Author: Glen Rundell

Do you know what kinds of fish are in Galway Lake?

speciesposter

The GLCA Board of Directors meets periodically throughout the year. Below is a summary of actions taken to date in 2021. Contact GLCA if you have questions.

Dam spillway and membership: At its June 26 meeting, the Board adopted the Dam spillway zone description per state New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR). With that measure, the Board stated that GLCA membership is limited to owners of property in the Lake District with deeded access or lakefront property that does not require lake access through the Dam and spillway zone. The dam was inspected in January. Work in the Dam area includes tree cutting and fence modifications.

Dues: At the August 7 meeting, the Board adopted a motion that legal communications will be undertaken for member properties three years in arrears of dues payments.

Boating: A the May 29 meeting, the Board approved a policy prohibiting hydrofoil watercraft of any design on Galway Lake. At the June 26 meeting, provisions regarding reporting and violations of the policy were put in place.

Lake preservation and conservation: Each of the 2021 Board meetings included updates on lake preservation measures.

• The annual shoreline survey has been completed and looks good.
• GLCA is continuing to participate in the NYS Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) and is conducting lake water testing.
• GLCA continues to work in coordination with the town of Galway on septic problems. At the May 29 meeting, a motion was adopted continuing the septic pump-out program with Odorless Sanitary Cleaners, whereby members in good standing will be reimbursed for the cost of pumping up to 1,000 gallons of septic waste every two years by Odorless.
• Sightings of algae blooms were investigated and found to be non-harmful. The board continues to review lake weeds and remedial measures. Members are asked to report algae bloom sights to the Grove Director, Lake Preservation Committee Chair Bruce Kniskern or CSLAP Coordinator Ed Piotrowski.
• In regard to certain fish death sightings earlier in the season, the Department of Environmental Conservation has confirmed that the Sunfish and Bluegill are susceptible in warm weather shallow water as was seen.
• The USDA Wildlife Services has been asked to conduct a round-up and removal of resident geese, given the increased population.
• The lake level is reported at each meeting and was 20.73 as of the August 7 meeting.

Website: At the August 7 meeting, it was reported that the GLCA website has been updated and additional information will be posted.

Committees: The President, at the August 7 meeting, established a new committee on real property. Other committees are Facilities, Income Maintenance, Insurance, Lake Preservation, Conservation, and Legal.

Hydrofoil watercraft of any design are prohibited on Galway Lake by Board policy approved in May 2021. High-speed personal motorized watercraft such as jet skis and ECO watercraft were prohibited in 2009.

Don’t sweep goose leavings into the lake, whether from a float, dock, yard, or elsewhere. Leavings are detrimental to the lake’s health.

Please sign up for the GLCA email list if you would like to receive Association communications via email. We would like to communicate more often with members and email will help us to do this and cut down on administrative costs. We have worked to build an email list over the last decade and would like to make sure that it is current and start using it to notify members of drawdown dates and other notes of interest.

If you would like to receive emails please click on the image above and go to the email sign-up form to enter your information. Thank you for your help with this effort.

Found in the North Bay: A runaway inflated trampoline float, approx. 8 feet across, was retrieved in the fall of 2013. The owner should claim it by contacting John Rowe, 9440 Hart Rd. B, Galway Lake, 516-318-0246 or rowesolutions@aol.com.

Provided below is a link to the PDF version of the 2014 Annual GLCA membership letter.

June 2014 GLCA Letter Final

You can find archived versions of GLCA communications with the Documents of Interest section of this website.

September 5, 2013

Dear GLCA Member,

RE: Fall 2013 Lake Drawdown

During the summer of 2013, we experienced a significant increase in weed growth within the littoral zone of several areas of the lake. The Lake Preservation Committee has worked on this issue and thinks that this rapid change from 2012 to 2013 as a result of significant nutrient loading of the lake.

During the spring and early summer of 2013, we experienced an increase in rainfall that allowed a significant amount of the free nutrients within the watershed of Galway Lake to enter the lake. This combined with the clear water conditions and sun that followed provided ideal conditions for the rapid growth of weeds we experienced this year.

By the first week in August, we noticed that the weeds in many areas of the lake started to die back. We believe this was most likely the result of the free nutrients within the water column being diminished by the weed growth that had previously happened. By late summer this was evident within many areas of the lake.

The Lake Preservation Committee has researched the best method to address this issue and has determined that a deeper than normal drawdown that starts earlier in the season to allow for the sediment in the littoral zone to be dried out before freezing will help to impact the weed growth in the littoral zone. During the September 1, 2013 meeting of the GLCA Board of Directors, a motion was brought forth and passed to allow for this deeper and earlier than normal drawdown. We understand that this will impact the usability of the lake this fall, but feel the benefits to the lake’s ecology outweigh the recreational impact we will all experience this fall. Kurt Ladu will also be available to help those of you who need aid in removing your boats via the GLCA Boat Launch during this drawdown. Kurt can be reached at (518) 269-0397.

The 2013 drawdown will begin on September 15, 2013, at which time we will commence a 1’ drawdown at 2” per day. We will then hold the lake until October 1, 2013, when we will commence a drawdown at a rate of 2” per day until we have lowered the lake another 6’ for a total drawdown of 7’. The lake will then be held at this level until the first significant snowfall upon which we will refill the lake to a level of 18.5’. The lake will then be held at approximately 18.5’ until the ice has left the lake and we can fill to the summer level of 20.65’.

Please remember that we can all help the lake by reducing the quantity of nutrients entering the lake. There are several documents on the GLCA website that can help you to better understand the role we all are playing in the health of Galway Lake. The Darrin Fresh Water Institute Reports and those of the GLCA Lake Preservation Committee including the Integrated Lake Management Plan for Galway Lake are valuable resources that you can refer to on the website. The GLCA website is located at http://www.galwaylakeassociation.com and will be updated throughout the drawdown and refill process.

Sincerely,

J. Glen Rundell,
President

Drawdown Letter dated October 10, 2010

The outlet tube of the Galway Lake dam will undergo a routine video inspection on July 1, 2013. In order to prepare for this inspection the lake level of Galway Lake is being dropped to 20.6’ in order for the lake level to drop below the dam’s upper weir.

The dropping of the lake level is necessary to allow for the robot that is used to transit the outlet tube without water running through the tube. The dam will be closed Sunday night to allow for the inspection and the lake will refill to the summer level as soon as the inspection is completed.

The GLCA performs these inspections on a regular basis as part of our safety inspection program that includes the dam and all associated controls.