Good morning LSC, we have some exciting news to share.

We are happy to report that we've just been informed by the State that we have earned a grant through the Aquatic Nuisance Control Grant-in-Aid Program for $25,000 to support our AIS (aquatic invasive species) prevention and control programs which include our Boat Launch Greeter Program, and our Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH) Program.

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 (and many others) - 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 - working on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They also cover holidays and fishing tournaments. We are looking for Greeters for 2025, email us at info@lakestcatherine.org if you are interested.

Read more here: https://lakestcatherine.org/boat-launch-monitoring

About our DASH Program:

Our DASH crew provides milfoil control by suiting up in scuba gear and hand-pulling milfoil by the roots from the lakebed. In sections of lower milfoil density, they will swim the area and hand-pull 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.

Read more here: https://lakestcatherine.org/milfoil-control-program

While this funding is great news, it only partially funds these programs for the year. The remaining funding for these programs comes from our lake community through membership dues, additional contributions, and donations.

If you'd like to contribute to these important programs, please consider renewing your membership or becoming a member of the Lake St. Catherine Association, which you can learn more about on our website here: https://lakestcatherine.org/become-a-member

We have multiple membership levels, and you can also make a donation: https://lakestcatherine.org/donation

Thank you for your support of the LSCA and these important lake programs for Lake St. Catherine!