For the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine
Calling all Landscapers, Contractors, and Site Workers that work on Lake St. Catherine... We'd like to let you know about a certification program being offered by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.
From the DEC's Natural Shoreland Erosion Control Certification website:
"This Certification Course covers shoreland Best Management Practices, including techniques for erosion control, stormwater management, bioengineering and wildlife habitat protection. Lakeshore owners often rely on professional contractors, landscapers, engineers or other site workers to advice and help them manage their property. The NSECC course teaches contractors both the science for using BMPs and the science of how they work to protect the lake while remaining attractive and appealing to homeowners. All workers certified through this six hour training course will be listed on the Agency of Natural Resources web site and the list will be shared with lakeshore property owners. Those certified through this course will also be given preference for grants and contracts awarded through the new Vermont Clean Water Initiative, and are eligible for professional development credits, including four non-soil credits for Licensed Designers."
2018 Training Locations and Dates:
To register and for general questions, please contact David Addeo at david.addeo@vermont.gov.
For questions about curriculum please contact Amy Picotte at amy.picotte@vermont.gov.
The course costs $20 to attend.
If you complete the certification - or if you have already, please let us know! We'll list your Natural Shoreland Erosion Control certified business on our website.
To read more about this important program, please read the "Vermont Natural Shoreland Erosion Control Certification Program - 2018 Legislative Report".
It is extremely important to protect our lake shoreline to prevent stormwater runoff which can... "contain nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants from fertilizers, pet and yard waste. Because stormwater flows over hard surfaces directly into a water body or storm drain, there is no opportunity for soil and plants to filter out pollutants." - US EPA. Keeping these pollutants out of the lake will help with water quality and will help to minimize a nutrient supply for weeds.
Please spread the word. Thank you!
Flyer for the upcoming dates:
Hello LSC,
Back in December, we informed you that long-time LSCA trustee Martin Greenberg had passed away.
Today, we want to tell you about a new plaque that was just placed on the Welcome To Lake St. Catherine sign. But first, a little bit of history about the sign.
Former LSCA President Phil Alden provided this photo of the original sign being constructed. He notes: "The principal architect of the first sign was Don Willbrandt, ably assisted by the Binghams."
Current LSCA Presidet Jim Canders recalls, "At a time after the sign was installed, a car came down the hill from North Steet and ran it over. At that point Martin became involved."
Matrin worked with a company in Rutland to reproduce the sign and fix the damage to the area and the flowers & plantings.
After Martin's passing, LSCA trustee Rand Burgner suggested that we should place a plaque at the sign, in memory of Martin. The board unanimously agreed - and Rand and Jim started researching.
They eventually contacted Sheldon Slate in Middle Granville. The owner, Peter Tatko, was extremely generous - as he donated the plaque to the LSCA. Thank you Peter!
Last Saturday, Jim and John Belnavis placed the plaque on the sign, and we took some photos:
Jim described Martin as, "...a man for all seasons, and the best time of all for him was spending the entire summer at Lake St. Catherine with his wife Ellen at their cottage on Bert’s Nest. We thank Martin for his love of the Lake and his 15 years of service to the LSCA."
We'd like to share this blast from the past with you - an article about Lake St. Catherine from the 1997 Summer edition of Vermont Life magazine entitled "A Family Kind Of Place - Lake St. Catherine's Appeal Spans The Generations" by Nancy Boardman, photographed by Jerry LeBlond.
We've scanned it and created a PDF for you to be able to read it and view the photographs.
Take a look!
[ click the link above or the cover image below to view the PDF article ]
We'd like to let you know that invasive species have been recently discovered in two nearby Vermont lakes - zebra mussels in Lake Memphremagog and spiny water flea in Lake Champlain.
On zebra mussels: Zebra mussels are an invasive species; they are a small freshwater mollusk that attaches to firm surfaces and can clog pipes and other underwater infrastructure. They are also filter-feeders, consuming microscopic aquatic life that is the base of the food web for our lakes. Their feeding habits can impact the native species that also consume those food sources.
On the spiny water flea: Dr. Tim Mihuc, Director of the Lake Champlain Research Institute, states, “This is truly a sad day for Lake Champlain. The spiny water flea has potential to severely impact the planktonic food web and will be a huge nuisance to anglers. Unfortunately, now Lake Champlain has joined Sacandaga Lake and Lake George as a major hub for future invasions into the Adirondacks and Vermont waters.”
