For the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine
Hello LSC.
We'd like to invite you to join us - the Lake St. Catherine Association (LSCA), and our partners the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District (PMNRD), Castleton University, and Fitzgerald Environmental Associates to a very important meeting to discuss the Lake St. Catherine Watershed Action Plan on Thursday, July 14th at 5:30 PM at the Wells Lakeside Park on Little Lake.
The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) describes the purpose of a Watershed Action Plan as:
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?'
After many years of successfully managing and participating in individual lake programs to protect Lake St. Catherine, which include: water testing (Lay Monitoring Program) in-lake invasive species control (Milfoil Control Program), invasive species prevention (Greeter Program), and stormwater management (Lake Wise Program, LSC Stormwater Master Plan), 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 as part of a comprehensive long-term plan. The resulting plan will leverage current LSCA 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 Lake St. Catherine watershed.
The findings from the creation of the LWAP will guide our long-term efforts to increase water quality, and projects identified can then feed into the DEC Watershed Projects Database and be considered for funding under the Clean Water Initiative Program (CWIP) and other sources.
One of the first steps in this 3-year process is to hold a meeting with Lake St. Catherine stakeholders to describe what LWAPs are, to outline our work plan, to discuss how the Lake St. Catherine watershed will be assessed, and to inform you on how you can help and participate in planning for the future of Lake St. Catherine.
We are proud to have earned this grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program to fund the Lake St. Catherine LWAP, and we look forward to putting in the good, hard work it will take over the next 3 years and beyond.
For the preservation, protection and maintenance of our beautiful Lake St. Catherine - we hope you will join us.
Thank you!
On Saturday, May 28th, the Lake St. Catherine Association held their first meeting of the 2022 season. Meeting minutes compiled by Jerremy Jones.
Attendance: Jim Canders, Ed Laird, John Belnavis, Mary Jo Teetor, Jerremy Jones, Frank Callahan, Jeff Crandall, Martha Pofit, Nancy Liberatore. Online: Michael Gay, Rob Nesbit. Absent: Bob Williams, Lisa Micich.
Call to Order: President Jim Canders called the meeting to order at 8:40.
Public Comments: None.
President’s Opening Comments: Jim discussed the amount of work needed to be completed this season, noting there are 2 current openings, and upcoming retirement from the board.
Approval of Meeting Minutes: A motion was made to accept the minutes of the last Board Meeting of the LSCA in August, 2021. Motion passed.
Treasurer’s Report: Mary Jo presented the 2022 budget. Discussion followed. A few budgeted items were updated from estimated costs to actual costs. A motion was made to accept the report. Motion passed.
Milfoil Management: Jeff Crandall, the herbicide treatment is Monday, June 20, 2022. 2 small sites on the Big Lake (~9 acres), 1 area in Little Lake (~35 acres), 13 sites for the DASH program. DASH cost will increase this season, budget adjusted. Mailed notifications were sent, postings were made on our website and social media pages, emails were sent, and posting of the notification signs was completed on May 20, 2022. The spring plant survey was completed on May 16, 2022 by SOLitude and our DASH team. A discrepancy on our contract with SOLitude, Jeff will follow up. Discussed the misinformation being posted online about LSC, ProcellaCOR and milfoil causing confusion as a result of the LBA applying for a permit. Concern about safety on treatment day were discussed. It was decided to reach out to the Game Warden to ask for coverage on the day of the treatment.
Boat Launch Greeter Program: John Belnavis reports that the Greeter Program is underway for the season at the boat launch in Wells and at the State Park in Poultney. A few of our Greeters from years past have moved away, so we are a few short this season. We’ll advertise that we have openings.
Publicity / Membership: Jerremy Jones, Newsletter available today - will be emailed to members and posted on our sites, printed copies to Wellsmere Farm, Trustees will take a stack to hand out. Constant communication with the lake community through website, Facebook, Front Porch Forum. Membership is strong, starting to pick up again as folks start heading back to the lake. Goal is 400 for 2022, at 314 currently.
Lake Safety: Frank Callahan, Placement of the markers & buoys for the season. Three boating courses scheduled in June and July. 24 signups so far.
Nominating Committee: 2 current openings can be appointed, one retirement in July. Looking for new potential Trustees.
Boat Parade: Jerremy Jones, Boat Parade is Saturday, July 2nd at 1 PM. Registration is open, a few folks have registered. We’ll follow the model from previous years, photos will be taken at the starting line, an online poll will be posted so folks can vote.
Annual Meeting: John will work with the LSCCC to arrange for the Annual Meeting on Saturday July 23, 2022 at 6 PM. Dinner options and costs TBD. Will discuss presentation at next meeting. Will start promotion when dinner options are available. Look at inviting speakers?
