October 21, 2023
by rob
Comments Off on TLPOA Oktoberfest Oct 28, 2023
For TLPOA Members – Oktoberfest on the Gilbert Street Beach Saturday, Oct 28, 2023 at 3pm.
Beer, food, and games!
RSVP marissa.carrio@gmail.com
October 17, 2023
by rob
Comments Off on Halloween Parade – October 28, 2023 at 10am
Meet up at the Lewisboro Library at 10am on Saturday, Oct. 28 for the annual Halloween Parade.
Paraders will walk from the Library to the Gilbert Street Beach where there will be a pumpkin contest and refreshments. Come get dressed up and join the fun! All lake area residents welcome!
October 14, 2023
by rob
Comments Off on Fall 2023 TEA Membership Meeting: Mon, Nov 13
Fall 2023 Membership Meeting November 13th @ Horse & Hound
The TEA Annual Spring Membership Meeting is planned for Monday, November 13, 2023 at the Horse & Hound at 94 Spring Street. We also plan to have a laptop/camera at the meeting broadcasting over Zoom for TEA members interested in watching remotely.
Meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Email tea@truesdalelake.com to RSVP for in-person. If you want the Zoom Link please ask for it when you RSVP.
If you are new to the TEA or you want to update us on your information, please fill out the TEA Resident Questionnaire. Thanks!
Agenda
➡ President and other Officer reports
➡ Treasurer:
➡ Beach Report / Lake Committee update
➡ Projects Update: Drawdown / Septics / Sewer
➡ Upcoming meeting schedule for coming year.
The TEA Officer roles are two year terms. At the end of 2024 the terms will end and we need to get ideas on who wants to fill the roles for the next 2 year (2025-2026) term.
WE NEED SOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS! a lot of the same people are taking on the board and officer roles, some for many years. Fresh eyes and fresh energy is needed and valued. If you are new to the community and want to help, there are lots of ways to pitch in.
Current TEA Officers for 2023-24:
President (Jo Ann and George Ferrigno, co-presidents) – organizes & runs meetings, in charge of recruiting next president and officers. Can sign checks.
Vice President (Debbie Fink) – runs meetings when President can’t attend. Fills in other roles as needed. Can sign checks.
Treasurer (Ruth Vellensky) – deposits checks, writes checks, tracks and reports on income/expense and bank balances. Tax filing 990.
Recording Secretary (Howard Citron) – Takes meeting minutes, sends drafts to board and membership attendees post-meeting.
Corresponding Secretary (Rob Cummings) – Receives and replies to association correspondence.
Sergeant-at-Arms (Kate Grieve) – guards the door (or virtual door).
Formal roles for Officers are in the TEA Bylaws here:
http://truesdalelake.com/associations/tea/tea-bylaws/
At-large Board members (7-10 members needed) attend 4 standing meetings per year. Current board members are: Mike Vellensky, Lisa Capobianco, Glenn Capobianco, Harron Appleman, Melissa Scarlatto, Tom Houlihan, Ira Sanchick, Kathleen Ward Gallagher, Carol Gamez, and Wendy Daniels.
Sarah Polizzotto also on the board and took over as beach co-chairperson with Kate Grieve. Thank you Kate and Sarah!
Standing Association Meetings are on the following UPDATED schedule:
-TEA Membership Meetings (entire membership invited 2x/year):
—SECOND Monday of April (April 8, 2024, Spring Membership Meeting)
—SECOND Monday of November (Nov 12, 2023, Fall Membership Meeting, the one coming up)
-TEA Board Meetings (board members only):
—SECOND Monday of March (March 11, 2024)
—SECOND Monday of October (Oct 14, 2024)
Special Meetings can be called for association business.
Critical positions that don’t have to be board members:
Beach Chairperson – Hire and train lifeguards, coordinate beach clean-up, monitor beach conditions, keep an eye on beach things like electricity and trash service. Lots more! A lot of overlap with the Social Chairperson.
Social Chairperson – Plan and get volunteers for any social events – primarily the Summer Kickoff BBQ the second weekend in June. Some events can be at our beach while others we can coordinate with TLPOA. This position is all about fun!