You can read more about these unfortunate discoveries in these press releases:
Zebra Mussels Identified in Magog Bay, Lake Memphremagog
Spiny Water Flea Confirmed in Lake Champlain
It is illegal in the state of Vermont to transport aquatic invasive species. Act 67, which came into effect in 2017, states that if a certified attendant at a watercraft decontamination station identifies a vessel or trailer as requiring decontamination, boaters are obligated to comply. Failure to do so can result in fines and the involvement of law enforcement.
Each season, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the LSCA works with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to staff the LSC boat launch with well-trained inspectors called Greeters. They are paid personnel of the LSCA. These Greeters inspect incoming and outgoing watercraft looking for invasive species of plant and animal life. Through their efforts, we can closely monitor and prevent other invasive species like Asian Clams, Spiny Water Fleas, Water Chestnuts and Zebra Mussels carried on visiting boats, from invading Lake St. Catherine.
We want to make sure these invasive species do nto make it into Lake St. Catherine. It is so important to inspect your boat and trailer for invasive species before launching your boat into the lake.
You can learn more about aquatic invasive species on the Vermont DEC website's Aquatic Invasive Species page.
On Saturday, August 25th, the Lake St. Catherine Association held their fourth and final meeting of the 2018 season.
The Trustees gave their reports on many topics - Click here to see the full meeting agenda. Meeting minutes compiled by Elaine Bagley, James Canders and Jerremy Jones.
August 25th 2018 Meeting of the Lake St. Catherine Board of Trustees
Lake St. Catherine Country Club, 8:30 AM
Meeting called to order by President Jim Canders at 8:30.
Present: Jim Canders, Mary Jo Teetor, Frank Callahan, Ken Abt, Phil Pope, Jerremy Jones, John Belnavis, Elaine Bagley, Bob Williams, Ed Laird, Martha Pofit
Absent: Jeff Crandall, Rob Goldman, Rob Nesbit and Kemi McShane.
* Beck Sinclair – Reviewed and explained what he’ll need to address next years DASH program along with a review of the current year. 766 20 gallon buckets of milfoil removed. Ken Abt said that we had to work closely together with SOLitude Lake Management with regard to the Spring milfoil review. Beck said that they can show great results and take most advantage of their time addressing larger patches of milfoil. He will available by May 8 or 10 next season to conduct review. Need to purchase a new silt screen for next season - $300, after that, a new hose.
Boat Parade - Need new Chairperson for 2019. Lila and Rand did a great job developing and carrying on the event, but someone has to step in to her footsteps. Lila will advise the new person. Jerremy currently has her notes and information fro past parades.
Poultney Day - Rob and Jennifer set up our booth at this event and various people participated, staffing the booth through the day. No specific report was presented, but comments about the event were favorable.
Plaque for Martin Greenberg is ready. Pete Tatko, the owner of Tatko Bros Slate Company in Middle Granville (518- 642-1640) has donated the plaque. All we have to do is pick it up. I thanked Pete for his generosity. He said that he was glad to do it because he has always been a fan of the LSCA. Possibly we can give him a free advertisement in the spring Newsletter?
Ed Laird made comment that our insurance was in good order and that he does not see any issues as we head into the fall.
John Belnavis brought up the request from the Granville Rescue Squad. It was decided to leave it tabled as we can’t afford the items/equipment that they need.
Along these lines it was suggested that we have a conversation with the Wells Select Board on the working of the 911 in our area. It takes 20 minutes for the Granville rescue to get here, by this time in a drowning, it is more of a recovery operation.
The next meeting is scheduled for May 25, 2019 at 8:30 AM, to be held at the LSCCC.
President Jim Canders called for the meeting adjournment at 11:00 AM. Motion for adjournment was made and seconded. Meeting adjourned at 11:00 AM.
Hello Lake St. Catherine. Today, we'd like to give you an end of season report on our 2018 suction harvesting program.
Each year, the LSCA works with 2 contractors to battle the milfoil in the lake, keeping it under control. In mid June, SOLitude Lake Management applied the herbicide Renovate to 5 locations around the lake. Then, throughout the summer, our other contractor Beck Sinclair performed suction harvesting (referred to as DASH - Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting) in other problem areas. Suction harvesting involves a diver hand-pulling the milfoil by the root from the lake bottom. The milfoil is then suctioned through a tube, up to the surface.
