For the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine
Hello LSC - we hope you are keeping warm during this unusually cool weekend...
Let's think about warm Summer weather, shall we?
We'd like to let you know that the 9th Annual LSCA Boat Parade has been scheduled and is open for registration!
The 9th Annual LSCA Boat Parade will be on Saturday, July 3rd at 1 PM.
We all know how fun it is to watch the boat parade, but it's even more fun to be part of it!
As we did last year, we'll take photos of all participants, and we'll have a lake-wide online vote to decide the winner.
Our categories are:
If you'd like to register your boat, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org with your name and phone number. We'll get you signed up and will reply back with your boat number.
Our 8th Annual Boat Parade winners, and current reigning champions are:
Most Patriotic:
Boat #8 - The Dunbar Family - "Party Like A Patriot"
Funniest:
Boat #9 - The Lutz & Harris Families - "Fowl Play"
Most Original:
Boat #14 - The Mroz Family - "Ice Cream Boat"
Best Overall:
Boat #1 - The Conine Family - "Ski School"
So, start thinking about your theme (and warmer weather), and mark your calendars for July 3rd! Then, email us at info@lakestcatherine.org to register your boat.
As we arrive at Memorial Day weekend, and the 'unofficial start of summer', we hope that you'll have a fun and safe season at the Lake. Please be kind and respectful of each other and our beautiful lake.
We also hope that you will take a moment on Monday to remember and honor those who have died while serving our country.
Thank you.
Good chilly afternoon LSC...
Our Boat Launch Greeters started today. They will be stationed at the boat launch in Wells and the State Park in Poultney checking boats before they enter LSC for invasive species like zebra mussels, spiny waterflea, and asian clams.
They do a *GREAT JOB* of educating boaters about the dangers of inadvertently transporting invasive species into LSC via their vessel or trailer, and by removing any they find before they can get into the lake.
Our Greeters are on duty from Memorial Day through Labor Day - working on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They also cover holidays and fishing tournaments.
Please thank them for what they do for LSC when you see them!
You can read more about the invasive species we are working to keep out of the lake and the Greeter Program on our website here: https://lakestcatherine.org/boat-launch-monitoring-greeter-program
The Lake St. Catherine Association (LSCA) is excited to announce that we have earned a grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) to create a Watershed Action Plan for Lake St. Catherine.
What is a lake watershed action plan?
From the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a Watershed Action Plan is described as:
“Watershed planning helps address water quality problems in a holistic manner by fully assessing the potential contributing causes and sources of pollution, then prioritizing restoration and protection strategies to address these problems.”
What was the Lake St. Catherine Association awarded a grant to do?
Lake Champlain Basin Program has awarded the Lake St. Catherine Association in partnership with the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District (PMNRCD) a 3-year grant to develop a Watershed Action Plan. The $38,224 awarded by the grant will allow the LSCA to hire and partner with lake experts to perform various in-lake and watershed based measurements, testing, and studies to identify current or potential future issues and design a comprehensive, long-term plan to address them. The resulting plan will leverage current LSCA investments in water quality and pollution prevention, be driven by accepted best management practices, elevate under-assessed areas and gaps, and will identify issues, opportunities, and projects to guide locally-led water quality implementation work in the Lake St. Catherine watershed.
Isn’t the Lake St. Catherine Association already doing its part in improving water quality?
Yes, after many years of successfully managing individual lake programs which include: in-lake invasive species control (Milfoil Control Program), invasive species prevention (Greeter Program), and storm water management (Lake Wise Program), the LSCA is now poised to integrate these programs into a broader watershed plan with a focus on the prevention of pollutant loads (phosphorus, nitrogen, sediments) that enter into the Lake from sources outside the waterbody. The LSCA plans to use the success of these building blocks to expand its work in the watershed and focus on prevention for the future.
Why is this grant so important?
Lake St. Catherine is located in the South Lake drainage area of the Lake Champlain Basin, which feeds high levels of phosphorus to the South Lake Basin of Lake Champlain. A primary focus of this project is reducing phosphorus to waterways.
