Hello LSC.

We'd like to inform you that testing of the lake water after the June 18th milfoil treatment indicates that we may now resume the use of lake water for drinking and food preparation.

Please note that the restriction for irrigation is still in place - and may take up to 120 days after treatment.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@lakestcatherine.org.

We have been given the all-clear to remove the Cyanobacteria warning signs along the channel of Hall Bay - and normal use of the channel may resume.

The bloom has dissipated, and you may now enter the channel.

This is what the Cyanobacteria looked like:

It looks like light blue paint on top of the water.

Vermont DEC advised us that this was an unusual event for LSC, and they had no previous records of a Cyano bloom on the lake. They attributed it to a perfect storm of conditions that day in the Halls Bay channel, citing lack of rain, temperature, water depth and lack of water movement.

If you see a bloom like this anywhere on the lake inthe future, please let us know at info@lakestcatherine.org.

On Sunday, June 17th, Cyanobacteria was found in the channel leading from Halls Bay.

The Vermont DEC was consulted and a crew was dispatched to contain the bloom with containment booms.

The Vermont Department of Health has posted signs to make property owners in that channel aware:

Until we are given the all-clear, please keep pets and children out of the water in the channel.

We have been told that it is naturally occurring - and that conditions were perfect for it to bloom there: lack of rain, temperature, water depth and lack of water movement.

We will keep you informed with any updates.

Additional information from the Vermont Department Of Health on Cyanobacteria can be read here: "CYANOBACTERIA (BLUE-GREEN ALGAE)". Please let us know immediately if you spot some.

From Vermont DEC Environmental Scientist, Angela Shambaugh:

"So long as there is visible cyanobacteria in the water, both in the inlet stream and anywhere along the lake shore where it empties into St. Catherine proper, everyone should be avoiding contact with them. Pets are also vulnerable, so owners should be keeping their pets out as well.

It is difficult to predict how long the bloom might persist in the stream. Lake surface blooms typically dissipate when wind and waves thoroughly stir the water. They can last for a matter of hours or for several days or weeks, depending on the conditions. Blooms in streams typically are moved out by increased flow. It doesn’t sound like you received much rain as a result of the storms earlier this week, so this bloom may persist until there is more water movement.

...I have no records of blooms on St. Catherine, so this may be an unusual event as a result of the dry and then hot weather we’ve experienced for the last few weeks."

Hello LSC.

This is a reminder that the 2018 milfoil treatment is this Monday, June 18th.

The lake will be closed for ALL USES on Monday, June 18th and Tuesday, June 19th.

The lake will reopen for recreational use on Wednesday, June 20th.

Please see the Advisory Notice for water use restrictions for irrigation and food & drink preparation:

Advisory Notice:

2018 Treatment Map:

If you have any questions about the upcoming milfoil treatment, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org.

Registration is underway for the Lake St. Catherine Association's 6th Annual Boat Parade!

Sunday, July 1st at 1 PM.

Sure, its fun to watch the Boat Parade... but it's even more fun to be in it!

[Overall 1st Place winner 2017: Beatles 50th Anniversary, Boat #16 - Jack McVicker & Kimberly Moore and friends]

It's time to come up with some creative ideas for your boat theme or decorations... and your creativity will be rewarded.

How?

Fabulous prizes, of course!

The LSCA would like to thank these generous sponsors for providing prizes for the Boat Parade:

• Perry's Main Street Eatery
• Priscilla's Sweet Shoppe
• LSCCC Fairways Restaurant & Tavern
• Wells Country Store
• Otto's Cones Point General Store
• Full Belly Deli
• The Original Vermont Store
• William's True Value Hardware Store
• Stewart's Shops

So, you can see there is a lot at stake this year...

Prizes are awarded for:

• Most original
• Most patriotic
• Funniest
• Best overall

Plus, all kids that participate get a free ice cream coupon from Stewart's Shops!

To join in on the parade, please contact Lila Burgner at BurgnerL@msn.com to register your boat today.

