The Twin Lakes Association set its two member meetings this summer for June 18 and Aug. 6. Both will be at Isola Bella, starting at 10 a.m. The 121st Twin Lakes Day festivities will follow the Aug. 6 meeting. Please save the dates. These are the key meetings of the year, and a large turnout is the best way for the board to understand where members stand on issues.
At the June 18 meeting, we expect to hear from Tim Abbott, director at the Housatonic Valley Association Regional Land Conservation. He will speak about best practices for maintaining the health of the lakes. These practices are not just for waterfront properties. Runoff into the lakes comes from lands far and wide. We all have a responsibility to do things like maintain septic fields, use pesticides judiciously, and more.
The meeting agenda will be set later. But it likely will include discussions around issues including lake water levels, police patrols, weed management, and noise pollution on the water.
The TLA board held several meetings over the winter. The minutes are posted on the TLA website. Much of the board discussions have centered on proposed regulations for lake conduct, including noise, ski lanes and direction of travel. The town has the TLA proposal in hand, and we are waiting for a response. The board has also discussed better ways to monitor the lake level over the critical winter months. As always, lake water quality has also been top of mind.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has asked the TLA to develop a comprehensive lake management plan using a state-approved botanist. This plan would be submitted to the state along with our application for another three-year permit by February 2023. The board is now generating a list of qualified botanists. Meanwhile, paperwork for our regular herbicide permit has been submitted.
Zebra Mussels have long been present in the Twin Lakes. But many boaters and dock owners learned last year that these destructive shellfish have multiplied in great numbers. They attach to boat bottoms and engines, and dock posts and mooring apparatus. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers calls zebra mussels the “most troublesome freshwater biofouling organism in North America.” They can ruin beaches and cause damage to boat engines. They also degrade the aquatic ecosystem.
We have placed a dozen cement blocks throughout both lakes to monitor the infestation even though there does not appear to be much we can do to control the zebra mussel population.
This year’s photo contest theme is “activities.” We are looking for great pictures of people doing whatever they enjoy doing throughout the lake area: hiking, skiing, tubing, cycling, gardening, kayaking, fishing, etc. Please describe where the photo was taken. Winning shots will be displayed on the home page of the TLA website.
This contest is open to residents, members, and visitors—in other words, everyone. We offer $50 prizes for the two best shots. Photos must have been taken within the 12 months ending Aug. 1 and submitted no later than Aug. 1. You can submit by replying to this email or, preferably, by posting on Instagram using #TLAphoto22 or tagging TwinLakesAssociation.
No matter what you think of Elon Musk, Twitter can be a useful tool to share timely information on lake matters. Please consider signing up and following twinlakesassociation @twinlakesassoc2.