The Lake Champlain Basin Program spent the past year evaluating proposals that could drive down the excessive amount of phosphorus in Lake Champlain. Excessive phosphorus fuels the growth of plants and algae and creates an unhealthy ecosystem that is unsustainable.
Sources of phosphorus surrounding Lake Champlain come from roads, parking lots, lawns, and agricultural and logging operations. Other phosphorus sources include eroding stream channels which alone is responsible for 20% of excessive phosphorus load. Changes in forests also accounts for another 16%. The South Basin of Lake Champlain which also houses Lake St. Catherine, has been given a goal to reduce overall phosphorus load by 20%. Lake St. Catherine’s proposal was successful within the context of a highly competitive process throughout both New York and Vermont.
Who will be involved in the development of our Watershed Action Plan?
A Project Team led by Trustees of the Association will engage the following partners:
What will happen at the end of the grant in 2024?
Using the data and information collected about the Lake St. Catherine Watershed, the Project Team will create the Lake St. Catherine Watershed Action Plan. This plan will identify “Opportunities For Action” and the strategies, interventions, and projects to best address them.
Subsequent grants will be requested to implement as many projects as possible and create a culture worthy of emulation that positions Lake St. Catherine for future funding that rewards water quality improvements including phosphorus load reduction. These efforts will continue for the balance of the decade and be the most important contribution all those who love being at Lake St. Catherine can do to distinguish its future beauty and health.
What can I do specifically to support this effort?
Although we have been steadily working our way towards 50% of Lake St. Catherine property owners joining the LSCA, we know we can do better, and there is room to grow. We all benefit from the work of our Trustees, our volunteers, and from the financial contributions of property owners, renters, and those who come to Lake St. Catherine for recreation. Now is the time to become a yearly member and show your long-term support of the LSCA, and in turn, Lake St. Catherine.
If you have not become a member yet this year, please visit our website: www.lakestcatherine.org. It will show that you are a serious participant in the future of the Lake, as someone who appreciates the relationship between Lake quality and property values, and that you care about our watershed. It will also will add credibility to our applications for future funding by demonstrating that our lake community is invested in maintaining and improving the Lake St. Catherine Watershed.
If you love Lake St. Catherine, and you have not become a member of the LSCA yet, this is your year to do so! Let’s all show our neighbors, our Trustees, our funders, and future generations that we are all stewards of our beloved Lake St. Catherine.
Hello LSC.
On Thursday, May 20th, the Lake St. Catherine Association, the Lake St. Catherine Conservation Fund and the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resource Conservation District held an informational Zoom meeting to discuss the Lake Wise Program on Lake St. Catherine.
The Vermont DEC’s Lake Wise Program encourages landowners to voluntarily implement lake-friendly practices on their property.
The Lake Wise Program was 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. Four categories are assessed: The driveway and parking area, the structure (which includes roof, drainage, and septic), the recreation area (the lawn/footprint of non-natural, high-use yard areas), and the shoreline buffer area. All categories are scored on their ability to slow, infiltrate and filter stormwater runoff which carries nutrients like phosphorus & nitrogen, sediments, and pollution into the Lake.
The goal of the Lake Wise program, from the Lake Wise website:
"The goal of Lake Wise is to establish a new normal, a new culture of lakeshore landscaping that is proven to help protect the lake. A property that earns the Lake Wise Award will represent a 'model' shoreland property. The Lake Wise Award certifies a property is well managed, using shoreland Best Management Practices, and is maintained to care for the lake."
Lakeshore properties that exemplify thoughtful, ecologically-minded development are proudly awarded a Lake Wise Award. The Lake Wise Award certifies that a property is managed in a manner that preserves fish and wildlife habitat, protects water quality, and maintains a shoreline's natural stability. Any lakeshore landowner can participate in the Lake Wise Program, including towns, state parks, businesses, and private homeowners.
You can view the video of the presentation and discussion on YouTube:
If you'd like to participate in the Lake Wise Program on LSC, or if you have any questions, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org.
You can read more about Lake Wise on LSC here: https://lakestcatherine.org/lake-wise-program
We'd like to let you know that the LSCA Spring 2021 newsletter is now available.
