Author: Glen Rundell

Contact GLCA President John Buhrmaster or your Grove Director for more information.

Lake level: Kurt Ladu reported that the lake refill is on target at 92% full, about 19 feet, as of the meeting [and has continued to increase]. The drawdown began on October 1 and was completed November 21. The refill began January 20 with ice-out on March 6.

Facilities: Committee Chair David Hennel reviewed work on the dam facilities, including taking advantage of the drawdown to remove tree limbs and debris previously identified as potentially hazardous to the tower and gates. Additional projects included examination and maintenance of the dam structure and tower, planning for work on the dam tube lining and gate, dam tower maintenance, and tree removal.

Conservation: Ed Piotrowski will be continuing water sampling of the lake, as part of GLCA’s participation in the Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP), a volunteer lake monitoring and education program that is managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York State Federation of Lake Associations. He will be working with Heidi Muschick.

Town comprehensive plan: Brad Bischoff noted that the Town of Galway is conducting a public workshop meeting on April 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Town Hall for attendees to share their thoughts on the development the town comprehensive plan.

Finance and insurance: Secretary-Treasurer Peter Zakriski gave an update on finances, including dues collection at 94%, up from 93% last year at this time. The insurance policies for general liability and directors and officers are in force and next due for renewal in 2025. Communication was read from Mark Cieslak that his review of GLCA financial records for July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023 were found to be in excellent condition and met appropriate accounting procedures.

Member engagement: Committee Chair Hasna Kaddo presented plans for various activities for the summer season including a kickoff of the season with bagpiper on the lake on June 15; presentation about the dam on June 29 at 7 at the dam by boat; storytelling July 27 at 10 a.m. at Rubacks pavilion; boat parade August 3 at 6 p.m.; and fishing tournament August 17 at 7 a.m.  More information and updates will be posted on the GLCA website.

Communications: Beth Krueger reported that the planned revamping of website content and format is moving forward and discussed categories and the look of the site.

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