For the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine
Good afternoon LSC, we have some great news to share.
Back in early January, we let you know that we had earned the 2026 Healthy Ecosystems - Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention and Management Grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and NEIWPCC for $25k to help fund our Greeter and DASH programs.
We are happy to report that we have also earned an Aquatic Nuisance Control Grant-In-Aid Program Grant from the State for $25,489 also in support of these important programs.
LSCA trustees have been working very hard over the winter on these grants, and we are extremely happy to have secured this grant funding for Lake St. Catherine!
In total, that's $50,489 in grant funding earned for the Greeter and DASH programs! These funds will go a long way, but will only partially fund the total costs of both of these programs for the 2026 season. Membership dues and contributions from the lake community, and allocations from the towns make up the rest of the funding for these programs.
About the Greeter Program:
Our Greeter Program is very important to the health of Lake St. Catherine. Our Greeters have been trained to identify aquatic invasive species (AIS) - like spiny waterflea, golden clams, water chestnut, starry stonewort and zebra mussels - to stop them from entering LSC at the boat launch in Wells. They also educate boaters about the importance of looking for these invasives on their boat or trailer so they are not spread to LSC or another lake. Each year, they do a fantastic job checking vessels and educating the lake community on the dangers of invasive species for Lake St. Catherine. They are on duty from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Traditionally, through State Grant funding and contributions from our members, we were ale to staff the boat launch on the busiest days: Friday through Sunday, holidays, and during fishing tournaments. Earning this grant last year allowed us, for the first time, to be able to staff every day between Memorial and Labor day, and we will be able to do this again this year.
About the DASH Program:
Our DASH crew suits up in scuba gear and hand-pulls milfoil by the roots from the lakebed. In sections of lower milfoil density, they will swim the area and hand-pull milfoil with mesh bags. In higher density areas, they will set up the DASH equipment which allows them to suction the hand-pulled milfoil up through a tube to a catch table on a boat. Milfoil is then placed in 17.5 gallon buckets for transport off the lake. Using plant data collected from the fall survey, and the survey that will be conducted in the spring, a map will be created to show where the DASH team will focus on this season.
Thanks to everyone who has become a member, or renewed their membership for 2026 - we appreciate your support. If you have yet to renew for the 2026, we hope to earn your support. We have membership levels for everyone who loves LSC - and you can renew or become a member here: https://www.lakestcatherine.org/become-a-member
Thank you!
Hello LSC, and residents of Wells & Poultney,
Saturday, May 2nd is Green Up Vermont Day.
Green Up Vermont is a state-wide volunteer cleanup day of Vermont's roads and waterways.
As Green Up Vermont's website says:
"We know it isn’t your litter but Vermont needs our help to be beautiful!"
We've had FANTASTIC turnouts over the past several years, with volunteers signing up to cover every road around the lake, and additional roads in Wells & Poultney - and we're looking to do it again this year. You can check out a quick recap, and see lots of photos from our volunteers of our 2025 Green UP Vermont Day here.
Would you like to volunteer for Green Up Vermont Day?
If so, email us at info@lakestcatherine.org, or contact us on Facebook, and let us know the roads (or sections of roads) you'd like to work on, and we'll add you to our volunteer map (see below). You can also visit the Wells or Poultney Town Halls to pick up bags, and let them know where you'll work.
Roads highlighted in blue on the map indicate that the road (or section of road) is being covered by a volunteer. We'll do our best to coordinate the efforts so we all know what areas are covered, and which areas need volunteers.
2026 Map (click here to view full-screen):
Wells:
As we did last year, in coordination with the Town of Wells, we will be hosting a brief kickoff to the day at the Wells Lakeside Park on Little Lake at 8 AM that morning. Please stop in to pick up Green Up bags, fuel up on coffee and muffins from the Wells Country Store to get energized for the day, and meet your fellow volunteers, or stop in to see us to talk about the lake! Green Up Bags are available now at the Town Hall, and will be available at the Park that morning. Also, the Wells Village Library will have high-visibility vests and grabber reacher tools to borrow.
Poultney:
Green Up Day bags are currently available at the Town Hall. If Poultney plans a meetup or event, we'll let you know.
So, let us know if you'd like to participate and where you'll do your clean up, and we'll add your area to the map. We'll keep the map up-to-date here, and on our website Calendar, on the May 2nd Green Up Vermont Day event. You can view that here: 2026 Green Up Vermont Day Event.
Let's all pitch in to get Lake St. Catherine, and Wells & Poultney ready for a great Summer!
On Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, the residents of Wells and Poultney voted to provide $12,000 and $15,000, respectively, in support of the Lake St. Catherine Association's mission of the preservation, protection and maintenance of beautiful Lake St. Catherine.
We'd like to thank the good folks of both towns for their continued support!
These allocations from the towns, grants earned from the state & environmental organizations, and contributions from the lake community in the form of donations & membership dues make up our funding for the season.
