Your Executive Committee:
President - Peter Lanahan <planahan@gmail.com>
Vice-President - Hannah Hanford <hhanford57@gmail.com>
Secretary/Treasurer - Patricia Gillmett <townclerk@harrietstown.org>
BULLETIN 02/17/21
LAKE CLEAR BULLETIN <——CLICK THE LINK
Bulletin 11/17/2020
LAKE CLEAR BULLETIN
November 2020
A newsletter written occasionally by the Officers of the Lake Clear Association to the membership
Town Supports Low Salt Zone
At the request of the Lake Clear Association, the Town of Harrietstown has written to the State Transportation Department requesting that a “Low Road Salt Zone” be established in the Lake Clear watershed. The Association worked with Town Council Member Tracey Schrader to bring the request for the Zone before the Council, which endorsed it during a meeting on October 16 that was chaired by Town Supervisor Michael Kilroy and attended by County Legislator Lindy Ellis. The letter from the Town suggests that the Town Highway Superintendent, Dan Martin, is available to work with the State Transportation Department to establish the Zone, which would include State roads around the Lake and the Outlet. Information provided to the Town by the Association included data gathered by the Adirondack Watershed Institute at Paul Smith’s College indicating that the groundwater downgradient of Route 30 is being contaminated by runoff that is high in sodium and chlorides. The groundwater is used for drinking water. Sodium and chlorides are also high in the Lake. An Association fact sheet sent to the Town cites chloride levels in the groundwater that far exceed State Health Department guidance.
The Low Salt Zone has also been supported by Assemblyman Billy Jones and County Legislator Paul Maroun.
Memorial Forest Trail Established
Students from Paul Smith’s College have worked with the State Department of Environmental Conservation to cut a new interpretive trail at the Hoyt-Peroni Memorial Forest, a forty-acre tract of State land located near the former Lake Clear Elementary School on the east side of the Lake. The trail was routed as part of a student capstone project. It winds for about a mile in a loop off an existing trail to the Lake that begins opposite the road leading from Route 30 to Charlie’s Inn. The plan for the new trail was included in the final State Unit Management Plan adopted four years ago. Design for the trail includes interpretive signage and a small parking lot on Route 30.
Professors Gould Hoyt and George Peroni were revered teachers at Paul Smith’s College from the early fifties through the mid-eighties. They were instrumental in restoring the forty-acre forest, which had been logged over, reforesting the property as part of a student project in the 1950s. The Forest, which is now on State land, was dedicated in their name in 2014.
The Association was asked by the school to answer several questions concerning maintenance and usage of the new trail. Comments from the Association Board, in response to the questions, said that while we welcome the recognition of the two professors, the project raises questions about potential overuse of the area and maintenance problems as resources to manage public lands at the State DEC are already thinly stretched. The Association asked that a management plan for the trail and parking area be drafted in cooperation with the Association.
Priorities for 2020-21
The Association Board has adopted three priorities for the 2020-2021 year:
* Preventing the introduction of Invasive Species,
* Minimizing the use of Road Salt, and
* Preventing harmful Algae Blooms.
The first two priorities are carried over from last year. Progress on these items includes the survey of the Lake and the Outlet carried out by the Nature Conservancy and the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program last June, which indicated the Lake is free of aquatic invasives, and the proposal being advanced by the Town to have the State DOT minimize road salt usage near the Lake and the Outlet.
Small harmful algae blooms have been sighted along the shore of the Lake over the past two years. The blooms were apparently short lived—only a few hours—but are nevertheless an unsettling warning that, under certain conditions, unacceptable water quality problems can occur. While the specific causes of these algae blooms have not been identified, algae blooms can be caused by a combination of factors including sunlight, high concentrations of organic matter and insufficient movement of the lake water necessary to create turnover. Harmful algae blooms have been reported on other Adirondack lakes, including Mirror Lake and Lake George.
Nominations for Association Officers
It’s not too early to volunteer! Association officers will be elected at the Annual meeting in July, to serve two-year terms. After six years, the current President will be stepping down. Other individuals will be elected to serve as Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Approximately four Association meetings are held each year. Participation by Zoom Conferencing is allowed. The Association has exciting projects underway, and real issues are facing the Lake that require your expertise and interest. Get in touch with Bob Callaghan, the Chair of the Nominating Committee, by email or phone to talk over how you can make a contribution, either as an Officer or a Committee Member. The Association supports an Environmental Committee, a Membership Committee and a Health and Safety Committee. Bob Callaghan is at rcal711@gmail.com or 518-891-4610.
Check Out Our Website(Lakeclearassociation.com)
You can see information about current activities affecting the Lake, and some great photos, at the Association website. If you haven’t joined the Association for the 2020-2021 year, it’s easily done on the website using your credit card to pay the $15 per person dues.
Rail Removal Proceeding
According to information provided by Steve Guglielmi at the State Department of Environmental Conservation, removal of the railroad tracks in the Lake Clear area could begin within the next several days as part of the construction of the new Rail Trail from Tupper Lake to Lake Placid. The rails will be stockpiled on the side of the rail corridor and removed later in the year. Concerns about the rail removal should be directed to the Transportation Department engineer in charge of the project, Michael LePage.
Bulletin 8/11/2020
Lake Clear Bulletin
Thanks to everyone who joined us at the teleconferenced Annual Meeting. Several notes of good news were sounded:--Adirondack Research reported that their recent survey of the Lake found no evidence of invasive species. -- Paul Maroun, who is Senator Little's counsel, reported that the area around Lake Clear is being considered for a. "low road salt " pilot project by the Department of Transportation--Scott Matthews from Assemblyman Jones office, who attended the meeting, reported to us the following day that the Adirondack Road Salt bill had passed the Assembly. (It passed the Senate two days later and is now awaiting the Governor's signature.) Thanks to both the Assemblyman and Senator Little for sponsoring the bill.--Denise Williams, from the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York, reported that although the Lake Clear Camp won't operate this year, hopes are to resume operations in 2021.--County Legislator Lindy Ellis led a short discussion on the local impacts of the corona virus and Town Board member Tracy Schrader again took the time to join us. Thanks to all our public officials and special thanks to the Town of Harrietstown for the Annual Contribution to support our efforts.
--The Associations new web site is now operational and may be accessed at www.Lakeclearassocation.com. Future Association news will be posted there.
--The 2021 Annual meeting will be held on a Saturday morning in July, in hopes of encouraging participation and interaction among the members. --Association dues were increased to $15 per person. The increase is the first in many years and will support our new programs, including the Keep the Lake Clear campaign.
And a couple of final important items:*Although the spring nesting season is over, young waterfowl are on the Lake. They can be found in the quiet bays and weedy areas and sometimes in open water, and they can be sensitive to wakes from boats. According to the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation, if you see loons doing this. "penguin dance, " rowing with their wings, moving away from you or exhibiting other behavior indicating they are uncomfortable such as making the "tremolo call," you may be too close. *If you have questions about Association News, we'll get you answers if you direct them to Lakeclearassoc@gmail.com