Grants: Martha Pofit, Outlined all the grants the LSCA is working on this year, Libraries Love Lakes, LSC Watershed Action Plan, Lake Wise, Stormwater Master Plan, will need help administering, as Martha is stepping down at the end of July.
Old Business: Jerremy Jones, Discussed his appointment to the board of the Federation of Lakes and Ponds (FOVLAP). He is currently working on the website committee as they are currently working to redo their website. Ed Laird, Outlined the land donation to the LSCA, working with owner and Nancy Liberator to sell the property. Motion made to have title search completed. Motion passed. Nancy donating her time to the sale.
New Business: Jerremy Jones, Discussed a draft of a proposed letter to be sent to Shawn Good at Vermont Fish & Wildlife to voice our concerns about descriptions of LSC, characterizations made about our milfoil control efforts, and conclusions made in a recent Bass report that he wrote about LSC. A motion to send the letter was made. Motion passed. The letter will be sent on Tuesday, May 31st.
Motion for adjournment 10:55 AM.
Next meeting: June 25, 2022 at 8:30 AM LSCCC.
Our 'Dockside Chats' program is back this season.
Back in 2020 when COVID canceled our Annual Meeting & Dinner, we started Dockside Chats to be able to have safe, face-to-face meetings with lake property owners so you can have an opportunity to discuss lake issues with the LSCA.
This program has been very popular over the last 2 years, so we are doing it again here in 2022.
An LSCA Trustee will hop on their boat or Sea•Doo, or their kayak or paddle board and head over to your dock so you, and possibly your invited neighbors can ask us questions, and we can tell you about all the important lake programs this season.
If you'd like to schedule a Dockside Chat, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org and include some dates and times that would work for you. We'll get right back to you to set up your Dockside Chat.
We look forward to seeing you!
Septic systems are not usually a topic of polite conversation but we’re here to change that! Living around Lake St. Catherine, we understand the value of good water quality. As residents, there are many things that we can do to protect Lake St. Catherine, and proper maintenance of septic systems is one important way that homeowners can do just that.
Please join us for a "Wastewater Workshop" and learn about care and maintenance of your septic system on Friday, July 8th from 10 AM - 12 PM at the Lake St. Catherine Country Club.
State of Vermont, Department of Environmental Conservation Wastewater Workshop:
Discover how onsite wastewater systems work and the various kinds of systems installed in Vermont. Understand how to maintain a system and the regulatory framework for on-site wastewater systems and potable water supplies. Learn how to identify permit and approval issues particularly ones that may occur when buying and selling property. Become familiar with online resources for permits and property owners and answers to site-specific questions.
Our presenter:
Cristin Ashmankas, M.S.
Cristin Ashmankas is an Environmental Analyst with the State of Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation, Drinking Water & Groundwater Protection Division. In this role, she works with engineers, designers, and the public in permitting wastewater, potable water, and ensuring compliance. Prior to joining the State, she was a high school STEM teacher and a college professor of physical science. She has been a geological and environmental consultant for various organizations and governmental agencies. Cristin holds a M.S. from the University of Rhode Island in Geological Oceanography, specializing in climate change in the Arctic and natural disasters, and a B.S. from Eckerd College in Physics and Marine Geophysics, specializing in Baffin Bay hydrology. She grew up in Massachusetts, mainly Cape Cod, but has come to call the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont home.
We hope to see you there!
The Town of Poultney's Summer Recreation program has a lot of activities to offer kids of all ages this year.
Activities include: outdoor adventures, crafting fun, sports camps, make believe and kinder camps.
You can read all about the available activities on the Poultney Recreation website, or in their Poultney Summer Rec 2022 PDF brochure.
Also in the brochure, they are promoting events and activities for all ages taking place in Poultney this summer. Activities include events at the Poultney Public Library, on Lake St. Catherine, at Stone Valley Arts - and many more.
Finally, included in the brochure is a page dedicated to the 4th of July activities taking place in Poultney on Monday, July 4th, beginning at 8 AM.
Check it out!
The Wells Village Library, the Lake St. Catherine Association (LSCA) and the Lake St. Catherine Conservation Fund (LSCCF) have joined forces to bring the lake community a very exciting event!
On Sunday, July 3rd from 10 AM until 1 PM at the Wells Lakeside Park, the Libraries Love Lakes event will offer family-friendly opportunities for stewardship-based, hands-on, lake-related learning. Ecology-based topics like native flora and fauna, stormwater impacts and natural history are all on the agenda, including real-time water quality assessments in which guests can participate. There will be expert presentations and a limited number of pontoon boat tours.
