives, recreation facility needs, and special issues such as invasive species management and threatened and endangered species habitat.”

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns 2,472 acres there, of which the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection leases approximately 2,300 acres for recreation and natural resource management, according to the agency.

The corps notes that Connecticut manages the lake, and that it is an “increasingly popular recreational attraction.”

“On a graceful, pine-covered bluff overlooking the broad expanse of water, picnic tables and fireplaces for both families and large groups are available,” the agency shares online. “Many acres of open field lie adjacent to the bluff and may be used for softball, touch football, volleyball, and other team sports and group activities. A 4.5-mile walking/cross-country skiing trail leads through former pastures and the stone foundation remnants of former homesteads. The persistent hiker may find evidence of habitation by the Nipmuck Tribe. Other park facilities include a boat ramp, drinking water, and parking and sanitary areas.”

More to know, according to the corps:

• Mansfield Hollow Dam lies on the confluence of the Natchaug, Fenton and Mt. Hope Rivers in Mansfield;
• The dam is part of a network of six flood risk management dams in the Thames River Basin constructed and maintained by the New England District;
• Construction of the dam began in 1949 and was completed in May 1952 at a cost of $6.5 million;
• The dam consists of earth fill with stone slope protection;
• It has a length of 14,050 feet and a height of 68 feet;
• The project also consists of six earthfill dikes with stone slope protection that total 2,656 feet in length and have a maximum height of 53 feet.
• With over 15 miles of trails, 2,472 acres of land, 450 acres of water, picnic areas, and a boat launch, the lake can accommodate all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts
• While the main purpose of Mansfield Hollow Lake was to provide flood risk management to the Thames River Basin, over the years the lake has become a recreational draw due to its location and beautiful natural surroundings.
• Fish species observed in the lake include black crappie, pumpkinseed and bluegill sunfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, white sucker, American eel, golden shiner, carp and rainbow, brook, and brown trout;
• Northern pike are also present, having been reintroduced to the lake in 1992.

The corps notes that issues managed at Mansfield Hollow Lake, include “flood risk management, wildlife habitat, forest production, watershed protection and outdoor recreation.”

The open house will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. May 2 at the Mansfield Library Programming Room at 54 Warrenville Road, Mansfield Center. Corps members will be there to share information about the revision process, the general schedule and collect initial feedback from the public.

For more information about Mansfield Hollow Lake, visit the project website at https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Mansfield-Hollow-Lake/.

The corps noted that revisions will not not address “the technical and operational aspects of the Mansfield Hollow Lake project related to flood risk management or the water conservation missions of the project,” and that “All project lands and waters are under the jurisdiction of CFR Title 36 regulations, state and local laws.”

An initial 30-day public comment period will begin May 2 and end June 1 and the public can submit comments, suggestions and concerns about the master plan, according to the agency.

Comments must be submitted in writing at the open house or digitally via the comment form on the Mansfield Hollow Lake Master Plan revision website.

The site is at  https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Mansfield-Hollow-Lake/Mansfield-Hollow-Lake-Master-Plan/.