Hello LSC, we'd like to let you know about the LSCA's 2023 plans for our Milfoil Control Program.

On May 8th, LSCA Trustees, a member of our Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH) team, and our contractor performed a spring survey of the lake for milfoil growth. We were happy to see that the majority of the milfoil observed was sparse in density, and was comparable to what was detected during the late fall survey.

After reviewing all the data, and discussing the current milfoil conditions, our Milfoil Control Committee and our DASH team have concluded that we will not need to perform a spot treatment this year. All the hard work of our Milfoil Control Committee, our DASH team, and all of you who have been removing milfoil from the lake have helped to get us to this point. Milfoil is an extremely fast growing invasive weed, so a spot treatment may be needed in the future. However, we will be working very hard to keep milfoil at sparse, controllable levels that our DASH team can manage to the extent possible. This season, our DASH team will be expanding by adding a new member to their crew, and this team will be able to handle the milfoil identified in the surveys. Soon, we’ll share a map showing the locations the DASH team will be working in this season.

LSCA's Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting team - Owen & Beck

There has been regrowth of milfoil in the northern section of Little Lake. Since DASH is not feasible there because the depth and loose sediments making it difficult to work, we are exploring a hand-pulling pilot program there this year. We’ll provide details on this potential new program soon. 

What does the LSCA do to control milfoil?

Our Milfoil Control Program consists of four components:

1. ‘Stop The Spread’ education and outreach. Our ‘Stop The Spread’ campaign educates boaters and property owners on best practices to limit the spread of milfoil.

2. Volunteer milfoil cleanup. Throughout the season, we organize volunteers to collect floating milfoil from the lake and deposit it at designated drop off points which is then picked up and disposed of. We also encourage boaters and property owners to remove any milfoil they see in the lake.

3. DASH - Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting. Our DASH crew hand-pulls milfoil by the roots from the lakebed which is then suctioned up through a tube to a catch table on a boat. Milfoil is then placed in 17.5 gallon buckets for transport.

4. Herbicide spot treatments with ProcellaCOR EC. In order to maximize our DASH crew’s time, effectiveness, and amount of acres covered, one of our control methods includes spot treatments of the herbicide ProcellaCOR EC. (There will be no treatment in 2023)

Although not directly related to Milfoil Control, our work on Lake Wise, the LSC Stormwater Master Plan, and the LSC Watershed Action Plan all help to limit phosphorus and other nutrients from entering the lake which can contribute to excessive plant growth, while improving overall water quality.

These efforts have resulted in the lowest percent of milfoil cover and frequency of occurrence at our 199 GPS data points in the lake since the mid-2000s. Also, and just as importantly, we have seen that numerous species of our native aquatic plants have increased in frequency of occurrence at the data points. This is exactly what we want to see! LSC has over 30 native aquatic plants which are important and necessary to sustain a healthy lake ecology. Our efforts are focused on reducing the amount of milfoil in the lake so that these native aquatic plants can grow as they normally would. Because of our milfoil control efforts, we again have a complex and diverse native plant community.

What can you do to help?

• As a general rule, get as much milfoil out of the lake as possible and dispose of it..
• Don’t drive through milfoil patches with your boat which will create fragments.
• If you have milfoil on your prop, don’t just reverse and drive away, please remove it from the lake.
• If you have milfoil growing in your dock or swimming area, pull it out by the roots and remove it from the lake.
• If you see milfoil floating anywhere in the lake, near your dock, or along your shoreline, remove it from the lake.
• Become a member of the LSCA to help support our efforts!

We will be holding our annual Milfoil Cleanup Community Day & Milfoil Control Meeting at the Wells Lakeside Park on Saturday, June 17th at 9 AM. All are welcome to attend to learn about our milfoil control plans for the season, and then those who would like to participate can head out onto the lake to do some milfoil & detached plant cleanup. We'll be placing the drop-off float soon. If you have a place on the Channel and you'd like to volunteer to to have the drop-off float near your place to keep an eye on it for us, please let us know. More info on this meeting & volunteer day soon.

