For the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine
As folks start launching their watercraft this season, they will be welcomed at LSC & State of Vermont boat launch by "Greeters".
These well trained individuals inspect incoming and outgoing watercraft looking for invasive species of plant and animal life. Through their efforts, we can closely monitor and prevent such species as Eurasian Water Milfoil, Alewife and Water Chestnuts carried on visiting boats, from invading Lake St. Catherine.
On duty from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on designated days beginning Memorial Day and continuing through Labor Day, the greeters interact with boat owners providing information about our lake and and the need for boaters to adhere to the rules and regulations governing use of the lake.
There are some new rules this year regarding invasive species. You can read about these and the Greeter Program in the Vermont Public Access Greeter Program Manual (PDF). The new regulations are listed in Appendix A on page 26 and 27.
Greeters are provided by the LSCA as trained and paid personnel to inspect boats entering the lake.
You can read more about the LSC boat launch here.
The Lake St. Catherine Association is pleased to provide two FREE boating safety courses this season.
The first will be held on June 28th and 29th from 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Poultney Volunteer Fire Department on Beaman Street.
The second will be held on July 2nd and 3rd from 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Wells Village School on Route 30.
Anyone born after January 1st, 1974 must successfully complete an approved boating safety education course to legally operate any motorized vessel - including personal watercraft.
Frank Callahan, Trustee in charge of Boating Safety, will be conducting the courses.
Space is limited to 25 attendees, so please call 802-645-9136 or email Frank at frank.callahan@lakestcatherine.org to register.
For additional information about boating in Vermont, check out the online Handbook of Vermont Boating laws and Responsibilities.
Hello good folks of the Lake St. Catherine community.
How about some news to make us think of some 'Fun In The Sun' during these cold April days... as we wait for the ice on the lake to disappear #LSCIceWatch2018 (the ice went out on 3/2 last year).
We'd like to let you know about the 6th Annual Boat Parade and when the LSC 4th of July fireworks will light up the sky.
6th Annual Lake St. Catherine Boat Parade:
This year, the Boat Parade will take place on Sunday, July 1st at 1 PM. Prizes are awarded for:
Register your boat today! Email Lila at BurgnerL@msn.com.
We'll have more information soon on prizes and the parade route.
Here's our Best Overall winner from last year:
Fireworks:
Lake resident Rick Roberts has informed the LSCA that his fireworks display will occur on Saturday, July 7th. This year, the fireworks will launch from the east side of the lake, near the mouth of Hall's Bay.
A photo from last year's display:
We hope the thought of these summer events will keep you warm until Spring finally arrives!
So, mark you calendars for July 1st for the Boat Parade and July 7th for the fireworks - and thanks to Lila and Rick for organizing these great events for all of us to enjoy.
On Tuesday, March 6th 2018, the residents of Wells and Poultney voted to provide $12,000 and $20,000, respectively, in support of the Lake St. Catherine Association's mission to protect and maintain the lake.
We'd like to thank the good folks of both towns for their support. These funds, along with membership dues and contributions, will help us perform our work for the season - including: boat launch monitoring & boating safety classes and milfoil treatment & suction harvesting. You can read more about all that the LSCA does in the Our Purpose section of our site.
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. Thanks again to the residents of Wells and Poultney!
Hello again to the good folks of the Lake St. Catherine community.
We wanted to give you a quick update on the 2018 Membership Drive. In just the past few weeks since the 2018 drive started, we've had over 100 memberships sent in via mail and online through the website.
Thanks to all of you that got right to it and sent in your membership - and thanks to those of you that have contributed above the standard $100! All of your support is appreciated as we head into the upcoming season at the lake.
Our Treasurer Elaine will be working through all the memberships to send you a note and receipt, along with your 2018 LSCA window card and a small thank you gift (an eyeglass / screen cleaning cloth).
Although we are off to a great start, we have a long way to go...
So, if you have not already, we hope that you'll consider supporting the Lake St. Catherine Association this year.
You can also download a PDF copy of the 2018 Membership form. 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 2017, click here to renew or 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, or never set one up, click on the "Forgot Username/Password?" link, and the site will send you an email with the information.
Also, don't forget to check with your employer to see if they have a charitable giving program that may match your contribution!
