News from the Skaneateles Lake Association: Working on three fronts
BY Fran Rotunno Fish
The efforts of the Skaneateles Lake Association are actively focusing on three fronts to protect the treasure that is Skaneateles Lake.
Our Milfoil Team of divers, Victoria Vanicky, Joseph Bergan, Miranda Raughly and John VanSlyke under the supervision of John Menapace have been out on the lake putting down matting on the largest patches of milfoil that were identified via the survey of the lake bottom done by Bob Werner last fall. They will, again, be putting down 6 acres of matting. We all need to be aware that the amount of silt and soil that entered our lake from the massive rain storms and resulting runoff last July is, in all probability, going to increase the amount of milfoil that we will see in the lake this year. If you are fortunate enough to own lakefront property, you can help with preventing further runoff, please make use of the information in the “Landscaping for Water Quality in the Finger Lakes”. It is available electronically. Just request it via the “contact us” tab at Skaneateles Lake.org.
Our Invasive Species Monitoring Stewards have been in place at the DEC Launch and the launch sites in the Towns of Skaneateles (Mandana) and Scott. This year, we were able to start them earlier and plan to increase the hours of the day that the sites are covered. The delegation of SLA Board and Committee members that visited Lake George this month learned about their program that provides 100% inspection of every boat that entered the lake. We know that the Lake George program is the gold standard for protecting our lake from invasive species and that we have to continue our efforts to work with local municipalities and the state to achieve that gold standard. We also have to have the funding to pay the Stewards for those extended hours.
As part of the SLA’s HAB Action Plan, the SLA Watershed Community Citizens Task Force has been very busy in the month of June. Chairperson, Mary Menapace worked with the Cornell Cooperative Extension, of Onondaga County and the Town of Skaneateles to present an Informational Public Forum on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABS) and Water Quality on Skaneateles Lake. Over 270 people were in attendance with another 30 participating via the online broadcast. The meeting was informational in itself, but it also offered an opportunity for a number of community citizens to offer their assistance with volunteer efforts. Via that meeting, email communications and citizens contacting the SLA via our website we now have 15 trained volunteers and 6 more ready to be trained to conduct HAB Shoreline Surveillance in order to provide localized public notification in the event a HAB is confirmed. The current volunteers are able to cover a large part of the entire shoreline, but more are need to cover the west side of the lake. Please use the “contact us” tab on SkaneatelesLake.org if you would like more information on this program or would be interested in participating in this program. Starting on Monday, June 25th at 6:30pm at the Skaneateles Town Hall and continuing on the 4th Monday of every month, Mary Menapace will be convening a meeting of the SLA Watershed Community Citizens Task Force. All Skaneateles Lake community residents are invited to attend and participate in working together to plan and implement citizen projects to restore, preserve and protect Skaneateles Lake. The voice and unique talents of many our needed.
The SLA 2018 Annual Meeting is set to go this Saturday, June 30th, 5 – 7 pm at Lourdes Camp. If you have not yet sent in your RSVP please do so TODAY. Use the “contact us” tab at SkaneatelesLake.org or call 315-685-9106. If you have photos of your own days at Lourdes Camp or your children’s, bring a paper copy for the collage we will make to help Lourdes Camp celebrate their 75th Anniversary.
Please thank the following for Sponsoring the Milfoil Boat for a day or multiple days: The Kaufman Foundation
Please thank the following co-sponsors of the Milfoil Boat: Carolyn & John Tierney, Rhonda & Craig Richards, Donna & Raymond Kurlak, Joan & Michael Niswender, Lynn Boles & John Priest, Elizabeth Downes & Patrick Doyle, Sharon & Ed Barno, Deb & Joe Paduda, Molly & Bill Spalding, Katherine & Walter Sullivan, Maureen & Joseph Wilson, Barbara Egtvedt, Jill & Kurt Roswell, Anne & Elan Salzhauer, Amanda & Jonathan Lee, Margaret & Michael Kelly, Ann Hinchcliff, Julie & Joe Scuderi, Patricia & David Stone, Jane & Peter Hueber, Shelly & Richard Kraetz, Susan & Dana Hall, Kimberly & John Mezzalingua, Jane & Mason Howard, Jean Shook & Chris Johnson, Claire & Robert Howard, Ursula & David Hutton, Lisa & Michael Wetzel, Ann & David Lee, Beverly & David Jones, Margaret & Charles O’Neil, Mary & Paul Torrisi, Vanessa & Michael Yates, Bartlett Tree Experts, Eleanor & Ben Ware, Kate & Mont Pooley, Paula White, Maureen & Brian Harkins
Please thank the following sponsors of our Invasive Species Monitoring Stewards for a day: Carolyn Kaye & Donald Babcock, Virginia Calvert & Robert Dean, Jen & Bill Warning, Rhonda & Craig Richards, Mary and Paul Torrisi, Michele Jenkins, Lisa Letizia & Paul Floreck, Jo & Bob Werner, Martha & William Cole, Thomas & Brenda Parkes, Jean Shook & Chris Johnson,
Please thank the following individuals whose contributions to the David Lee Hardy Fund also support our Invasive Species Monitoring Stewards: Katherine & Dan Mezzalingua, Margaret Sennett, Pat & Paul Fallon, Mildred & Daniel Schultz, Christine & Edward Szemis, Nancy Murray