Volunteer Opportunities & Committees:
Beach Clean-up Day – the Saturday before Memorial Day Weekend (May) each year. Lots of sand spreading, weed cleanup, general maintenance, and straightening up the beach getting ready for the first official weekend of summer on Memorial Day Weekend.
Floats and Dock installation, management, and winterizing – 2-3 people needed – at the beginning of the season, usually on Beach Clean-up Day, volunteers put out the floats and swim dock. 2-3 people. At the end of the season, this group pulls in the floats and winterizes & secures the swim dock
Lake Management Committee Member – be the TEA liaison to TLPOA Lake Manager John Gusmano and Pond & Lake Connection (James Gorman, main contact). Participate in email communications and bring any concerns to the TEA & TEA Board. More info: http://truesdalelake.com/lake-management/
CSLAP Testing Member (1 person needed) – We are looking to rejoin the New York State Federation of Lake Associations “Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program” which uses trained volunteers to sample the water conditions of Truesdale Lake and hundreds of other NY State Lakes. More info is at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/81576.html
Resident Canada Geese Registration and Egg Control program volunteers (2-3 people needed to go out to the islands in March and April) – Each year we get permits from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) to oil and addle eggs in the nests of Resident Canada geese. 20+ years ago there were hundreds of Canada geese that would take up permanent residence on Truesdale Lake for the summer. This causes unhealthy conditions in the lake and on lawns. More information at truesdalelake.com/goose
Truesdale Lake Dock Committee (TLDC) – We have a joint TEA/TLPOA/Vreeland/Lake Shore Drive committee that accepts applications for new and renovated docks. The TLDC process is designed to help the homeowner comply with our requirements and the Town of Lewisboro’s regulations..
Truesdale Fishing Committee – fishing guidelines and signage around Truesdale Lake. Fishing information here: http://truesdalelake.com/lake-management/fishing/
Ad-hoc Building Committee – We built two boat racks at the TEA beach. These racks have 2 spots available for TEA members. If you are interested in a spot on the rack, the season rental is $100. If you are interested in helping build an additional boat rack at our TEA Gilbert/Lake Shore boat launch property let us know. Other projects of the Building Committee in 2022 will include the new shed installation including a proposed tiki bar.
Landscaping committee – anyone with ideas to beautify our already lovely beach let us know. We have ornamental grasses along the boat launch fence side. Always looking for additional ideas to make it look good.
In 2024 we are looking to replace or repair the following items at the beach:
Anything else you can think of? Let us know…
Some helpful links for lake residents new and old:
TEA Map and Other TEA Resources Online
Map available at the website here: http://www.truesdalelake.com/tea
For residents new to the lake, download the TEA Welcome and Information Packet from this link above as well.
*If you are interested in volunteering for the TEA board or a specific activity, please email tea@truesdalelake.com or fill out this questionnaire.
Truesdale Estates Association
PO Box 363
South Salem, NY 10590
tea@truesdalelake.com
*if you are not current with your TEA dues, you cannot vote until your dues are brought current.
October 2, 2023
by rob
Comments Off on Pond & Lake Connection Siphon Upgrade and Truesdale Lake Drawdown 2023-24
The critical drawdown months are NOV & DEC and the target depth needs to be achieved before the ice-in freeze occurs in early December.
The full drawdown period each year is NOV – DEC – JAN – FEB.
Rainfall totals for drawdown critical months NOV – DEC:
8.4 inches – PRISM’s 30-year average rainfall for our area
(PRISM stands for Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model and is the official spatial climate data developed by the NW Alliance for Computational Science & Engineering at Oregon State University in the early 1990s.)
Siphons must be installed in October and energized no later than November 1st each year that a drawdown is planned.
When James fabricates the siphons, we found out that the baffles to prevent whirlpools were not effective for that purpose.They can be left out. The three most important modification requirements are:
1.) Lengthen the siphons so that the three discharge elbows at the terminal ends extend all the way down to the river bed. The elbows need to rest on the river bed which first needs to be cleared of any loose stones and boulders. This is essential to ensure that the discharge ends are more than four feet lower in elevation than the intake ends, in order for the siphons to flow all the way to target depth. The river bed supports and stabilizes the massive weight of the longest portion of the water filled siphons.