We also have a new Business Sponsor Membership for local businesses in the lake community.
Finally, we'd like to ask for your help in spreading the word about the membership drive. When speaking to your friends, family and neighbors, please let them know that the 2018 drive is underway. You could also post, or share our posts on Facebook to get the word out.
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.
We appreciate your support!
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@lakestcatherine.org.
It's that time of year again... As the Lake St. Catherine Association heads into its 65th year, we are asking for your support for the 2018 season.
Your membership dues and contributions help fund many of the services provided by the LSCA:
Your dues and contributions also help support special initiatives like the Lily Pond Channel Restoration project, which was completed in October. We are still hoping to raise additional funds to cover the cost of this project. We hope that you'll consider adding an additional contribution to your membership dues this year, in support of this important restoration.
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 2018 Member Notice. Just fill out the form and mail it in to our Treasurer Elaine with a check for your dues. We'll also send you an email if we have your address on file.
Or, you can renew or become a member on our website. If you were a member in 2017, click here to renew, or 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, or never set one up, click on the "Forgot Username/Password?" link, and the site will send you an email with the information.
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!
If you are a business in the Lake St. Catherine community, we have a new Business Sponsor Membership we'd like to tell you about. The Business Sponsor Membership includes:
Finally, we'd like to tell you about a very exciting partnership with local artist Peter Huntoon. Peter has generously offered to create an original painting of Lake St. Catherine to be used as a fundraiser to benefit the LSCA in 2018. We'll let you know when the painting is completed - and how the fundraiser will work (auction / raffle). Prints of the original painting will also be available for purchase.
Laura Dlugolecki from the Vermont Department Of Environmental Conservation, Watershed Management Division has provided this year end report of the Lake St. Catherine Implementation Team:
"I want to update you on some implementation projects that were completed, outreach events, projects that received funding, and the status of the South Lake Tactical Basin Plan. Lake St. Catherine State Park: Many of you are familiar with the Lake Wise Program, which is an initiative that awards lake-friendly shoreland properties. The goal of Lake Wise is to establish 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. In 2014, Lake St. Catherine State Park was one of 10 State Parks that was evaluated through the Lake Wise Program. The Lake wise evaluation provided recommendations for improvement to bring the Park up to the Lake Wise standards. Three of the 10 Lake Wise evaluated State Parks received funding this year to implement the Lake Wise recommendations (Lake St. Catherine, Silver Lake State Park in Barton, and Island Pond State Park in Brighton.) This spring, crews worked to install two sets of infiltration steps in steep, eroding access path areas, widen the vegetated buffer to 15 feet, and to add plantings on the banks. This fall, crews returned to complete some upper bank stabilization at the top of the slope and to remove a campsite at the top of a steep slope, renaturalizing the area to reduce compaction at the top of the slope, which will reduce erosion. Septic Social: In July we held a septic social, graciously hosted by Dede Kendall on the shores of Little Lake. There was a good turnout of local residents who came to learn about septic systems on lake-front property, how they work, their impact on the lake, and about alternative systems that can be used on small lakeshore lots. If there is demand and interest, we are happy to collaborate with residents, towns, lake associations, etc. to hold a similar event in the future. Lake St. Catherine Watershed Stormwater Assessment/Lake Wise Master Plan: At past implementation team meetings, we discussed the potential for having a stormwater assessment completed for the Lake St. Catherine Watershed to better understand some of the major sources of water quality issues in the area to better prioritize action and implementation. (We were given a brief presentation on an assessment that was done for Lake Bomoseen in the past). Hilary Solomon of the Poultney-Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District applied for Ecosystem Restoration Program (ERP) funding and was awarded the funds to go forward with the assessment. Hilary will be working with partners to do a lake-focused assessment of the Lake St Catherine and the Wells Brook watershed, which includes roughly half of the Wells Brook-Mettowee River. Included are Endless Brook, the largest tributary to Lake St Catherine, which carries high sediment loads during storms, and