For the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine
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.
Hello good folks of the Lake St. Catherine community.
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!
Good afternoon Lake St. Catherine.
We'd like to take a moment to clear up some confusion created by a brochure you may have seen recently at local businesses in Wells and Poultney, entitled "Restoring Lake St. Catherine". This brochure was created by the Lake St. Catherine Conservation Fund (LSCCF).
The LSCCF was created in 2008 by property owners on the Little Lake. This organization is not associated with us, the Lake St. Catherine Association (LSCA), which was founded in 1953. The LSCA and the LSCCF are two separate organizations with very different approaches to dealing with lake issues.
First, their brochure contains a saying that many will remember was used for a number of years by the LSCA, "For the sake of the lake." We hope this was unintentional.
In the first paragraph of the brochure, while discussing the Little Lake, they write "Some parts are now un-navigable where this shallow water is also clogged with Eurasian watermilfoil and other nuisance plants." (The "nuisance plants" mentioned include native species to LSC, like Large Leaf Pondweed and Robbins' Pondweed.)
In 2012, the LSCCF asked the LSCA to not treat the Little Lake with herbicide as we had since the initial Sonar treatment in 2004. They had applied for and received a permit to run an experiment using aerators. Each year since 2004, the LSCA has been successfully managing new milfoil growth in the Lake with spot treatments of herbicide - adding in suction harvesting in 2007.
Since the LSCA stopped treating the Little Lake in 2011, the milfoil growth has exploded. Aeration has not been shown to have an effect on milfoil. We encourage you to visit the aeration spots on the Little Lake to see for yourself.
Finally on the topic of milfoil, we must also take a moment to call your attention to some inflammatory language on the LSCCF's website. One particular page mentions herbicides as "harmful", "unhealthy" or "toxic" 7 times.
The herbicide the LSCA uses each season is called Renovate OTF (on target flakes). The active ingredient is Triclopyr, which is proven safe for humans and wildlife and listed as practically non-toxic by the EPA. Use of this herbicide in LSC has been approved by the State of Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources and its use is strictly regulated by the Vermont DEC. Describing it as harmful, unhealthy or toxic is scaremongering.
On the same page, there are these two paragraphs referring to aeration:
"Asked about the success of this type of remediation, some have observed, 'Eurasian watermilfoil was in several lakes and ponds that we put the system in, and it is not present in any treated lakes or ponds now.' Eurasian watermilfoil can be controlled using environmental remediation without unhealthy herbicide. With toxic herbicides, the milfoil comes back, usually worse than before and must be poisoned again. With environmental remediation, Eurasian watermilfoil never comes back. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent to control milfoil on Lake St. Catherine with weed harvesters and toxic herbicide, and its growth is now worse than ever."
"Asked about the success of this type of remediation, some have observed, 'Eurasian watermilfoil was in several lakes and ponds that we put the system in, and it is not present in any treated lakes or ponds now.'
Eurasian watermilfoil can be controlled using environmental remediation without unhealthy herbicide. With toxic herbicides, the milfoil comes back, usually worse than before and must be poisoned again. With environmental remediation, Eurasian watermilfoil never comes back. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent to control milfoil on Lake St. Catherine with weed harvesters and toxic herbicide, and its growth is now worse than ever."
There are no references or studies cited to show that "Eurasian watermilfoil can be controlled using environmental remediation" or "With environmental remediation, Eurasian watermilfoil never comes back"? Also, who are the "some" who have "observed"?
Since 2004, The LSCA has been controlling milfoil using a combination of spot herbicide treatment and suction harvesting - and year over year, we've been reducing the amount of herbicide used as our suction harvesting continues to increase and improve.
Think about the last line in that paragraph: "Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent to control milfoil on Lake St. Catherine with weed harvesters and toxic herbicide, and its growth is now worse than ever." Knowing the history of milfoil in Lake St. Catherine, how could anyone describe the milfoil in areas that the LSCA is managing as "worse than ever"? This comment is simply untrue. Each year, in the spring and the fall, LSC is surveyed by the LSCA and our contractor SOLitude Lake Management to formulate a treatment plan. Milfoil reports are generated during these surveys and the data clearly shows that the milfoil is not "worse than ever".
This brings us back to similar unsubstantiated claims in the brochure. Some statements begin with "We believe..." or "We concluded..." or claim that the aeration is "working great!". Believing things or drawing conclusions based on those beliefs is certainly not scientific, and they provide no documented evidence that these statements or claims are true. Very important decisions about lake management should not be made based on beliefs.
These are all important things to keep in mind as you read their material. Why do they not provide documented evidence for their claims or beliefs? Why do they knowingly spread false information? Why do they try to scare you with untrue statements?
Now, the LSCCF has purchased a harvesting machine. After running a harvesting program for over 20 years, the LSCA realized that harvesting is like mowing your lawn. After the first cut, you need to keep cutting the weeds as they will grow right back. During the process of cutting and harvesting the milfoil, fragments are created that aren’t captured and removed from the lake. A tiny milfoil fragment can start a new plant . Harvesters are also difficult and expensive to operate and maintain. The LSCA stopped using mechanical harvesters in the early 2000s.
