We were as surprised as anyone when a No Swimming sign appeared at the State boat launch on Clary Lake a few weeks ago. We spoke to Diano Circo, Chief Planner at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) and asked about the sign. It appears there have been numerous complaints of swimmers not getting out of the way when a boater wants to launch or retrieve their craft, both at the Clary launch and at other State-owned launches around the State. According to Mr. Circo, the IF&W has decided to post all State-owned boat launches. Whether this is true or not we can’t say, but another reliable source has confirmed that the State does plan on taking this action in the near future. Department of Conservation rules of conduct at State boat launch facilities prohibit swimming at State-owned boat launches but the no swimming rule has generally not been enforced. That “look the other way” stance has apparently changed. Continue reading
Category Archives: News
26 June 2020: Clary Lake Association Files Brief in AQF WLO Transfer Appeal
On Thursday June 25th the Clary Lake Association through their counsel Randy Creswell timely filed their brief in the matter of Aquafortis Associates, LLC [AQF] v. Maine Board of Environmental Protection [BEP] Docket No. WISSC-AP-20-04. The State of Maine filed their brief a week ago, on June 19th. AQF now has 14 days from the service of these briefs to file their reply briefs. For the State’s brief the deadline is July 3rd and for our brief, the deadline is July 9th. Someone is going to have a fun-filled Fourth of July weekend!
The Clary Lake Association is but a Party in Interest to this appeal and as such we really didn’t need to file a reply to AQF’s brief, especially considering how thorough and irrefutable the State’s brief is. Nonetheless we felt that providing some additional arguments supporting our right, title, and interest in the Clary Lake dam was a worthwhile effort. Continue reading
Lake Stewards of Maine’s Summer Webinar Series
The Lake Stewards of Maine (formerly Maine Volunteer Lake Monitor Program) is putting on a series of weekly webinars on various topics of interest to people involved with Maine Lakes. This notice is from an email I just received. I’ve attended 2 webinars so far, the first on Climate Change and it’s Impact on Maine Lakes and most recently, a program on Metaphyton. Highly recommend taking in some of these programs if you can find the time. Head over to their website to see what’s being offered. I’ll try to publicize future webinars here.
Please Join Us for our Summer Webinar Series:
In lieu of our Annual Lake Monitoring Conference, Lake Stewards of Maine – Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program will be hosting a series of weekly informational webinars from June through August on a wide range of topics pertaining to Maine Lakes. The sessions will be approximately one hour in length, and will include an opportunity for Q&A for those who attend the live webinars on the posted calendar date. Pre-registration is required for all who plan to attend. The webinars are open to Maine’s citizen lake scientists, as well as the general public.
The live webinars will take place at 4PM on Friday afternoons, beginning on June 5, and will go through August 28, with the exception of the holiday weekend of July 3. All sessions will be recorded, and made available for future viewing on our website.
The Next webinar looks quite interesting:
Citizen Stewards and Maine Lakes:
Collaborative Approaches for Sustainable Systems
Presented by Firooza Pavri, PhD; airing this Friday, June 26 at 4pm
Freshwater resources provide vital societal and ecosystem services. Keeping our lakes and ponds healthy for future generations will require that we strive to gain a more nuanced understanding of the complex factors that influence their well-being. Historically, models aimed at identifying which Maine lakes may be most vulnerable to ecosystem decline have rarely considered the role that private citizens may play in the process. However, local citizen stewardship efforts such as water quality and invasive plant monitoring, watershed surveys, and other citizen-driven conservation and management efforts can be a major factor in determining the long-term resilience of an aquatic ecosystem. In this webinar, Dr. Pavri will share her recent research looking at the important role that citizen lake scientists and other lake residents play in protecting Maine waters for the future, and how we can use this information to more clearly determine lake vulnerability.
Clary Lake 4th of July Boat Parade!
Shanna Pease is organizing a 4th of July Boat Parade on Clary Lake. This is not a Clary Lake Association sponsored event but it is nonetheless a Clary Lake event and we are happy to help promote it! Hope see you out there!
Please join in on the first
Clary Lake
4th of July Boat Parade!!
When: 4th of July
Where: Clary Lake
Time: 2 PM
Details: Decorate your boat and meet down by the public landing for a cruise of the lake! Let’s celebrate the 4th in style.
For more information or if you have questions please feel free to text or call Shanna Pease at 485-4171.
Drought Conditions
A while ago we had a Drought Monitor page on the website, but it stopped being supported and finally stopped working. I’ve added this U.S. Drought Monitor graphic to the Weather page. When I originally posted this article on June 18th, we were considered to be “Abnormally Dry.” So far this month we’ve only recorded a hair over 1″ of rain.
