For the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine
We'd like to let you know that the LSCA Spring 2021 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 (available now). Thank you to Otto's and WCS!
Also, your LSCA Trustee neighbors will have printed copies available around the lake.
The digital version is now available online via our website through this link: Click here to view the Spring 2021 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.
HAVE YOU BECOME A MEMBER IN 2021?
Our 2021 Membership Drive is underway, and membership mailings have gone out. You can also download a copy by clicking here: 2021 LSCA Membership Form PDF. 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 2020, click here to renew, or click here 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, have never logged in, or if you have not logged into the new website launched in December, please click here to set or reset your password.
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!
Your membership and the dues and contributions we receive allows us to accomplish our work. Maintaining the lake costs approximately $125,000 annually. While we do receive annual grants from Poultney, Wells, and the State, membership dues and contributions make up the majority of our funding.
Upon receiving your membership contribution, our treasurer Elaine will mail you a hand-written thank you note, a receipt, a LSCA window card and a LSCA can koozie.
On Tuesday, June 22nd 2021, Lake St. Catherine will be treated for milfoil. Please see the attached advisory notice and map.
In cooperation with Misha Cetner 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 Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021.
On May 13th, biologists from SLM and LSCA Trustees visited the lake to perform a milfoil survey. They have identified areas to be treated with ProcellaCOR and areas to be suction harvested.
During and after the treatment, please be aware of the following lake water use restriction recommendations:
• NO USE of Lake St. Catherine waters and water from the outlet stream FOR ANY PURPOSE including boating, fishing, swimming, domestic (household) use or irrigation, the day of treatment on:
Tuesday, June 22, 2021, beginning at 9 am
• Swimming/wading, boating, fishing and domestic (household) use may resume on:
Wednesday, June 23, 2021, beginning at 9 am
• USE of water from Lake St. Catherine FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSES including for watering lawns, trees, or other plants may resume on:
Wednesday, June 29, 2021, beginning at 9 am or earlier based on sampling results, please refer to the website below for results
Please refer to www.solitudelakemanagement.com/vermont for additional information and updated water use advisories and recommendations.
Along with the herbicide treatment, 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 ProcellaCOR (red & blue) and DASH (green):
The milfoil located in the green DASH areas is very sparse.
Links:
- LSCA Permit Application - Draft Permit - SePRO ProcellaCOR® EC Specimen Label - SePRO ProcellaCOR® EC Safety Data Sheet If you have any questions about the upcoming milfoil treatment, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org.
3-Year Little Lake Milfoil Control Plan
The treatment in Little Lake represents the first year of our 3-year plan to help control milfoil in Little Lake. In partnership with the Lake St. Catherine Conservation Fund (LSCCF), we have been conducting a fundraiser to help fund this plan. To date, we have raised over $17,000. While we have enough funds to cover projects costs this year, we'll need to continue to fundraise for 2022. We hope you can help support this joint venture to control milfoil in Little Lake. To learn more about the plan, or to make a donation, please visit the project page here: https://lakestcatherine.org/little-lake-milfoil-control
Have You Become A Member In 2021?
Thank you for your support of the LSCA!
Hello LSC property owners,
We'd like to let you know that the LSCA, LSCCF, and the PMNRCD will be holding an informational Zoom meeting on the Lake St. Catherine Lake Wise Program on Thursday, May 20th at 7 PM.
Lake Wise is a program developed by Vermont’s Lakes and Ponds Program to recognize outstanding efforts by homeowners who live along a lakeshore to protect the water quality and habitat along the shoreline and within the near-shore area of the lake. Four categories are assessed: The driveway and parking area, the structure (which includes roof, drainage, and septic), the recreation area (the lawn/footprint of non-natural, high-use yard areas), and the shoreline buffer area.