You can read about work of the LSCA for the benefit of Lake St. Catherine in our full 2025 Year in Review by clicking here:
https://lakestcatherine.org/2025-year-in-review
If you'd like to contribute, please consider becoming a member or making a donation. We have multiple membership levels available. These include memberships for cottage owners, business sponsors, and our Supporter Of LSC level for those of you who love LSC but are not a cottage owner (like family members of property owners, renters and those who use the lake for recreation).
The LSCA is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.
Thanks again to the residents of Wells and Poultney!
Hello LSC - are you ready for Spring - and getting excited for another fantastic season at Lake St. Catherine this year?
We made it to March, and with temperatures predicted to hit the 60s soon, it's time for our yearly fun contest to predict when the ice will go out.
Last year, the ice went out on March 23rd, and you can see a list of the past winners below.
Please fill out the form below to make your guess:
https://forms.gle/GagmpjqTWnMzXoeX6
Note: Since the ice is good at hanging around in some of the bays for quite a while, we'll use open water in the middle of the Big Lake to make the call on the date & time for ice out. Let's say if you could drive a boat from the western shore to to the eastern shore of Cones Point.
The winner will be crowned "LSC 2026 Ice Out Champion" and will have bragging rights all year!
Will your name be added to this list of previous Ice Out Champions?
Make your guess - and good luck!
We'd like to let you know about this great Vermont Fish and Wildlife program called Junior Warden Weekend, taking place at the Edward F. Kehoe Green Mountain Conservation Camp on Lake Bomoseen, August 1st & 2nd - and the Lake St. Catherine Association would like to sponsor a teen from Wells or Poultney to participate!
Teens ages 15-17 are invited to come learn up close how F&W Game Wardens contribute to conservation in Vermont. Participants will spend the weekend fishing, hiking, exploring mock crime scenes, and seeing K-9 units in action, and teens will stay in the cabins and enjoy campfires, s’mores, swimming, and other camp activities during their stay.
More details about Junior Warden Weekend are included below, and here is the direct link to learn more and apply:
https://vtfishandwildlife.com/learn-more/conservation-education/junior-warden-weekend
The LSCA would like to sponsor a teen from Wells or Poultney and cover the participation fee for them to attend this fun and educational weekend. If your teen from Wells or Poultney applies, please let us know at info@lakestcatherine.org, and we'll work with the program coordinator to make a donation to cover their fee. Spots are limited to 25 teens, so be sure to get your application in soon before the program is full. We'll sponsor the first applicant from Wells or Poultney that the program receives.
A good snowy morning to you LSC.
We wanted to provide a quick update on our 2026 Membership Drive. After a stop to the PO Box this morning, we are now at 214 members - more than halfway to our goal of 400 members.
Thank you to everyone who has joined or renewed for the 2026 season! We are working as quickly as we can to get your membership packages out to you.
Here's how you can join or renew:
• To join or renew on our website, please visit this page: https://www.lakestcatherine.org/become-a-member
• To pay by check, you can download our 2026 membership form here: https://www.lakestcatherine.org/resources/Documents/2026_LSCA_Membership_Form.pdf
We hope to earn your support for the 2026 season!
You can always see up-to-date membership stats on our website here: https://www.lakestcatherine.org/membership-statistics
Your LCSA Trustees are hard at work planning for the 2026 season, including applying for grants, and creating workplans for grants that we have already earned for 2026.
Thanks for your support of the LSCA!
Good morning LSC. We have some exciting news to share!
We are very happy to report that the LSCA has earned the 2026 Healthy Ecosystems - Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention and Management Grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) & NEIWPCC for $25,000 to be used for our Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting Program (DASH), and our Greeter Program at the public access boat launch in Wells.
These funds will help to partially fund these two very important programs for Lake St. Catherine in 2026.
Thank you to the LCBP & NEWIPCC for their continued support of Lake St. Catherine!
The LSCA will also be applying soon for State funds through the State's 2026 Aquatic Nuisance Control Grant-in-Aid program to earn additional funds that will also help to partially fund both of these programs. Contributions from both Wells and Poultney, and membership contributions make up the funding for the important programs.
Finally, our 2026 Membership Drive just launched in the New Year, and we hope to earn your support. You can learn more about becoming a member of the Lake St. Catherine Association on our website here: https://www.lakestcatherine.org/become-a-member
Happy New Year LSC!
This photo was taken this morning after talking a VERY SHORT walk onto the Big Lake. We have not checked the ice thickness - so PLEASE be careful.
Thanks to all in the lake community for your support of the Lake St. Catherine Association as we work to fulfill our mission of the preservation, protection, and maintenance of beautiful Lake St. Catherine! We are looking forward to 2026!
Finally, our 2026 Membership Drive is underway. We hope to earn your support for the 2026 season. You can read all about the membership drive, and how you can support the LSCA here: https://lakestcatherine.org/2026-membership-drive
Thanks again for your support & best wishes for 2026!
