We have some exciting news to share!

Last week, we were informed that the Lake St. Catherine Association had been awarded a Pollution Prevention grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program in the amount of $19,920. Two days later, we got the news that we'd also been awarded an Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention grant in the amount of $14,141.

With the support of the Town of Poultney and Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District, LSCA Vice President Martha Pofit submitted applications for these grants in late October (note: we are waiting to hear about two other grants we have applied for). Thanks to everyone's hard work, a total of $34,061 in grants from the LCBP will be coming to Lake St. Catherine!

Here's Martha to tell you all about these grants for 2020:

LAKE ST. CATHERINE ASSOCIATION HONORED TO RECEIVE $19,920 FROM THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN PROGRAM….

THEN JUST TWO DAYS LATER, LEARNED IT ALSO WAS APPROVED TO RECEIVE $14,141 TO EXPAND OUR PROGRAM TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES. THE LSCA TRUSTEES ARE BEYOND THRILLED BY THESE EVENTS TO BENEFIT ITS MEMBERSHIP!

The Lake St. Catherine Association is proud to announce it has been chosen by the Lake Champlain Basin Program in 2020 to reduce phosphorus and silt entering the Lake from stormwater runoff.

In addition to the many activities already underway, a new program will appoint Lake ambassadors, named Neighborhood Captains, around the Lake to organize a gathering of neighbors to review the lessons learned from other homeowners in modifying their lakefront, paid in part or full from the grant. The number and intensity of spring storms has challenged homeowner properties and the grant is an opportunity to have an assessment with recommendations for enhancements that may range from plantings to drainage. The assessments would be performed by our partner, the Poultney-Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District in the spring and early summer, with residents eligible by the end of the summer for the prestigious Lake Wise Award. (Note: in 2019, long-time property owners the Binghams were the first LSC property to earn the Lake Wise Award. You can read their story here.)

Improving the Lake St. Catherine watershed is a multi-part program that involves pollution control, reduction in the spread of aquatic invasive species, fixing compromised culverts and road surfaces and re-diverting runoff away from the Lake. It will take the best efforts of the Towns, tactical basin partners, Lake Assns., businesses, Lake residents and the general public who have come to enjoy the amazing recreational opportunities of our beautiful Lake. The Lake St. Catherine Association has been working hard to secure funding for our long term strategy and has been successful in attracting grants, first from the Vermont Watershed Grant program in 2019 to expand our boat launch education and outreach program and now in 2020 from the distinguished Lake Champlain Basin Program local implementation grants.

In addition to the fabulous news on December 17th that we received the Pollution Prevention Grant, imagine our joy to learn on December 19th that we also were approved to receive $14,141 to implement the Lake St. Catherine Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention’s higher level of performance, a two-pronged attack will be initiated in 2020: the Boat Launch Greeter Program expanding coverage hours during times of high boat traffic along with coverage of fishing tourneys, during the 4th of July week, expanding the overall program by 25% and creating a zero-tolerance for zebra mussels campaign. In addition to the Greeter program, there will be an examination and analysis of the Channel adjacent to the Boat Launch for harvesting by the Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH) program to minimize AIS uptake upon boat retrieval, with a special protocol on zebra mussels given their emerging threat to Vermont Lakes in 2020.

All of grant-related activities have been made through voluntary efforts of the Lake St. Catherine Association Trustees. If we all work together, our beloved Lake St. Catherine will be protected and preserved both now and for the future. Many of you have already volunteered to help and if you also would like to be a Neighborhood Captain, and/or have a Lake Wise assessment of your property in 2020, please contact Lake St. Catherine Association Trustee, Martha Pofit, at: martha.pofit@lakestcatherine.org.