NASBLA Public Library

In July of 2009, the Connecticut General Assembly passed Special Act 09-12, requiring the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to make recommendations concerning the maximum boat length and motor size permitted on Candlewood Lake. The DEP reviewed existing data regarding lake use and conducted additional research to aid in making a policy suggestion. In August of 2009 DEP staff conducted a count of all vessels docked and moored on the lake.

In addition to this data, DEP staff felt it was necessary to solicit users of the lake for their comments and opinions before making any proposals. A survey was developed by Boating Division staff based on a similar study of recreational issues impacting Lake George in New York. The Lake George Recreation Study Plan was completed in 2006 by a private research firm, Adirondack Research, for the Lake George Park Commission. The survey was reviewed by representatives from each town surrounding the lake, the Candlewood Lake Authority (CLA) and several DEP employees making up a panel tasked with making the recommendations. The survey was distributed online, at marinas, boat launches, and even by on water contacts with DEP staff beginning in the first week of September. The DEP accepted surveys postmarked no later than October 7th 2009.

It is important to note the statistical limitation of this survey. The results don’t attempt to represent a true account of boating activity and opinions of all users of the lake. The survey was made available online and handed out to anyone who wished to comment. A scientific survey would target a random sample of the actual Candlewood Lake boating population. This methodology would have employed a statistical design for sampling lake users by group, weighted responses, evaluated nonresponse bias, and extrapolated survey data to represent overall lake use and opinions of different user groups. Since the data is not a random sample, a test of statistical significance between user groups’ responses was not completed. Given these limitations, the data presented in this report should be interpreted with caution.