You may have seen Beck working on the lake in the LSCA suction harvesting boat:
Last Saturday, Beck provided his end of year report to the board - and we'd like to share that information with you.
This season, 766 containers (20 gallon buckets) were filled with suction harvested milfoil. This is a little more than half of what was removed last season. Beck reported that the amount of milfoil he viewed and worked on was the lowest he'd seen in his 5 years of working on the suction harvesting program. He also observed that milfoil was not as dense or tall. That, along with a reduction in total hours worked, contributed to the difference in the bucket count from last year.
Beck also reported that he was very happy to speak with folks as they would swim, paddle or boat by, thanking him for his work. He suggested that the LSCA should take some time to make sure that we are educating everyone about what milfoil looks like - and how it's different from other native plant species. Milfoil looks like this:
This is the weed that we can suction harvest and target with the spot herbicide treatments.
It is VERY IMPORTANT to remove them by the roots and to make sure no fragments are created. In the illustration image above, even that small piece of milfoil on the right side can float away, sink, and create a new plant - potentially leading to the creation of a whole new bed of milfoil.
The LSC 'old-timers' will remember the way the lake looked back before 2004... Beds of milfoil near the shorelines had created thick mats of weeds on the surface. The LSCA is working very hard to keep it under control each season utilizing this balanced combination of spot herbicide treatments and suction harvesting. We simply cannot let the milfoil get back to the levels we saw before the milfoil control program began in 2004 with the first herbicide treatment.
With this in mind, we'd like to make sure you are aware of some of the ways you can help out:
• First and foremost, your financial support in the form of the yearly dues you contribute to the LSCA are crucial to help fund this program. If you are not currently a member, please consider joining! You can do so easily via our website here: Become A Member, or you can click here to: Make A Donation.
• Near your shoreline, you are permitted to hand-pull any weeds (including weeds other than milfoil) to clean up your area. Swim down to pull them up by the root, or use a rake to assist pulling them up from the bottom. Be sure to remove the weeds you pull from the lake and bring them on shore to dry out. You can then dispose of them as you would with brush from your yard.
• If you see patches of floating milfoil, grab them - and get them out of the lake. As mentioned above, these floating fragments will eventually sink - and they have the potential to seed new beds of milfoil. So, if you can, get as much milfoil out of the lake as possible.
Finally, we'd like to tell about the amount of garbage that Beck collects from the bottom of the lake as he is suction harvesting the milfoil. Take a look at this very small sample:
Bottles, cans, plastic cups - all kinds of garbage. Beck reports that each season, he removes 2 extremely large bags of garbage from the lake bottom.
Does this make you angry? We hope it does - it sure makes us angry.
Here's a photo I took of the garbage I picked up after a recent paddleboard ride along the shoreline near my camp:
We're showing you this to make you aware of the amount of junk that ends up in the lake. We ask that you:
We all need to do our part to make sure we keep this beautiful lake clean.
At the end of each July, the State of Vermont promotes Clean Water Week as a celebration of Vermont’s 800 lakes and ponds, 23,000 miles of rivers and streams, and 300,000 acres of wetlands. Next year, the LSCA will look to coordinate and sponsor a shoreline cleanup on Lake St. Catherine. We hope you'll volunteer and join us!
We'd like to thank Beck for his efforts this season in helping to keep the milfoil under control - and for cleaning up the garbage he found along the way. Thanks Beck - we all appreciate it!
If you have any questions about the LSCA's milfoil control program, please get in touch at info@lakestcatherine.org.
Hello good folks of the Lake St. Catherine community.
We'd like to let you know that the LSCA Fall 2018 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 in Poultney or Wells. Thank you to Otto's and WCS!
The digital version is now available online via our website through this link: Click here to view the Fall 2018 Newsletter, or click on the image below. You will be able to read through the newsletter and/or save a copy to your computer.
We hope you'll enjoy this edition of the LSCA newsletter.
We welcome your comments: info@lakestcatherine.org.
Thank you for your support!
On Saturday, July 21st, the Lake St. Catherine Association held their third meeting of the 2018 season.