In an effort to save on printing and mailing costs, we've decided to only print a short run of copies and distribute them to Otto's Cones Point General Store and the Wells Country Store. If you'd like a printed copy, please feel free to pick one up when you are out and about (available now). Thank you to Otto's and WCS!
Also, your LSCA Trustee neighbors will have printed copies available around the lake.
The digital version is now available online via our website through this link: Click here to view the Spring 2021 Newsletter, or click on the image below. When you click on the link for the newsletter, you will be able to view it on screen - and be able to zoom in or out using the controls in your browser window. Or, you can click the download button to save a copy to your computer to view with a PDF reader, and/or print a copy.
HAVE YOU BECOME A MEMBER IN 2021?
Our 2021 Membership Drive is underway, and membership mailings have gone out. You can also download a copy by clicking here: 2021 LSCA Membership Form PDF. Just fill out the form and mail it in to our Treasurer Elaine with a check for your dues.
Or, you can renew or become a member on our website. If you were a member in 2020, click here to renew, or click here to become a new 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, have never logged in, or if you have not logged into the new website launched in December, please click here 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!
Your membership and the dues and contributions we receive allows us to accomplish our work. Maintaining the lake costs approximately $125,000 annually. While we do receive annual grants from Poultney, Wells, and the State, membership dues and contributions make up the majority of our funding.
Upon receiving your membership contribution, our treasurer Elaine will mail you a hand-written thank you note, a receipt, a LSCA window card and a LSCA can koozie.
On Tuesday, June 22nd 2021, Lake St. Catherine will be treated for milfoil. Please see the attached advisory notice and map.
In cooperation with Misha Cetner from the Vermont Department Of Environmental Conservation and SOLitude Lake Management (SLM), the Lake St. Catherine Association would like to inform the community that the lake will be treated for milfoil on Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021.
On May 13th, biologists from SLM and LSCA Trustees visited the lake to perform a milfoil survey. They have identified areas to be treated with ProcellaCOR and areas to be suction harvested.
During and after the treatment, please be aware of the following lake water use restriction recommendations:
• NO USE of Lake St. Catherine waters and water from the outlet stream FOR ANY PURPOSE including boating, fishing, swimming, domestic (household) use or irrigation, the day of treatment on:
Tuesday, June 22, 2021, beginning at 9 am
• Swimming/wading, boating, fishing and domestic (household) use may resume on:
Wednesday, June 23, 2021, beginning at 9 am
• USE of water from Lake St. Catherine FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSES including for watering lawns, trees, or other plants may resume on:
Wednesday, June 29, 2021, beginning at 9 am or earlier based on sampling results, please refer to the website below for results
Please refer to www.solitudelakemanagement.com/vermont for additional information and updated water use advisories and recommendations.
Along with the herbicide treatment, areas have been selected for DASH. DASH is an acronym for Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting. This process involves scuba divers using suction hoses powered by a surface compressor to selectively remove milfoil from the lake bottom. They will be working throughout the season to remove milfoil by the roots in these designated areas.
Here is a map of the treatment areas for ProcellaCOR (red & blue) and DASH (green):
The milfoil located in the green DASH areas is very sparse.
Links:
- LSCA Permit Application - Draft Permit - SePRO ProcellaCOR® EC Specimen Label - SePRO ProcellaCOR® EC Safety Data Sheet If you have any questions about the upcoming milfoil treatment, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org.
3-Year Little Lake Milfoil Control Plan
The treatment in Little Lake represents the first year of our 3-year plan to help control milfoil in Little Lake. In partnership with the Lake St. Catherine Conservation Fund (LSCCF), we have been conducting a fundraiser to help fund this plan. To date, we have raised over $17,000. While we have enough funds to cover projects costs this year, we'll need to continue to fundraise for 2022. We hope you can help support this joint venture to control milfoil in Little Lake. To learn more about the plan, or to make a donation, please visit the project page here: https://lakestcatherine.org/little-lake-milfoil-control
Have You Become A Member In 2021?
Thank you for your support of the LSCA!