2.) James will also extend the intake ends to lower them so that the top of the intake pipes are three to four feet below the concrete spillway ramp height.
3.) Fernco fittings need to be installed along the horizontal segments only. The siphons will separate if the Fernco fittings are installed in the inclined portions and supporting the heavy inclined water column.
Harold Ossher, our resident mathematician who moved to NC in March, was kind enough to revise his siphon and flow spreadsheet to calculate THREE 12′ siphons (increase from 2×12″ siphons plus one 6″ siphon) to be installed by James Gorman of P&LC and use PRISM 30-year average rainfall figures as well as increased rainfall contingencies.
Harold put the spreadsheet into Google, and here is the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1B-nxpWpCp-0jVNMFHLQ8Cm7c02uMnYldTuokHpOtRAc/edit?usp=sharing. It contains his plain language conclusion and recommendations in bold print.
Please see his changes along with the seven lines he wrote from line #59 down within the tab A summary of the spreadsheet “Analysis – condensed.”
Note the nine spreadsheet tabs he created at the bottom if you are curious about the other data and calculation categories.
Remember, if the siphons are installed ON TOP of the weir boards, they must pull out 14 inches of lake water (about 30 million gallons) and rainfall (about 10 million gallons per day of rain) before drawdown officially begins when the lake reaches the concrete spillway ramp. Again, ice-in occurs every year before the second week in December, on average, so it is critical that the drawdown flow is energized before November 1st, through the three 12″ siphons, to reach target depth before the lake freezes – regardless of the rainfall amount or if the weir boards are removed or left in place for siphon support.
…Scot
2 x 12″ siphons installed in 2022 and prior years
Appendix: Ice and Rainfall history for Truesdale Lake drawdowns
Last year (2022-23 winter), the drawdown started a month too late. Officially, it was six weeks too late because the lake level didn’t reach the spillway’s concrete ramp until December 12th, then the siphons failed because the Fernco fittings were placed in the massively heavy and unsupported inclined intakes.
ICE-IN and ICE-OUT dates:
September 28, 2023
by rob
Comments Off on Phragmites Treatment Oct 4, 2023
You may have noticed the rapid growth and spread of phragmites both around town and especially around our lake shoreline. Phragmites is an invasive plant with no upside benefits.
There is more information in this post about why we are taking steps to control this invasive plant.
On October 4th, 2023, Pond & Lake Connection will treat the phragmites around the lake with Clearcast, an aquatic herbicide. It’s appropriate to treat at this time of year when plants are beginning to store resources in order to maximize the herbicide effectiveness.
Once treated, the plants will start to die. Further action must be taken locally to eradicate the infestations at the shorelines. If this is not done, the phragmites will return and continue to spread. They are tenacious and have extensive root/rhizomes under the water with stored energy sources to repopulate once spring comes around.
We are going to lower the lake again this winter and that will make it easier, if you choose, to cut and remove the dead plants.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions.
September 28, 2023
by rob
1 Comment
Freshwater lakes are vital ecosystems that support a rich diversity of plant and animal life. However, the delicate balance of these ecosystems can be disrupted by invasive species like Phragmites australis, commonly known as common reed. While Phragmites may appear as a picturesque addition to lake shorelines, their unchecked growth can have detrimental effects on the environment, and water quality. This article delves into the reasons why the removal of Phragmites from freshwater lake shorelines is an essential step towards restoring and preserving these critical ecosystems.
The removal of Phragmites from freshwater lake shorelines is not just a matter of aesthetics; it’s a crucial step in protecting and restoring these vital ecosystems. The invasive nature of Phragmites disrupts native habitats, impacts biodiversity, alters hydrology, degrades water quality, and causes recreational challenges.
August 1, 2023
by rob
Comments Off on Third Time’s a Charm? Moonlight Regatta August 26… A Blue Moon!
August has two full moons – tonight (August 1) and August 30.
When there’s a second full moon in a month it’s called a Blue Moon.
The closest weekend night to the August 30 full moon is Saturday, August 26th.
Get ready to try a third time for our Moonlight Regatta!
Weather permitting as always… Hope to see you on the 26th!