You can read about last year's boat parade by clicking here.

Are you a member yet? Maintaining the lake costs approximately $125,000 annually. Grants, membership dues and contributions make up the majority of our funding. If you'd like to help, please consider becoming a member or making a donation. The LSCA is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and any contribution that you make is tax deductible.                   

Hello Lake St. Catherine community!

The Lake St. Catherine Association would like to thank our 250+ (and counting...) members for their support in submitting their membership dues this year - along with those that have generously donated.

Your membership and the dues and contributions we receive allows us to accomplish our work. Maintaining the lake costs approximately $100,000 annually. While we do receive annual grants from Poultney, Wells, and the State, membership dues and contributions make up the majority of our funding.

However, our membership drive for 2018 is not over! There are still many of you out in the Lake community that we'd like reach - to ask for your support.

Soon, we will send out a second round of mailings to the Lake St. Catherine community containing the 2018 Membership Application.

If you'd like to support the LSCA and become a member, you can fill out the Membership Form linked above, or you can fill in our online membership form and submit your dues via our website. If you'd like to try our online form, you can click here to go to our Membership section. If you were a member last year, you can click here to log in and renew.

Some of the services the LSCA provides are:

• Maintain and purchase navigation and shore line protection buoys throughout the lake.
• Test the water for E coli, and water clarity.
• Managing the free boat-safety courses that are state mandated for all persons born after January 1, 1974.
• Inspecting boats wishing to enter the lake for Eurasian milfoil, zebra mussels and water chestnuts.
• Controlling milfoil (and other invasive species) and maintaining native weeds at tolerable levels.
• Working with the state to solve the problems of silting and impacts of phosphorus and other sources of pollution.
• Maintaining "welcome" signs and gardens.
• Liaising with other lakes in order to exchange information concerning problems.
• Sponsor the annual fun-filled July 4th Boat Parade.
• Disseminate information to our membership and the community through newsletters, website, and other local publications.
• Organizing funding through membership fees, donations and grants from the State of Vermont and Poultney and Wells.
• We represent you to state and local governments to protect your rights and the lake in general.
• We protect the value of your property by maintain the beauty, access, and safety of the lake.

After receiving your dues, our Treasurer Elaine will send you a welcome mailing which includes a LSCA member card for your window, a LSCA eyeglass / screen cleaner and a hand-written thank you note.

To our members - please spread the word about the LSCA! Your endorsement of the LSCA with your friends, family and neighbors would be greatly appreciated. Building our membership helps us continue to do great work for the Lake and the community.

We are also accepting donations. If you'd like to make a contribution (maybe in support of the Lily Pond Channel Project), you can do so via our website by visiting our Donation page here.

We hope you enjoyed our Spring 2018 Newsletter, and we hope to see everyone at the 2018 Annual Membership Meeting & Dinner on July 21st (more details soon).

We'd also like to let the businesses in the lake community know about a new membership level this year. This new membership level includes 4 benefits that the LSCA can provide: a listing on the Sponsors page of our new website, a Sponsor Spotlight story about your business posted on our website blog and Facebook page, the opportunity to have your special events posted on our LSC Community Calendar and a listing in our Spring and Fall Newsletters. 

Thank you for your support!

If you have any questions, please contact us at at info@lakestcatherine.org.

The Lake St. Catherine Association is searching for members of the LSC community to potentially join the board of trustees. Due to an anticipated retirement at the end of the season, the LSCA may have a trustee position open for a three year term beginning in 2019.

From our bylaws, the purpose of the LSCA is "...to utilize its income and assets for the preservation, protection and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine."

Would you like to join the board and help preserve, protect and maintain our beautiful lake? If so, please send an email to info@lakestcatherine.org, and include your contact information, a little bit about yourself, including why you'd like to join the board. Nominating Chair Bob Williams will get in touch with you.

Or, do you know someone that may be a good addition to the board? Let them know, or pass along their information to us, and we'll get in touch.

We're looking for folks who have time to volunteer, that work well with others in a group setting - and are ready to be active in fulfilling the purpose of the LSCA.

Trustees attend 4 board meetings, plus the Annual Membership Meeting & Dinner (May, June, July & August) and have other assigned duties and tasks depending on their involvement in committees throughout the season.

So, if you'd like to get involved, or know someone that may, please get in touch at info@lakestcatherine.org.

On Saturday, May 26th, the Lake St. Catherine Association held their first 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 Kemi Mcshane.

May 26th 2018 Meeting of the Lake St. Catherine Board of Trustees

Lake St. Catherine Country Club, 8:30 AM

1. Meeting called to order, 8:34 AM by President Jim Canders
2. Presentation by, Bill Alexander for the Slate Valley Trails; Biking & Hiking Trails in Southern VT educated the board on the mission, goals, history and future projects of this chapter of the Vermont Mountain Biking Assoc.(VMBA). Hike,Bike Explore with SVT activities and events as all are open to the public. Visit the website, www.slatevalleytrails.org for trail maps, current projects and upcoming group bike rides, hikes, and trail work days.
3. Minutes of the August 26,2017 meeting was approved.
4. Treasure's report was proved by Elaine Bagley. Discussion followed: Workman's Comp Insurance costs. Membership dues: mailings, responses from notices and the adjustments of received memberships is ongoing. End of year account balance; primary principle, cash issues and the concern for the need of an outside audit. Membership dues, the lag time between receiving monies from the local municipalities, contributions made to the Association from outside parties and in memoriam of others. Concern was expressed that budgets were not established for the different projects the Association funds. Forum was called to establish a budget committee, and was second to form such a committee. Mail is received at two locations and requires regular monitoring during the winter season.
5. Introductions of Martha Pofit, newly elected trustee and Kemi McShane, secretary.
6. Annual Meeting and dinner at LSCA July 21,2018. Suggested invite BIll Alexander to present to the membership regarding the SVT.
7. Milfoil management report - Jeffrey Crandall. Herbicide treatment scheduled for June 18-19,2018. Notification signs and public postings are scheduled prior to the treatment dates.The LSCA wants to increase public education to ensure the community is knowledgable of the techniques and the types of milfoil treatment programs that are being used in Lake St. Catherine. The LSCA has been diligent in its approach to managing the milfoil and other invasive species that threaten the quality of the lake. Suction harvesting, herbicide treatment, and the use of boat launch greeters are the present techniques being utilized in the management programs. A new product is on the market and the LSCA will review the test results and state regulation regarding the use of this new product. The harvesting program being used in the Little Lake is concerning to the negative impact the harvesting will have on the great strides the other treatment programs are having on the Lake. Documentation, and maps provide the areas of the Lake requiring treatment. Historical information will be collected and presented to educate the public with the positive results the herbicide, suction harvesting and boat greeters are having on the milfoil control of Lake St. Catherine. The LSCA has many challenges as it proceeds with the application for new permits. The LSCA moved to hire a graduate student to perform a literature review of the research regarding the best practices milfoil control. The LSCA will provide the community with up to date, unbiased information as a result of this literature review. A historical review of the weed harvesting procedures will be presented to the Association to demonstrate the significant changes in the aquatic weeds that have impacted the Lake and the efforts made to control the invasive species and their impact on the Lake. The LSCA has tracked the use of "Hungry Harvey" to the present day uses of weed control. A brochure will be published to educate the public.
8. Water quality report - Mary Jo Teetor. Lily Pond project has been successful. Boats are able to pass through. Beavers attempted to build a damn. the A posting of the contribution made by the LSCA will be placed in the area to notify the community to another project the LSCA is dedicated to regarding the improvements and care of the LAKe for all to use. Water quality kits are available for use and results are received in February and March.
9. Publicity report - Jeremy Jones. The current newsletter is published and will be circulated and posted on the website.
10. Lake Safety- Frank Callahan. Placement of markers and buoys are in progress. Boaters Safety course dates are: June 28 and 29 in Poultney, July 2 and 3 in Wells. All insurance coverage is in place for the usage of theses locations.
11. Nominating Committee - Bob Williams. Nominations are in order to fill open positions that will be available this year.
12. Membership - Rob Goldman (not in attendance). The February letter had an impressive response, as non-members have been contributing to the LSCA. Many donations have been received in memoriam. Another mailing will go out as a reminder to join the LSCA as it is the Association"s hope to surpass last years membership.
13. Government relations - Phil Pope (not in attendance). June 1, a FOVLAP meeting is being held. It is important to attend this meeting as it deals with the State Lakes. It was stated the importance of reviewing the correspondences that are sent to the state as to the accuracy of the contents to assure the issues are being addressed in a time and efficient manner.
14. Old Business - Boat Parade - Rand Burgner. Flyers for the boat parade( July 4,2018) will be sent out. It is Lila's last year as she has organized this event for the past six years. It has been well received and a success under her guidance. Wells Variety Day - Frank Callahan. July 21,2018. this is also the Board Mtg and the Annual Membership Mtg. Poultney Day - Rob Goldman. August 11,2018. Insurance and Legal guidance - Ed Laird. Insurance is in place to cover the LSCA to use buildings for meetings and education purposes. Ed requested the 501C designation that was received from the IRS to supply the necessary information to the insurance company. Private sponsored fireworks - Rick Roberts. Jack Williams is not participating in the firework display this year. Any donations will be appreciated by Rick. Send the donation to : Rick Roberts 6 Broadview Terrace Granville, NY 12832. The date for the firework display will be July 7,2018.
15. New Business - Rand Burner proposed a plaque be placed on the Welcome to Lake St. Catherine sign in honor of Martin Greenberg. A motion to accept the purchasing and placement of a slate plaque to be displayed on the welcome sign was second.