Hello LSC.
It's that time of year again... As the Lake St. Catherine Association heads into its 73rd year, we are asking for your support for the 2026 season.
Your membership contributions & donations, along with allocations from the towns of Wells & Poultney, and grants earned from the state and the Lake Champlain Basin Program & NEIWPCC help us to fulfill our mission of the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine by helping to fund important lake programs and projects. Some of which include: water quality improvement programs like Lake Wise, the LSC Stormwater Master Plan, and the Lake St. Catherine Watershed Action Plan, and our aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention and control programs like our Greeter, Vermont Invasive Patroller (VIP), and Milfoil Control Programs.
You can also check out our recently published 2025 Year In Review which outlines all the work the LSCA and our partners performed on behalf of our members and the lake community in 2025. You can read that here:
LSCA's 2025 Year In Review
We have multiple membership levels available. These include memberships for cottage owners, business sponsors, and our Supporter Of LSC level for those of you who love LSC but are not a cottage owner (like family members of property owners, renters and those who use the lake for recreation).
There are two easy ways to renew or become a member of the LSCA.
Soon, you will be receiving a mailing from us that contains the 2026 Membership Form. You can also download a copy by clicking here: 2026 Membership Form - just print and fill out the form, then mail it in with your check to:
Lake St. Catherine Association PO Box 631 Wells, VT 05774
Our mailing looks like this:
Or, you can renew or become a member on our website. If you were a member in 2025, click here to renew: https://lakestcatherine.org/membership-renewal, or click here to become a new member: https://lakestcatherine.org/become-a-member - and you can pay your dues online with your credit card.
If you were a member last year (whether you paid by check or online by credit card), the website has an account ready for you. If you don't remember your password, or have never logged in, please click here: https://lakestcatherine.org/Sys/ResetPasswordRequest to set or reset your password.
We'd also like to encourage you to check with your employer to see if they have an Employer Matching Gift Program for charitable donations. Many generous businesses will match donations made by their employees through these programs. So, take a look - you may be able to double your contribution!
Upon receiving your membership contribution, we’ll send you the 2026 membership package, which will include: your receipt, a '2026 Member' sticker for your LSCA window card (or a card & sticker for new members - let us know if you need a new window card), a hand-written thank you note, and a new, beautifully designed 3" x 3" iron-on patch depicting a great blue heron from Lake St. Catherine.
We'd like to thank LSC camp owner Andrew Gioulis (VT Lake House) for again providing a fantastic design for the 2026 patch, which you can see below:
We are happy to report that in 2025, we had 383 paid members, which includes 16 Business Sponsors. The average contribution of our members was over $200 - THANK YOU!
Your membership dues and additional contributions over and above our base $100 membership level are crucial to funding our important lake programs. As always, we ask you to help us to spread the word by discussing the LSCA with your neighbors. We are hoping to get our membership to over 400 this year.
We will continue to work hard for Lake St. Catherine to earn your support.
Thank you for your support of the LSCA!
- The Trustees of the Lake St. Catherine Association
If you ever have any questions about your membership or Lake St. Catherine, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org.
Hello LSC, we have some great news to share.
In partnership with the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District (PMNRCD), we have earned a grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and NEIWPCC for $15,097 to perform Lake Wise assessments, and to install best management practices (BMPs) on Lake St. Catherine. This grant also includes up to an additional $20,000 for supplies and materials to install BMPs around the lake!
Lake Wise is a program developed by Vermont’s Lakes and Ponds Program to recognize outstanding efforts by homeowners who live along a lakeshore to protect the water quality and habitat along the shoreline and within the near-shore area of the lake.
Stormwater has a widespread environmental impact which makes it a growing concern in Vermont. In a statewide effort, towns and local organizations are working to implement large scale projects to help clean stormwater before it enters water bodies. Excess nutrients in the water contribute to problems which affect both human and wildlife health including; lower oxygen levels in the water, toxic algae blooms, and excessive plant growth, which is why limiting stormwater from carrying phosphorus, nitrogen, sediments, and other pollutants into the lake is so important.
Projects can include the creation of buffer areas, native plantings, water diversion and water infiltration, and shoreline stabilization.
Currently, Lake St. Catherine has 29 Lake Wise Award winning properties. You can learn more about Lake Wise on Lake St. Catherine, and can see where these properties are on the lake by viewing the interactive map on our Lake Wise page here: https://lakestcatherine.org/lake-wise-program.
The LSCA & PMNRCD would like to help other Lake St. Catherine property owners implement best practices to mitigate stormwater on their properties, and help them to earn the Lake Wise award. To date, over 110 properties have participated in the Lake Wise Program, and have at least received an initial assessment. This program is FREE to shoreline property owners, with funding earned through grants. If you would like to have your property assessed, or if you would like a reassessment, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org to sign up for Lake Wise 2026.
2024 Lake Wise Award Winners Kimberly Thomas & Dave Williams
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