The LSCA would like to once again be involved in the treatment of the Little Lake, including helping to address its unique issues. But, as you've read, we've been shut out. From the LSCA's bylaws, our purpose is to "to utilize (our) income and assets for the preservation, protection and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine." We are stewards of the entire lake - from Lily Pond down to the Little Lake.
Although milfoil treatment is a major focus for the LSCA each season, we do so much more for the Lake. We also promote lake safety with free boating safety courses and by maintaining the cones and buoys. We manage the Greeter program at the boat launch to check boats for invasive species. We continually test the water for E coli, and water clarity. We represent you to state and local governments to protect your rights and the lake in general. We sponsor free workshops on topics like septic systems and shoreline best practices. We also apply for permits to conduct special projects like restoring the Lily Pond channel.
As someone that cares about the Lake, you have the option to support - or not support - either Association. All we can ask is that you do so based on the facts. We hope to earn your support.
Thanks for reading, and we welcome your comments: info@lakestcatherine.org.
The Lily Pond Channel Restoration Project has begun and we'd like to give you an update.
Back in April, the LSCA applied for a permit to “...remove sediment and organic debris from the center of the channel between the Lily Pond and the North Bay of Lake St. Catherine to restore the connectivity, increase water movement, improve water quality, enhance open water habitat and control invasive/nuisance vegetation.”
This permit was approved in June - and the LSCA board voted to appropriate the funds ($35,000) for the project at our final meeting of the season on August 26th.
SOLitude Lake Management started their work on Monday - the first day of an anticipated 10 day work schedule.
Here are some photos of the work in progress from this morning:
We'd also like to update you on our fundraising efforts.
This project will cost $35,000. The LSCA is hoping to raise half this amount ($17,500) from the lake community to help defray the costs for this expensive undertaking.
We are happy to report that good folks in the LSC community have already started pledging donations!
Currently, we have $2,600 in donations and pledges. So, we are off to a good start, but we still have a long way to go.
We also have an anonymous matching offer to tell you about. A very generous LSCA member has pledged to donate an additional $100 for every donation at or above $1,000.
The LSCA would like to thank this member for their matching pledge. We hope the community will take advantage of the offer to make their own donation a bit more valuable to the project.
If you would like to help by contributing to this project, please consider sending in a donation to the Association. 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 P.O. Box 631 Wells, VT 05774
Of our current donations and pledges, some have pledged their amount based on the project beginning, some based on the project completion. Since we'd like to keep the community up-to-date on our fundraising efforts, we'd ask that if you plan on making a donation, please send us a quick note to: info@lakestcatherine.org to let us know. This will allow us to keep a total of in-hand and pledged donations.
We hope that you will consider donating to help fund this important Lake project. If you have any questions, please contact the LSCA for more information: info@lakestcatherine.org.
On Thursday, August 31st, Lake Champlain Sea Grant (LCSG) hosted a free workshop entitled "Protecting Your Property and Your Lake: Be Storm Ready with Lake Friendly Practices” in the Nature Center of the Lake St. Catherine State Park.
Managing stormwater runoff and erosion is especially challenging along Lake St. Catherine shorelines due to intensive development with limited areas available for vegetative stormwater treatment practices.
Linda Patterson, Water Quality Educator with LCSG gave a PowerPoint presentation that discussed natural and human factors contributing to stormwater runoff and shoreland erosion, and the detrimental effects of these forces on water quality and animal and plant life.
Methods for controlling erosion and runoff were presented: native vegetation, hard armor (sea walls, boulders), bioengineering (a mixture of vegetation and hard armor), and soft armor (coir logs, matting, etc.).
Participants had the opportunity to describe erosion and runoff issues on their properties, and to ask questions regarding designs and resources for addressing these problems.
To learn more about these methods, please click through the presentation, provided by LCSG:
LCSG recommends that natural vegetation, or a combination of vegetation and soft armor are the preferred methods for optimal water quality protection and erosion control.
Amy Picotte, Lakeshore Manager, Vermont Department Of Environmental Conservation, co-leader of the workshop, provided information on the technical aspects of various control methods and the the steps required to obtain permits for certain approaches.
Amy then led the group outside by on a tour of the shoreline, discussing various erosion control methods recently installed along the embankment of the LSC State Park by the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps.
We first looked at the buffer zone created by adding a wooden fence and adding some new plants in the area.
Next, we looked at the permeable steps installed on this path. Water will drain down through the stone filled steps.
Finally, we looked at this steep embankment. Plantings were strategically placed to help shore up the soil to prevent further erosion.
Attendees received copies of the Shoreline Stabilization Handbook (click here to download a PDF copy) as well as several other educational fact sheets and flyers. Information on state and local resources was also distributed.
Stormwater runoff is a big issue for LSC. As water runs off properties or through culverts, it carries nitrogen, phosphorus, pet and yard waste into the lake. These are all nutrients for lake weeds. Managing stormwater runoff will help control weed growth.
If you are having erosion or runoff issues on your property, please feel free to reach out to Linda or Amy - they will be able to get you started. You can get in touch with them by clicking on the link attached to their name above.
The LSCA would like to thank LCSG for presenting this workshop to educate new and established property owners about effective management strategies for runoff and erosion control. We hope to have more of these very informative workshops in the future.
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