July 31, 2023
by rob
Comments Off on Cutrine Algae Treatment Thursday Aug 3, 2023
Pond & Lake Connection will be treating our lake this Thursday with Cutrine.
There are no swimming restrictions or irrigation restrictions using lake water.
July 22, 2023
by rob
Comments Off on Algae Treatment Monday July 24
On Monday, July 24th, our lake management company, Pond and Lake Connection, will be treating our lake with Cutrine (algae treatment). There is no swimming restriction. If you irrigate your lawn using lake water, we suggest waiting 24 hrs after treatment.
July 19, 2023
by rob
Comments Off on CLEANING UP OUR LAKES: Septics & Sewers
In 2021, the Town of Lewisboro received a grant from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) to perform engineering studies on three of our lakes—Waccabuc, Truesdale and Kitchawan—to assess the impacts of septic systems and identify potential solutions. The studies confirmed what decades of lake sampling data and previous research had long suggested: septic pollution is the primary contributor to the lakes’ phosphorus load, and phosphorus is the primary agent accelerating our lakes’ eutrophication (the process by which lakes age and die).
These three studies conducted by independent firms (Barton & Loguidice-Waccabuc, Ramboll Engineering-Truesdale, Woodard & Curran-Kitchawan) went beyond diagnosis to research and recommend the most feasible and effective wastewater treatment solutions—a sewer system for the four lakes in the center of Lewisboro and enhanced septic treatment units for Lake Kitchawan further south.
Following the release of the three individual reports lake residents from all seven of the town’s lakes rallied together and formed the Lewisboro Lakes Coalition (LLC) to enlist the support of town, county and state elected officials in applying for funding to implement these proposed wastewater solutions. Lewisboro’s lakes are eligible for funding as part of the Croton watershed, one of three reservoir systems providing drinking water to the 10 million residents of New York City.
At the moment, New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection is particularly interested in cleaning up the Croton system’s water BEFORE it reaches down-county filtration and treatment facilities, so it is an opportune moment to act.
The offices of Chris Burdick (NY Assembly) and Pete Harckham (NY Senate) were instrumental, working with Sue Enos of the LLC and Jan Andersen of the Three Lakes Council (TLC), in securing a $3mm East of Hudson Watershed Corporation grant to engage the engineering firm of Woodard & Curran to lay out the recommended sewer and septic districts. Other key contributors to the unprecedented progress so far are: Tony Gonçalves, Lewisboro Town Supervisor, Erika Pierce, Westchester County Legislator, Millie Magraw, Westchester County Planning Dept Coordinator, and Tom Snow, NYC Watershed Coordinator, NYS DEC.
On June 8, 2023, Woodard & Curran issued their report:
A low-pressure sewer collection system and central wastewater treatment plant located at the Main Street town campus is proposed for densely populated communities around Truesdale Lake and the Three Lakes (Waccabuc, Oscaleta, and Rippowam) at an estimated cost of $40 million. The Town is currently applying for grants from New York State to cover these capital costs.
Since Lake Kitchawan is a substantial distance from these other four eastern lakes, connecting residences around this lake to a central sewage treatment plant would be prohibitively expensive.
The best solution for mitigating pollution in this lake is replace inadequate septic systems with “enhanced treatment systems” at a cost of $6.25 million. As this is a far less complex undertaking and funding is already allocated (if not awarded), it is likely that Kitchawan may be designated as the first phase in remediating septic pollution in our lakes.
The Town of Lewisboro continues to study alternatives for mitigating septic pollution in the remaining Lewisboro lakes — Lake Katonah and Timber Lake (The Colony) — which are in the Croton River basin to the west. In that effort, it has engaged Westchester County and NY State officials, as well as the NYC DEP. To determine the best solution for each of the lakes and explore funding opportunities, further research will need to be conducted.
The Lewisboro Lakes Coalition, representing all seven lakes, has formed a Community Outreach group to update residents on continued progress. Information will be available through individual lake associations, on lake association websites, and in other publications. The Community Outreach group will work closely with Tony Gonçalves, Lewisboro Town Supervisor, to keep everyone informed.
Here is the latest memo in PDF format. View or download it: