GLCA Members,
Happy New Year to you and your families! With the Winter Solstice behind us, every day is now getting longer, signaling that summer at our beloved Galway Lake is not far away.
We are pleased to report that the drawdown was accomplished just as scheduled in November and that the lake level is now remaining at the lower level until late January when the refill will begin. The ring of weeds that encircled the lake this year between the 8-10-feet level has now been exposed for numerous freeze/thaw cycles, without insulating snow cover. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions for mother nature to work her magic. We also have been encouraged to hear many stories of members removing old concrete, raking up dead weeds and other nutrients on the lakebed, and even removing or cutting some of our 100-year-old stumps. Thank you to all who are working hard to make our lake as healthy as it can be!
In addition to the work on the shorelines, the Facilities Committee (formerly Engineering) has been hard at work on deferred and preventative maintenance of our dam, tower, and canal. Thank you to Dave Hennel, Kurt Ladu, Brad Bischoff, and others who are braving the wind, rain and cold to get these projects completed while the conditions are optimal.
If you have a chance to walk the old 1800s dike that runs between Ruback’s and Point Road, you have less than a month to do it. Go see for yourself some of the amazing history of the old Amsterdam Reservoir. It could be quite a while before this historical treasure is exposed again. And if anyone has any pictures of the dike now or in the past, please forward them on to us so that we may share. That also goes for any aerial photos you may have that show this or past drawdowns.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE: The deed to the lake prohibits motorized vehicles on the lake or ice and prohibits ice fishing. Each year, some members ignore that restriction either themselves or by authorizing non-members to cross their property to access the lake for prohibited activities. This winter season it is especially important to abide by these rules. With exposed stumps eventually covered by snow, thin ice caused by our spring-fed lake, and shifting cracks or soft spots caused by the refilling of our lake, the chance of an accident is high. Please do not risk your life or financial well-being, this winter. Every winter we see tragedies at other lakes. Let’s keep Galway Lake off that list.
Have a safe and pleasant rest of your winter, and we look forward to seeing you out on the water in a few months!
John Buhrmaster
President for the GLCA Board of Directors