The goal of the Lake Wise program, from the Lake Wise website:
"The goal of Lake Wise is to establish a new normal, 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 partnership with the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District (PMNRCD) and property owners around the lake, the Lake Wise program was a huge success in 2020! 11 properties earned the award last year, bringing the total on LSC to 12.
A Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) grant helped to fund both property assessments, native plantings, and stormwater runoff projects on individual property owner’s shorelines.
In late 2020, the LSCA again applied for a LCBP grant to expand the Lake Wise Program into Little Lake. We received the good news that we had earned this grant, and a joint committee between the LSCA and the LSCCF was created to get this program started in Little Lake in 2021. While our 2021 program is focused on the Little Lake, this program is open to ALL Lake St. Catherine property owners.
Our goal is to earn another 10 awards in 2021, and get our first for a Little Lake property owner.
You can read more about Lake Wise and why it is so important for LSC on our website by clicking here.
To date, we've heard from 18 property owners that are interested in Lake Wise this year, and the Lake Wise team will be reaching out soon to these folks to set up an appointment at their property.
If you'd like to learn more about the Lake Wise program - and how you can help improve the health and water quality of Lake St. Catherine, we like to invite you to our presentation.
Lake Wise Informational Zoom Meeting:
Thursday, May 20th at 7 PM
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88550183782?pwd=YUpSZ2tQOEJxeUZDY2cvSTg2ZG1Zdz09
This meeting will also be recorded and posted on YouTube, so if you are unable to attend that evening, you'll still be able to view the presentation soon after.
We hope you can join us!
If you have any questions, or if you would like to sign up for Lake Wise, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org.
Good morning LSC.
Please join us in thanking all the volunteers who helped clean up litter around Lake St. Catherine yesterday as part of Green Up Vermont Day!
MANY bags of litter have been cleaned up around the lake, and from what we've heard, folks had a great time getting out and about to help get LSC ready for the Summer.
Here are some reports from our volunteers:
Melissa Liebig said:
"We had a blast at green up day today! We left 2 bags at 94 vantage point. And 1 further north by camp Sagamore. We met up with Sue and Jeff King, Jill O’Brien, Sue Caizza, Becky Raub, Ashleigh Raub and her dog Brodie and 'greened up' together!"
Laura Clark said:
"Six bags , Aaliyah was a Champ !"
Mary Papasso said:
"I hope you are enjoying this sunny day! I had a huge clear bag half filled! We will bring home and dispose. Have a great day!"
Shannon & Paul Rangecroft said:
"Thanks for organizing this fabulous effort. It’s evident by the number of green bags around the lake...that it was very worth while!!"
Corrine and Jonathan Benn got creative and performed cleanup by bike & kayak:
...and even the doggos helped out! Here's Brodie and Boone:
Many folks around the lake were involved in this effort - and some will still be out over the next few days to continue the clean up.
You can view all the photos that we received on our Facebook page here.
THANK YOU!
Hi all,
Saturday, May 1st is Green Up Vermont Day, 2 weeks from today.
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!"
To start us off, our household crew will take Cones Point, Sandy Beach, Ranny Road, and Route 30 from Cones Point to Ranny Road. We'll also paddle the included shoreline areas (see map below).
We'd like to see if we can get folks around the lake to volunteer to clean up an area, and we'll do our best to coordinate the efforts so we all know what areas are covered, and which areas need volunteers.
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 and post it on our Calendar, on the May 1st Green Up Vermont Day event. You can view that here: LSC Green Up Vermont Day Event.
Email us at info@lakestcatherine.org, or contact us on Facebook to volunteer for an area.
We'll be in touch with the Towns of Wells and Poultney to see what supplies may be available (bags and gloves), and where collected trash should be taken.
Let's all pitch in to get Lake St. Catherine ready for a great Summer!
Thank you.
Walter Huss! Congrats Walter.
The last of the stubborn ice disappeared overnight, so we have checked your predictions, and we have a winner!
Honorable mentions to: Brad, Jennifer, Amanda, Ben, and Stew who also guessed today. Thanks to all who participated - and thank you to all our ice spotters for sending in reports!
