The Deep Drawdown of Highland Lake is scheduled for Winter ‘25/’26. Currently, the town adheres to a schedule of deep drawdowns every 5th year. During deep drawdowns, Highland Lake’s water level is dropped by approximately 84 inches to afford the property owners at Highland Lake the opportunity for better access to maintain their lake walls, docks, piers and/or other structures in and on the shores of Highland Lake. Many of these maintenance projects require a permit from the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission (IWWC) before they can be implemented. The IWWC permit process requires a minimum of two meetings and IWWC meets once per month. This means that permits take a minimum of two months to be reviewed and approved, and sometimes longer, depending on the details of the project. Given the volume of applications during the 2020 drawdown, the IWWC strongly encourages property owners to get their applications in early to avoid creating a backlog resulting in potential permit approval delays. Anytime from November through February are great months to get your applications in.
