State environmental officials pledged Tuesday to look for a means to fund a hydrological study that would be needed before repairs to three dams at Long Pond and Bush Pond in North Stonington and Ledyard could be made.

"I see your sign. We're here to help," said Macky McCleary, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, told one of about 25 lakeside homeowners who gathered for a meeting with him at the dams and state boat launch on Long Pond. The sign he was referring to, held by Bill Albe of Ledyard, read, "Save Long Pond." Several other attendees held identical signs.

The meeting with McCleary and Art Christian, supervising civil engineer in DEEP's dam safety division, was organized by state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, at the request of members of the Lantern Hill Valley Association, a group of about 25 homeowners.

The association has been seeking help from the state for several years amid concerns about the aging dams and how to pay for repairs. The group also is concerned about the presence of invasive Asiatic clams in Long Pond that first appeared two years ago.

After visiting the boat launch and the dams with the group, McCleary said he will meet with DEEP wildlife, fisheries and dam safety officials to locate sources of funding that could be used to fund the hydrological study, estimated to cost $15,000. The study would help determine how the three dams interact to control water flows between the two ponds and downstream, as well as look at the impact of the clams. The oldest and largest of the three dams is a stone and earthen structure that is 230 years old that last had major repairs in the 1970s when the association was first formed, according to Betsy Graham, recording secretary of the Lantern Hill Valley Association.

Determining ownership of and responsibility for the dams is complicated by the fact that about one-third of the waterfront on the ponds is part of the Eastern Pequot reservation, which is held in trust by the state, and another portion is controlled by DEEP as part of the boat launch. The association, Graham added, is a small group without the funds to undertake major repairs.

"It's also complicated because it's Ledyard here and North Stonington over there," and impacts of a dam failure would be seen downstream in Groton and Stonington, Graham said. "We're looking for the state to do an engineering study, so we can make an informed decision about shared responsibility."

Christian said his office did an inspection of the dams after flooding in the area in 2010 and determined that repairs are needed, but that a hydrological study should be done first.

Joe Perry, treasurer of the Eastern Pequot tribal council, was among those at the meeting with McCleary and Christian. He said he represented members of the tribe who live around the ponds.

"We are seeking to have these issues addressed," he said. "We have concerns."

j.benson@theday.com

Twitter: @BensonJudy