Wells Brook, which flooded badly on July 1, 2017, and shows erratic and often high bacteria and nutrient concentrations during summer water quality monitoring. The project will involve completing an extensive field assessment to identify sources of pollution and stormwater to the streams in the Wells Brook Watershed and to Lake St Catherine. Projects to fix the problem areas will be identified and will be prioritized, based on quantitative criteria agreed upon by Vermont DEC staff. The 20 most effective projects will receive a one-page write up to assist with public outreach and help facilitate implementation. The six highest-priority, more complex projects (to be determined with DEC input) will receive conceptual designs. The projects identified from this assessment will be prioritized for future funding. This stormwater assessment was proposed collectively through Lake Saint Catherine Implementation Team meetings attended by PMNRCD, members of the Wells Select Board, the Poultney Town Manager, members of the Lake St Catherine Association, and members of the Lake St Catherine Conservation Fund. Updates to the South Lake Tactical Basin Plan: Based on input from Towns, lake associations, the implementation team, assessments, monitoring data, and other partners, the South Lake Tactical Basin Plan is being updated. The Tactical Basin Plan identifies priority actions that protect and restore water quality within the South Lake Basin (where the Lake St. Catherine Watershed is located). Priority actions may be implementation projects or assessments. The actions identified in the basin plan are prioritized to receive grant funding. There is a public facing database to see current funding priorities which you can view here. You can search by basin (2&4 for the South Lake Basin) to see the current identified priority projects and whether or not they have been completed and/or funded. Each basin plan gets updated on a 5-year rotation. The South Lake Basin Plan is nearing completion of its update, which includes many lake-focused implementation projects as priorities, based on input from partners and data. The DRAFT South Lake Basin Plan is out on 30-day public notice for public review and comment. The DEC anticipates approving this draft by the end of December concurrent with our requirements under the Lake Champlain TMDL and Accountability Framework. The (formal) draft version is located here. Sorry for the short notice about these meeting dates, I just learned of them myself. When the Basin Plan is complete, the updated list of priority projects will be added to the website. The updated DRAFT Basin Plan identifies implementation opportunities for managing aquatic invasive species, management of runoff from roads into the lake, culvert and road upgrades to reduce runoff, Lake Wise assessments and Implementation, and projects to address agricultural runoff, forestry practices, and waste water treatment plants. Non-profit groups, like lake associations, watershed groups, and towns can all apply for funding to implement the projects identified in the Basin Plan. Towns are encouraged to take initiative for zoning issues to deal with septic and stormwater runoff issues. Outreach: In August, The Lake Champlain Sea Grant and Amy Picotte from the DEC, Lake Wise Program, held a Shoreline Erosion Control workshop called: “Protecting Property and Lake - Be Storm Ready with Lake Friendly Practices.” The workshop was an opportunity for landowners to learn about natural approaches to protecting and stabilizing their shoreline, the Lake Wise program, and basic information about the Shoreland Protection Act. If lake associations or other groups are interested in additional workshops, please reach out and we can thing about future opportunities. Additionally, I wanted to alert you to some work going on with your “neighbor lake”—Lake Bomoseen. Lake Bomoseen is going through a similar process with an implementation team of their own. Lake Bomoseen Stormwater Assessment: The PMNRCD completed a stormwater master plan for the Lake Bomoseen watershed last year that yielded a list of priority projects to improve water quality. Some of the priority projects are now funded for implementation in the coming field season. Cedar Mountain Road: This August, a steep, eroding (nearly vertical) stretch of Cedar Mountain Road along Lake Bomoseen was stabilized using “bioengineering methods.” Encapsulated soil lifts, natural stone and vegetation were used to stabilize the shore and restore the shoreline to a natural slope. This approach uses “soft-scaping” as opposed to hardscaping methods and prevents erosion, while establishing natural vegetation at the shoreline. To learn more, check out the videos at the bottom of the Lake Wise website."
"I want to update you on some implementation projects that were completed, outreach events, projects that received funding, and the status of the South Lake Tactical Basin Plan.
Lake St. Catherine State Park:
Many of you are familiar with the Lake Wise Program, which is an initiative that awards lake-friendly shoreland properties. The goal of Lake Wise is to establish 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.