June 23, 2018- Board meeting

July 21, 2018- Board meeting and Membership meeting

New Boating rules and greeters are in place at the State boat launch in Wells, VT.

Motion to adjourn the meeting was seconded at 11:04.

The next meeting of the LSCA Board Of Trustees will take place on June 23rd at 8:30 AM at the Lake St. Catherine Country Club.

In cooperation with Josh Mulhollem 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 Monday, June 18th, 2018.

On May 9th, biologists from SLM visited the lake to perform a milfoil survey. They have identified areas to be treated with aquatic herbicide Renovate and Renovate OTF in Accordance with the Aquatic Nuisance Control Permit #2014-C01.

During and after the treatment, please be aware of the following lake water use restrictions:

• There shall be NO USE of Lake St. Catherine, Lily Pond and Little Lake FOR ANY PURPOSE, including boating, fishing, swimming, domestic (household) use or irrigation, on the day of and the entire day after the treatment

• Swimming/wading, boating, fishing and domestic use (except drinking or for food or drink preparation) may resume the beginning of the second day following treatment.

• Use of water from Lake St. Catherine, Lily Pond and Little Lake for drinking or for food or drink preparation shall not resume until water sample analyses reveal that the active ingredient in Renovate (triclopyr) is at or below 75 parts per billion by laboratory analysis.

• Use of water from Lake St. Catherine, Lily Pond and Little Lake for irrigation, including use for watering lawns, trees, shrubs or plants, shall not resume for 120 days or until water sample analyses reveal that triclopyr is at or below 1.0 part per billion by laboratory analysis, whichever comes first.

This means that the lake will be closed for all uses on Monday, June 18th and Tuesday, June 19th.

Along with the herbicide treatment, 13 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 Renovate and DASH:

Are you a member yet? Maintaining the lake costs approximately $125,000 annually. Grants, membership dues and contributions make up the majority of our funding. If you'd like to help, please consider becoming a member or making a donation. The LSCA is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and any contribution that you make is tax deductible.

If you have any questions about the upcoming milfoil treatment, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org.

Hello Lake St. Catherine.

We'd like to let you know that the LSCA Spring 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.

The digital version is now available online via our website via this link: Click here to view the Spring 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!