Walter has bragging rights for the year, and joins our Ring Of Ice Out Champions from previous years:
2020: Mel Ohl, March 23rd at 3 PM 2019: Judy Cummings, April 15th at 6 AM
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!
Hello LSC.
Last evening, the LSCA and LSCCF held a joint webinar to discuss the 2 Little Lake projects we will be working on together this year, Lake Wise and Milfoil Control.
We gave a presentation describing both projects, and then we answered questions from attendees.
You can view the recording here:
You can also read more about these projects, and learn how you can help by making a donation, signing up for Lake Wise, and working to get milfoil out of the lake by visiting our project page here: https://lakestcatherine.org/little-lake-milfoil-control
We hope you can make a donation to help support this effort - and we hope you'll do what you can while at the lake to make these projects a success.
If you have any questions, or would like to sign up to participate in Lake Wise, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org.
Thank you for your support!
Good morning LSC. We have some exciting news to share.
On Sunday, March 14th 2021, the LSCA and LSCCF kicked off a joint fundraiser to help collect donations to help fund our 3 year Little Lake milfoil control plan.
That morning, we launched a webpage to explain our two joint Little Lake projects for 2021, Lake Wise and Milfoil Control, and to track and accept donations.
We estimate that year 1 of the 3 year milfoil control plan will cost $36,000. The LSCA and LSCCF each pledged to contribute $12,000 each ($24,000 in total), and look to the lake community for contributions to cover the remaining $12,000.
We are happy to report, that in just over a week, we have raised over $16,000!
This is AMAZING.
Thank you to the lake community for your generous support!
We have fully funded Year 1, and we have applied the funds collected over the Year 1 goal to Year 2:
As Spring rolls in, and folks start arriving to open up their camps, we will continue to reach out and fundraise for this project throughout the season.
If you have not yet contributed to this important project that will help Little Lake - and the whole of Lake St. Catherine, we hope you'll take a moment to read through the plan and consider making a donation.
You can read about the projects for Little Lake in 2021, track our fundraising progress, and make a donation here: https://lakestcatherine.org/little-lake-milfoil-control
Also, this evening at 7 PM, we'll be hosting an informational Zoom webinar to give a short presentation about these projects, and to take your questions.
Registration is required to attend. You can sign up here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_r7MZm6tWS-m_EzCgxFov9A
Thank you for your consideration and support!
This Wednesday, March 24th at 7 PM, the LSCA and LSCCF will be holding a joint Zoom webinar to let you know about two projects for Little Lake this year: Lake Wise and Milfoil Control.
The agenda:
We plan to keep the slide presentation focused and brief, then we'll take your questions.
To attend the webinar live, you need to register via this link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_r7MZm6tWS-m_EzCgxFov9A
You can also read more about these projects, and make a donation to the Little Lake fundraiser to help fund these projects by clicking here: https://lakestcatherine.org/little-lake-milfoil-control/
We hope to see you Wednesday!
Hello LSC fans!
When will the ice go out on Lake St. Catherine in 2021?
...and who is ready for Spring, and preparing to have an excellent season at Lake St. Catherine this year?
It's time to start up #IceWatch2021!
Let's have some little fun and make some predictions for when the ice will go out.
Click here to make your guess.
- In 2020, with his guess of March 23rd at 3 PM, the 2020 LSC Ice Out Champion was Melvin Ohl.
- In 2019, with her guess of April 15th at 6 AM, the 2019 LSC Ice Out Champion was Judy Cummings.
The winner will be crowned "LSC 2021 Ice Out Champion" and will have bragging rights all year!
Make your guess - and good luck!
Please fill out the form below to make your guess.
Note: By ice out, we mean when the Lake will be clear of ice. We'll be relying on our Ice Spotters around the lake for up-to-date reports on conditions - and we'll use those to make the call.
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