July 21st 2018 Meeting of the Lake St. Catherine Board of Trustees
Present: Jeff Crandall, Mary Jo Teetor, Frank Callahan, Ken Abt, Phil Pole, Rand Burgner Jerremy Jones, Rob Nesbit, John Belnavis, Elaine Bagley, Jim Canders
Absent: Rob Goldman, Ed Laird, Kemi McShane
The next meeting is scheduled for August 25, 2018 at 8:00 AM held at LSCCC. President Jim Canders called for the meeting adjournment at 11:15 AM. Motion for adjournment was made and seconded. Meeting adjourned at 11:15 AM.
On Saturday, July 21st, the Lake St. Catherine Association held their 2018 Annual Membership Meeting & Dinner at the Lake St. Catherine Country Club's Fairways Restaurant & Tavern.
We'd like to thank all those who attended this year's meeting - it was great to have a full house of good folks that care about Lake St. Catherine. We hope you enjoyed the the Trustee's reports, great speakers, and the open discussion of LSC topics. We appreciate your continued support of the LSCA, and the work we do for the Lake. We hope that you'll spread the good word of the LSCA to your neighbors around the lake.
We'd also like to thank the Lake St. Catherine Country Club for hosting the meeting and preparing a great dinner. We hope you enjoyed that as well.
LSCA President Jim Canders kicked off the meeting by welcoming all attendees and introducing our guest speakers:
Next, Jeff Crandall presented an update on the 2018 milfoil treatment, explaining our balanced program of spot treatments using Renovate and DASH (Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting).
This lead into a presentation by our first guest speaker, Marc Bellaud from SOLitude Lake Management on the milfoil treatment history on LSC. He also taked about a new herbicide called ProcellCOR that has just been aprroved by the EPA after 8 years of testing and research. As compared to Renovate, it's more effective, much less product is needed to treat - and there are no drinking or swimming restrictions after use. The LSCA will continue to research this option for milfoil treatment.
Next up, from the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District, was our second guest speaker, Sadie Brown. Saide talked about the Lake Education and Action Program (LEAP) which directs student interns to provide native buffer plantings and invasive plant removal activities around the lake. She also discussed the Stormwater Master Plan that is just kicking off on LSC. The PMNRCD is aksing for our help identifing areas in which stormwater runs into the lake. This stormwater moves silt and nutrients into the lake which has an impact on water clarity and quality - and provides food for weeds to grow.
Other presentations included water quality, boat launch monitoring, the annual boat parade, the treasurer's & membership report, LSCA communications, lake safety and Trustee elections.
You can view the full presentation below:
If you have any questions about what was presented, or if you have any follow up questions, please let us know. Please send them to info@lakestcatherine.org, we'd be happy to answer them for you.
Then, it was time to eat!
Finally, we'd like to like to recognize Lila and Rand Burgner for their work for the LSCA over the years. Lila and Rand will be retiring from their roles with the LSCA. Lila started, and has coordinated the Annual Boat Parade for the past 6 years. She mentioned that she would be happy to help the person that takes over the coordination of the parade (let us know if you are interested!). Rand has served on the board for 9 years - and was most recently coordinating the Greeter Program at the boat launch. Thank you both very much for your service to the LSCA and the lake - you will be missed!
We'd also like to thank Bob Williams from Williams Hardware for providing a fire pit to be used as a door prize for the evening. Thanks Bob!
Additional photos from the evening can be viewed in this Facebook album: 2018 LSCA Annual Meeting & Dinner.
We hope you had a fun, informative evening - and we hope you'll spread the word!
Thank you for your continued support!
Hello LSC.
We've been informed by Eric Hanson of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies that the Vermont Loon Conservation Project is looking for volunteers to perform a count of loons on Lake St. Catherine.
This project, as part of a statewide count, will take place on the morning of July 21st, 2018 on Lake St. Catherine.
If you'd like to be a part of this project and volunteer the morning of July 21st on LSC, please call or email Mary Jo Teetor, 802-287-5836 / ferncliff@comcast.net.
Thank you!
About the Vermont Loon Conservation Project from their website:
"From a mere seven pairs three decades ago, Common Loons now number more than 90 breeding pairs in the state. This conservation triumph came only with a collaboration among people and organizations across Vermont. Our chief partner in loon recovery and conservation is the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Together, and with help from a corps of dedicated volunteers, we're securing a future for Common Loons in the state. Our strategy features: Monitoring, Management and Public Outreach."
Photo credit: Karen Velsor, originally posted in Lake St. Catherine - Vermont Facebook group.
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