The first 20 families to arrive will receive a lake-themed kit replete with on-topic books and activities (one kit per family).
Presenters include:
• Wells Village Library • Lake St. Catherine Association (LSCA) • Lake St. Catherine Conservation Fund (LSCCF) • Castleton University • Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District (PMNRCD) • LSCA's Greeter Program • Wells Historical Society • Poultney Public Library • Loon Biologist Eric Hanson from Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Libraries Love Lakes is a national outreach project which pairs school and public libraries with lake scientists to provide collaborative programming emphasizing the importance of lakes in our everyday lives. You can learn more by visiting www.librarieslovelakes.org.
Those who plan to attend are encouraged to pre-register for the event by filling in this short form: https://lakestcatherine.org/LLL. You may also phone Wells Village Library at 802-645-0611 to register.
To help fund this event and ongoing collaboration among the library and lake organizations, the LSCA applied for and received an Education & Outreach grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) funded by the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC).
This special lake celebration also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, the nation's first comprehensive legislation protecting water quality.
After the event, the educational opportunities will continue at Wells Village Library. Librarian Gina Ellis has, through the LCBP grant, dedicated space and carefully-curated materials to Lake St. Catherine including pertinent information and activities to further advance lake-related learning.
Please direct all event-related inquiries to librarian Gina Ellis at 802-645-0611. You may also visit www.WellsVillageLibrary.com or follow updates on Facebook by following the Wells Village Library page as well as the Lake St. Catherine Association and Lake St. Catherine Conservation Fund pages.
As many in our lake community make their way back to Lake St. Catherine for the season, we like to take a moment present our Sponsor Spotlight.
These 13 local businesses have supported the LSCA by becoming a Business Sponsor for the 2022 season. You can learn more about them here:
Phone: (518) 642-1799 Email: info@rathbunsmaple.com
www.vt-lakehouse.comExperience amazing lakefront views Daily and weekly rentals available FB: https://fb.me/vtlakehouseEmail: info@vt-lakehouse.com
You can always view all of our Business Sponsors on the Sponsors page of our website here: https://lakestcatherine.org/sponsors
Thank you to all our Business Sponsors for your support!
Hello LSC - we hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend at the lake...
We'd like to let you know that the 10th Annual LSCA Boat Parade has been scheduled and is open for registration!
The 10th Annual LSCA Boat Parade will be on Saturday, July 2nd at 1 PM.
We all know how fun it is to watch the boat parade, but it's even more fun to be part of it!
As we did last year, we'll take photos of all participants, and we'll have a lake-wide online vote to decide the winner.
Our categories are:
If you'd like to register your boat, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org with your name, phone number, and boat name or theme. We'll get you signed up and will reply back with your boat number, and give you all the details on how to participate.
Our 9th Annual Boat Parade winners, and current reigning champions are:
Most Patriotic:
Boat #19 - Laura Frost - Liberty
Funniest:
Boat #12 - Sarah Conine - Horsing Around With The Cows
Most Original:
Boat #2 - The Roth Family - Scooby Doo Mystery Machine
Best Overall:
Boat #10 - Tonia and Paul Ramirez - Sponge Bob
So, start thinking about your theme, and mark your calendars for July 2nd! Then, email us at info@lakestcatherine.org to register your boat.
Also, lake resident Rick Roberts has announced that his annual fireworks display will take place that evening, Saturday, July 2nd.
It's going to be a fun day!
Our Boat Launch Greeters started on Friday. They will be stationed at the boat launch in Wells and the State Park in Poultney checking boats before they enter LSC for aquatic invasive species (AIS) like zebra mussels, spiny waterflea, and asian clams - all of which are just a lake away.
They do a *GREAT JOB* of educating boaters about the dangers of inadvertently transporting invasive species into LSC via their vessel or trailer, and by removing any they find before they can get into the lake.
Our Greeters are on duty from Memorial Day through Labor Day - working on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They also cover holidays and fishing tournaments.
Please thank them for what they do for LSC when you see them!
You can read more about the invasive species we are working to keep out of the lake and the Greeter Program on our website here: https://lakestcatherine.org/boat-launch-monitoring-greeter-program
Also, we are looking to add to our staff for the season. Our Greeters are paid $15 per hour. No experience is necessary, training will be provided.
If you would like to join our Greeter team, please contact us at info@lakestcatherine.org.
Happy Friday LSC.
The Spring 2022 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!
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 through this link: Click here to view the Spring 2022 Newsletter, or click on the image below. 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.
[Editors note: to those who pick up a printed copy, please excuse a few typos that we discovered after printing... they have been fixed in the digital version]
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