In 2014, Lake St. Catherine State Park was one of 10 State Parks that was evaluated through the Lake Wise Program. The Lake wise evaluation provided recommendations for improvement to bring the Park up to the Lake Wise standards. Three of the 10 Lake Wise evaluated State Parks received funding this year to implement the Lake Wise recommendations (Lake St. Catherine, Silver Lake State Park in Barton, and Island Pond State Park in Brighton.) This spring, crews worked to install two sets of infiltration steps in steep, eroding access path areas, widen the vegetated buffer to 15 feet, and to add plantings on the banks. This fall, crews returned to complete some upper bank stabilization at the top of the slope and to remove a campsite at the top of a steep slope, renaturalizing the area to reduce compaction at the top of the slope, which will reduce erosion.
Septic Social:
In July we held a septic social, graciously hosted by Dede Kendall on the shores of Little Lake. There was a good turnout of local residents who came to learn about septic systems on lake-front property, how they work, their impact on the lake, and about alternative systems that can be used on small lakeshore lots. If there is demand and interest, we are happy to collaborate with residents, towns, lake associations, etc. to hold a similar event in the future.
Lake St. Catherine Watershed Stormwater Assessment/Lake Wise Master Plan:
At past implementation team meetings, we discussed the potential for having a stormwater assessment completed for the Lake St. Catherine Watershed to better understand some of the major sources of water quality issues in the area to better prioritize action and implementation. (We were given a brief presentation on an assessment that was done for Lake Bomoseen in the past).
Hilary Solomon of the Poultney-Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District applied for Ecosystem Restoration Program (ERP) funding and was awarded the funds to go forward with the assessment.
Hilary will be working with partners to do a lake-focused assessment of the Lake St Catherine and the Wells Brook watershed, which includes roughly half of the Wells Brook-Mettowee River. Included are Endless Brook, the largest tributary to Lake St Catherine, which carries high sediment loads during storms, and Wells Brook, which flooded badly on July 1, 2017, and shows erratic and often high bacteria and nutrient concentrations during summer water quality monitoring. The project will involve completing an extensive field assessment to identify sources of pollution and stormwater to the streams in the Wells Brook Watershed and to Lake St Catherine. Projects to fix the problem areas will be identified and will be prioritized, based on quantitative criteria agreed upon by Vermont DEC staff. The 20 most effective projects will receive a one-page write up to assist with public outreach and help facilitate implementation. The six highest-priority, more complex projects (to be determined with DEC input) will receive conceptual designs.
The projects identified from this assessment will be prioritized for future funding. This stormwater assessment was proposed collectively through Lake Saint Catherine Implementation Team meetings attended by PMNRCD, members of the Wells Select Board, the Poultney Town Manager, members of the Lake St Catherine Association, and members of the Lake St Catherine Conservation Fund.
Updates to the South Lake Tactical Basin Plan:
Based on input from Towns, lake associations, the implementation team, assessments, monitoring data, and other partners, the South Lake Tactical Basin Plan is being updated. The Tactical Basin Plan identifies priority actions that protect and restore water quality within the South Lake Basin (where the Lake St. Catherine Watershed is located). Priority actions may be implementation projects or assessments. The actions identified in the basin plan are prioritized to receive grant funding. There is a public facing database to see current funding priorities which you can view here. You can search by basin (2&4 for the South Lake Basin) to see the current identified priority projects and whether or not they have been completed and/or funded. Each basin plan gets updated on a 5-year rotation. The South Lake Basin Plan is nearing completion of its update, which includes many lake-focused implementation projects as priorities, based on input from partners and data.
The DRAFT South Lake Basin Plan is out on 30-day public notice for public review and comment. The DEC anticipates approving this draft by the end of December concurrent with our requirements under the Lake Champlain TMDL and Accountability Framework.
The (formal) draft version is located here.
Sorry for the short notice about these meeting dates, I just learned of them myself.
When the Basin Plan is complete, the updated list of priority projects will be added to the website.
The updated DRAFT Basin Plan identifies implementation opportunities for managing aquatic invasive species, management of runoff from roads into the lake, culvert and road upgrades to reduce runoff, Lake Wise assessments and Implementation, and projects to address agricultural runoff, forestry practices, and waste water treatment plants.
Non-profit groups, like lake associations, watershed groups, and towns can all apply for funding to implement the projects identified in the Basin Plan. Towns are encouraged to take initiative for zoning issues to deal with septic and stormwater runoff issues.
Outreach:
In August, The Lake Champlain Sea Grant and Amy Picotte from the DEC, Lake Wise Program, held a Shoreline Erosion Control workshop called: “Protecting Property and Lake - Be Storm Ready with Lake Friendly Practices.” The workshop was an opportunity for landowners to learn about natural approaches to protecting and stabilizing their shoreline, the Lake Wise program, and basic information about the Shoreland Protection Act. If lake associations or other groups are interested in additional workshops, please reach out and we can thing about future opportunities.
Additionally, I wanted to alert you to some work going on with your “neighbor lake”—Lake Bomoseen. Lake Bomoseen is going through a similar process with an implementation team of their own.
Lake Bomoseen Stormwater Assessment: The PMNRCD completed a stormwater master plan for the Lake Bomoseen watershed last year that yielded a list of priority projects to improve water quality. Some of the priority projects are now funded for implementation in the coming field season.
Cedar Mountain Road:
This August, a steep, eroding (nearly vertical) stretch of Cedar Mountain Road along Lake Bomoseen was stabilized using “bioengineering methods.” Encapsulated soil lifts, natural stone and vegetation were used to stabilize the shore and restore the shoreline to a natural slope. This approach uses “soft-scaping” as opposed to hardscaping methods and prevents erosion, while establishing natural vegetation at the shoreline. To learn more, check out the videos at the bottom of the Lake Wise website."
Good day to all of you out there in the Lake St. Catherine Community...
We'd like to let you know about a new section we've just added to our website, Links & Downloads. Here, we'll post links to websites that may be of interest to the lake community along with reports and documents.
Today, we've posted links to:
Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds (FOVLAP)
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Sea Grant
Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District
We've also posted a PDF version of the Lake St. Catherine - A Historical Scrapbook, and an excellent PDF booklet on plants and planting called Landscape Design For Healthy New England Lakes by FOVLAP.
Finally, you'll see a collection of our annual Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan reports, including our 2017 Annual Report. These reports go back to 2004 - and they detail our yearly surveys and treatments of the lake for Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM).
We hope you'll find this new section useful. You'll see the Links & Downloads section listed in the main navigation bar at the top of our webpage.
We'll let you know when new items are added as we continue to add new content to the site.
The Lake St. Catherine Association is excited to announce a partnership with Vermont Artist Peter Huntoon.
Peter has generously offered to create an orginial painting of Lake St. Catherine to be used as a fundraiser to benefit the LSCA in 2018.
This past Sunday, we headed out onto the Lake with Peter to scout for scenes. He found something that caught his eye - and we can't wait to see how he again captures the beauty of LSC.
LSC has been the subject of some of his previous paintings: Lake St. Catherine, Ice-Out, and his latest painting, Little Lake:
- "Little Lake" by Peter Huntoon, image from peterhuntoon.com
We are still working out the details of how we will make the original painting available (auction / raffle), but we will have prints available for purchase - with all proceeds benefitting the LSCA.
Peter, thank your for your support of the LSCA - we know the LSC community is looking forward to seeing your painting!
You can learn more about Peter and his work on his website.
Good afternoon LSC.
We are happy to report that the Lily Pond channel restoration project has been completed.
Here are some photos Mary Jo took on her paddle through the channel:
We are very happy with the results - and we hope you are too.
We hope you'll see the completion of this project as a worthy effort of the LSCA - and you'll support us as we continue our commitment to the preservation, protection and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine.
As we've mentioned in our previous updates, we are hoping to raise half of the $35,000 need to pay for this project.
Currently, we are aware of - or have received a total of $4,100 in donations and pledges. This is a great start on our way to the $17,500 we hope to raise, but we still have a long way to go.
Please consider making a donation to help us reach our goal.
One very generous LSCA member has pledged to add an additional $100 for every donation of $1,000 or more.
You can visit our donation page by clicking here (click the Add To Cart button to enter your donation amount), or by sending in a check to:
Lake St. Catherine Association Lily Pond Project P.O. Box 631 Wells, VT 05774
If you have any questions, or if you'd like to make us aware of a donation on the way, please contact the LSCA at: info@lakestcatherine.org.
Thank you for your support!
Search lakestcatherine.org:
Follow us on:
