FirstLight to Begin Annual Drawdown of Candlewood Lake on January 19

NEW MILFORD, Conn. – January 16, 2026 – FirstLight, the owner and operator of the Rocky River Pumped Hydro Storage Station, will initiate the drawdown season for Candlewood Lake, which includes Squantz Pond, on Monday, January 19, 2026. The drawdown, executed in consultation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Candlewood Lake Authority, will be completed with water levels returning to normal summer operating ranges prior to Memorial Day 2026. Consulting parties have agreed to execute a shallow drawdown this year. The normal summer operating range of the station is from 429.5’-427′, and the drawdown will target an elevation of 424′ with a 2′ winter operations pumping and generation range from 424’-422′.