The LSCA has always employed evidenced-based decision making when evaluating lake related issues, and we continue to do so with our Milfoil Control Program. Working with the State and lake scientists & experts, following the science and the data, and evaluating the results of our efforts show that we are doing the right things for the long-term health of LSC. To our members, and all who love LSC, if you ever have any questions or concerns, reach out to us, we’d be happy to answer them. You can always reach us at info@lakestcatherine.org.

Read more about Eurasian watermilfoil (milfoil, EWM, Myriophyllum spicatum) - what it is, what it does when introduced into a lake, and why we work to control it in Lake St. Catherine on our Milfoil Control Program here: lakestcatherine.org/milfoil-control-program

Good afternoon LSC - we'd like to say a few words about the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, and let you know about our Spring 2023 Newsletter that is now available.

As we near Memorial Day weekend 2023, and the 'unofficial start of summer', we hope that you'll have a fun and safe season at the Lake, and that you'll be kind and respectful of each other and our beautiful lake as you enjoy your time here this season. We also hope that you will take a moment on Monday to remember and honor those who have died while serving our country for Memorial Day.

Also, the LSCA's Spring 2023 newsletter is here with lots of information about our plans for the season, and details on many of the events that will be taking place at or around the lake.

In an effort to save on printing and mailing costs, we've decided to only print a short run of copies and distribute them at Wellsmere Farm. 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 Michelle for having them at the farm! Wellsmere Farm is open 9-6 daily.

Also, your LSCA Trustee neighbors will have printed copies available around the lake over the weekend.

The digital version is now available online via our website by clicking on the cover image below, or via this link:

LSCA's 2023 Spring Newsletter

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.

Here's to having a great season at the lake!

Good Sunday afternoon LSC.

We are pleased to announce our 2 FREE boating license classes for the 2023 season.

Each year, the LSCA offers FREE safe boating courses to help boaters satisfy the requirements by the state of Vermont and get their boating license. 

All boaters born after January 1st, 1974, must be certified to operate a power boat in Vermont waters. The certificate received by passing this class is good in all 50 states.

2 classes are available:

• June 21 & 22, Poultney Fire Department
• June 26 & 27, Wells Village School

Classes take place over 2 evenings from 4:30 - 8:30.

To register, please call LSC Boating Safety Chair Frank Callahan at 802-645-9136 or email him at frank.callahan@lakestcatherine.org.

Classes are limited to 25 participants per class, and lesson materials are for 6th grade and above reading levels.

Good evening LSC. We are excited to report that field work has begun on the Lake St. Catherine Watershed Action Plan!

Hilary Solomon & Sadie Brown from the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District (PMNRCD), Evan Fitzgerald from Fitzgerald Environmental Associates, limnologist Emily Porter-Goff from the Lamoille County Conservation District (LCCC), and Trustees from the Lake St. Catherine Association headed out on the water to begin the assessment of current shoreline and in-lake conditions.

From the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a Lake 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.”

After many years of successfully managing individual lake programs which include: invasive species control & prevention, and stormwater management, 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.

The LSCA has hired and will 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 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 LSC watershed.

You can read more about the Lake St. Catherine Watershed Action Plan on our website: https://lakestcatherine.org/lsc-watershed-action-plan

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement (LC 00A00707-0) to NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP).

We'd like to thank everyone for their Green Up Vermont Day efforts around the lake, and elsewhere in Wells & Poultney today!

A round of applause for: Pat and Sue Caizza, Dave and Jill Hassebroek, Peter O’Brien, Jill O’Brien, Bill Tatko, Melissa Liebig, Becky Raub! Marcia & Steve Turcina, Sherry Smith, Carrie Armenio, Jerremy Jones, Dennis Stark, Lisa Dreher, David Mook, Autumn Webb, Ginger & TJ, Sue Ritchie, Peg Young, Linda Cardona, Dorey Eliza & her sons, and all the volunteers that were out doing cleanup today!

Also, thank you to the The Wells Country Store, the Town of Wells, and the town crews in Wells & Poultney who will pick up all the Green Up Day bags for us this week!

Well done all!

Attached are some photos taken throughout the day by volunteers.

Aerus Water and Air Purification has been a Business Sponsor of the LSCA for the past few years. We thank them (and all of our Business Sponsors which you can see here) for their continued support!

Aerus recently reached out to us to let us know about an offer to current members of the LSCA this season.

LSCA members who present their LSCA Membership Card will be eligible for:

• A FREE Arsenic and Bacteria test of your water

Thank you to Aerus for this offer to LSCA members!

There are 2 ways you can show your current LSCA membership to Aerus. You can either show them your digital membership card on your phone, or print out your membership card from our website, here's how:

Digital Membership Card On Your Phone

The LSCA website has a companion app that you can download for your iOS or Android based phone or tablet. The app is named for the company that hosts our website, Wild Apricot. The app is called 'Wild Apricot For Members' and you can find it in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

After installing it on your device, you can log in with the username and password you use for the LSCA website. In the app, you'll be able to view and search the Membership Directory, make edits to your member profile, view upcoming events, renew your membership, and view your digital membership card.

Right on the main screen of the app is a blue button labeled "MY CARD". Clicking on this button will show your digital membership card, and it will list your renewal date. Current members will show that the renewal date is "1 Jan 2024".

Printing Your Membership Card

To print a copy of your membership card, log into your account on the LSCA website, and you will be taken to your membership profile page. Here you will see a copy of your membership card and a link to download a PDF copy that you can print. If you are already logged into your account, just click on the "MEMBERSHIP PROFILE" page listed under the "MEMBERSHIP" heading at the top of the screen.

If you have issues with either method, please let us know so we can help you out.

Thank you to all our members, and to Aerus for this offer.

Thank you for your support of the LSCA!

If you'd like to become a member of the LSCA, visit our Membership page here: https://lakestcatherine.org/become-a-member, if you are a renewing member, you can renew here: https://lakestcatherine.org/membership-renewal.

Hello LSC. We are excited to let you know that field work on the Lake St. Catherine Watershed Action Plan will begin in mid May.

From the Vermont DEC and EPA: A Lake and Watershed Action Plan (LWAP) is designed to identify and communicate the problems and fixes within a lake watershed to best protect water quality, wildlife habitat, and the lake’s ecosystem health. These plans answer the questions 'what issues threaten the health of our lake the most?' and 'what can we do about them?' 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.

This exhaustive study will assess the Lake St. Catherine watershed, including its: shorelines, roadways, tributaries, forests, wetlands, and in-lake conditions. The findings from the creation of the Lake Watershed Action Plan will guide our long term efforts to increase water quality, and will position Lake St. Catherine to secure future grants and Clean Water Funding to implement projects to benefit the lake.

This 3 year project will begin on May 16th, as representatives from the Lake St. Catherine Association (LSCA), the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District (PMNRCD), and our hired environmental consultant and limnologist take a tour of the lake to assess current shoreline conditions, and to take water and sediment samples. A follow-up paddle will then be scheduled to take a closer look at areas of concern identified during the initial tour.

Before we head out, we'd like to hear from you!

Some background: In 2018 and 2019, extensive field work by the PMNRCD and Fitzgerald Environmental Associates took place in the LSC watershed. The goal was to identify sources of increased stormwater runoff and associated sediments and nutrients flowing into the lake - and this resulted in the creation of the Lake St. Catherine Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP). Six initial projects were designed from the SWMP, and currently four have been implemented. Ten to twelve more projects will be designed this year.

Since the SWMP was created, we have learned of additional areas of concern around the lake from observations collected after storms, and from input from property owners. These areas have been initially investigated and photographed.

As we plan to tour the lake on May 16th, we'll be using previously collected information to take a good look at some areas, but we'd also like to hear from you. Where are your areas of concern for stormwater runoff around the lake? Let us know! Send us an email at info@lakestcatherine.org with the location, any information you can provide, and photographs if possible.

The Lake St. Catherine Watershed Action Plan is being made possible through a grant earned from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC).

You can read more about the Lake St. Catherine Watershed Action Plan on our website here: https://lakestcatherine.org/lsc-watershed-action-plan

Give us a wave if you see us out on the lake on May 16th. Thanks!

Hello LSC.

Spring has sprung - and that means that the LSCA is hard at work on lake programs and initiatives for the upcoming season.

First up, we'd like to invite you to participate in the 2023 Lake Wise Program. 

Help to protect our valuable natural resource - Lake St. Catherine - through conscious decision making, and participate in the Lake Wise program!

Lake Wise was developed through the Vermont DEC and is meant to provide technical assistance for shoreline landowners looking to incorporate lake friendly living practices on their properties. The Lake Wise assessment focuses on four portions of your property; driveway, structure, recreation area, and shoreline. The follow-up report gives recommendations on which stormwater management practices would be best for your property and the lake.

As a shoreline property owner, you have the access and the ability to control what is happening directly at the water's edge.

While small-scale improvements on individual properties may not seem like they have much impact, collectively the implementation of many small projects will have a positive benefit on the water quality in the lake and the surrounding watershed. Larger watershed projects are also being worked on (more on that soon).

Actions now will promote a healthy lake environment that will continue to support swimming, fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing in the future.

Over the past 4 years, over 80 properties have participated in the Lake Wise Program on LSC, and 26 property owners have earned the Lake Wise Award. You can read all about all the great work that your fellow lakeshore property owners and our partner the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resource Conservation District put into the 2022 program here: https://lakestcatherine.org/blog/13031593.

If you would like to participate in Lake Wise this season, spots are limited, so please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org to get signed up! If you have previously participated in Lake Wise and would like a follow-up assessment, please let us know.

Lake Wise is a FREE program for lakeshore property owners. The 2023 Lake Wise Program on LSC is funded through a Clean Water Small Implementation Grant grant earned by the LSCA from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC). 

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) under assistance agreement (LC 00A00981-0) to NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.

Good afternoon LSC. Hope you are enjoying the sun and blue sky! The lake is a mirror this morning!

We'e received word that the ice has cleared in Oxbow Bay overnight (thanks Jill OBrien!), so we are going to call it for Ice Out.

...and checking the list, we see that the 2023 Ice Out Champion is:

Tim Olivieri

Congrats Tim!

Thanks to all who entered a guess - and thank you to all our Ice Spotters for sending in reports!

The majority of the ice on the lake went out Wed, Thu, and Fri, with small spots in Lily Pond and the bays hanging on over the past few days. Next year, we'll look to simplify the process to make it easier to make the call.

Finally, a quick mention about our membership drive - we hope you can support us this season! To become a member, or to renew your membership, please visit our website: https://lakestcatherine.org/become-a-member

We have membership levels for everyone who loves LSC.

Thank you & enjoy this beautiful day!

Hello LSC, and residents of Wells & Poultney,

Saturday, May 6th is Green Up Vermont Day.

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!"

We had a FANTASTIC turnout last year, with volunteers signing up to cover every road around the lake! This year, we are looking to do that again, and also expand to cover additional roads in Wells & Poultney. You can check out a quick recap, and see lots of photos from our volunteers of our 2022 Green UP Vermont Day here.

Would you like to volunteer for Green Up Vermont Day? 

If so, email us at info@lakestcatherine.org, or contact us on Facebook, and let us know the roads (or sections of roads) you'd like to work on, and we'll add you to our volunteer map:

Roads highlighted in blue on the map indicate that the road (or section of road) is being covered by a volunteer. We'll do our best to coordinate the efforts so we all know what areas are covered, and which areas need volunteers.

Also, as we did last year, we will be hosting a brief kickoff to the day at the Wells Lakeside Park at 8 AM that morning. Please stop in to pick up Green Up bags, fuel up on coffee and muffins to get energized for the day, and meet your fellow volunteers! Please let us know if you'll be joining us so we can get a count.

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 here, and on our website Calendar, on the May 6th Green Up Vermont Day event. You can view that here: 2023 Green Up Vermont Day Event.

Let's all pitch in to get Lake St. Catherine, and Wells & Poultney ready for a great Summer!

Thank you.