Hello LSC property owners,
We'd like to let you know that the LSCA, LSCCF, and the PMNRCD will be holding an informational Zoom meeting on the Lake St. Catherine Lake Wise Program on Thursday, May 20th at 7 PM.
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. Four categories are assessed: The driveway and parking area, the structure (which includes roof, drainage, and septic), the recreation area (the lawn/footprint of non-natural, high-use yard areas), and the shoreline buffer area.
In partnership with the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District (PMNRCD) and property owners around the lake, the Lake Wise program was a huge success in 2020! 11 properties earned the award last year, bringing the total on LSC to 12.
A Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) grant helped to fund both property assessments, native plantings, and stormwater runoff projects on individual property owner’s shorelines.
In late 2020, the LSCA again applied for a LCBP grant to expand the Lake Wise Program into Little Lake. We received the good news that we had earned this grant, and a joint committee between the LSCA and the LSCCF was created to get this program started in Little Lake in 2021. While our 2021 program is focused on the Little Lake, this program is open to ALL Lake St. Catherine property owners.
Our goal is to earn another 10 awards in 2021, and get our first for a Little Lake property owner.
You can read more about Lake Wise and why it is so important for LSC on our website by clicking here.
To date, we've heard from 18 property owners that are interested in Lake Wise this year, and the Lake Wise team will be reaching out soon to these folks to set up an appointment at their property.
If you'd like to learn more about the Lake Wise program - and how you can help improve the health and water quality of Lake St. Catherine, we like to invite you to our presentation.
Lake Wise Informational Zoom Meeting:
Thursday, May 20th at 7 PM
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88550183782?pwd=YUpSZ2tQOEJxeUZDY2cvSTg2ZG1Zdz09
This meeting will also be recorded and posted on YouTube, so if you are unable to attend that evening, you'll still be able to view the presentation soon after.
We hope you can join us!
If you have any questions, or if you would like to sign up for Lake Wise, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org.
Good morning LSC.
Please join us in thanking all the volunteers who helped clean up litter around Lake St. Catherine yesterday as part of Green Up Vermont Day!
MANY bags of litter have been cleaned up around the lake, and from what we've heard, folks had a great time getting out and about to help get LSC ready for the Summer.
Here are some reports from our volunteers:
Melissa Liebig said:
"We had a blast at green up day today! We left 2 bags at 94 vantage point. And 1 further north by camp Sagamore. We met up with Sue and Jeff King, Jill O’Brien, Sue Caizza, Becky Raub, Ashleigh Raub and her dog Brodie and 'greened up' together!"
Laura Clark said:
"Six bags , Aaliyah was a Champ !"
Mary Papasso said:
"I hope you are enjoying this sunny day! I had a huge clear bag half filled! We will bring home and dispose. Have a great day!"
Shannon & Paul Rangecroft said:
"Thanks for organizing this fabulous effort. It’s evident by the number of green bags around the lake...that it was very worth while!!"
Corrine and Jonathan Benn got creative and performed cleanup by bike & kayak:
...and even the doggos helped out! Here's Brodie and Boone:
Many folks around the lake were involved in this effort - and some will still be out over the next few days to continue the clean up.
You can view all the photos that we received on our Facebook page here.
THANK YOU!
Hi all,
Saturday, May 1st is Green Up Vermont Day, 2 weeks from today.
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!"
To start us off, our household crew will take Cones Point, Sandy Beach, Ranny Road, and Route 30 from Cones Point to Ranny Road. We'll also paddle the included shoreline areas (see map below).
We'd like to see if we can get folks around the lake to volunteer to clean up an area, and we'll do our best to coordinate the efforts so we all know what areas are covered, and which areas need volunteers.
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 and post it on our Calendar, on the May 1st Green Up Vermont Day event. You can view that here: LSC Green Up Vermont Day Event.
Email us at info@lakestcatherine.org, or contact us on Facebook to volunteer for an area.
We'll be in touch with the Towns of Wells and Poultney to see what supplies may be available (bags and gloves), and where collected trash should be taken.
Let's all pitch in to get Lake St. Catherine ready for a great Summer!
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