Hatha Yoga Classes at Clary Lake Bed & Breakfast This Summer
Looking for something to do this summer near Clary Lake? There will be Hatha Yoga classes held at Clary Lake Bed & Breakfast this summer! The classes will be held outdoors on Saturdays from 10-11 am. Classes will start June 13th, and continue all Saturdays throughout the summer until the end of August, with the exception of the 4th of July.
This is the second year these classes have been held at Clary Lake B&B. For more information please contact Kathryn Jensen or Linda Gallion.
CLA 2020 Summer Newsletter Mailed
The Clary Lake Association’s 2020 Summer Newsletter went in the mail a few days ago. If you live in Whitefield or Jefferson it has probably already been delivered. If you’re out of Town or out of State, it’ll probably take another day or two to reach you. The biggest news item is that the CLA Board at their regular May meeting a few weeks ago decided out of an abundance of caution to cancel this year’s Annual Meeting, originally scheduled for August 7th. It was not an easy decision to make, we considered just postponing it and also how we could hold a meeting while trying to maintain social distance and cancelling the pot luck supper but in the final analysis, given the uncertainty of what this summer may bring and given that pretty much all other public events have been cancelled this summer that we needed to follow suit. Dave Knight in his “President’s Message” does a good job of explaining our thought process around this issue. The health and safety of our Membership is of paramount importance. The newsletter discusses our deliberations around this issue. Continue reading
Catherine A. (Cathy) Rapp
I got a call the other day from a neighbor informing me of the passing of Cathy Rapp. I have never met Cathy but I knew of her and am friends with her son Ken Rapp and his wife Dedi who have been long time Clary Lake Association members. From what I’ve heard Cathy was a delightful woman. She and her husband Admiral Bill Rapp build the Rapp family camp on a piece of property they bought from Paul MacDonald in 1967 on the northeast shore of Clary Lake, next door to Thomas & Delph Gillette.
Catherine A. (Cathy) Rapp, 99, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2020 in Harbourway, Atlantic Shores Retirement Community. Mrs. Rapp was a native of East Orange, NJ and was the wife of the late V.ADM William T. (Barney) Rapp. She traveled the world as a Navy wife and eventually settled in Virginia Beach in 1974. She was preceded in death by a son, Richard Rapp.
Cathy is survived by two sons, Bill Rapp and his wife, Carolyn of Aurora, CO, and Ken Rapp and his wife Dedi of Virginia Beach, five grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren, a daughter in law Brenda Rapp, and several nieces, nephews and dear friends.
Cathy was an exceptional wife to her husband, a loving mother of three sons, and a compassionate grandmother to all of her grandchildren. She will be deeply missed.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, March 16, 2020 at 11:00 AM in the Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church. Interment will follow at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery.
Online condolences may be made to the family at hdoliver.com.
Published in The Virginian Pilot on March 14, 2020
07 March 2020: AQF Appeal Scheduling Order Issued
With the January 17th Kennebec County Court ruling transferring Aquafortis Associate LLC’s 80C appeal of the DEP Transfer Order to Lincoln County, we’re essentially starting over in a new jurisdiction. On February 28th Lincoln County Superior Court Judge Daniel Billings has issued a Scheduling Order. The Petitioner (AQF) has 40 days from the date of the Order to file their brief (on or about April 8th) and responses by the State and CLA (if we choose to prepare one) are due 30 days after that. The Petitioner then has 14 days to file their reply brief. After that we can expect a hearing date to be set. Stay tuned folks, and don’t hold your breath.
2020 Clary Lake Ice Out Contest
I’ve wanted to have an Ice-Out contest for years but never found the wherewithal to actually do it. Until now. Guess the correct ice-out date and win a “We Give A Dam” tee shirt. FYI, the earliest the lake has been deemed completely free of ice was on March 13, 2016; the latest the ice has gone out was on April 24, 2001. Visit our Ice In and Ice Out page to see all our historical data back to 2001. Reviewing historical ice-in and ice-out data is NOT CHEATING.
We’ll close the contest some time before the ice actually goes out. And yes, you can submit more than one guess, but only your first guess will count. Or maybe your last guess 🙂
28 February 2020 Event Reminder: Alewife, Eel, and Lamprey Program at Sheepscot General
We’d like to remind you of an upcoming event that we believe will be of special interest to not just Clary Lake Association members, but to all Friends of Clary Lake. The program is on Alewife, Eel, and Lamprey Ecology and will be held at the Sheepscot General in Whitefield (map) on Friday February 28th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. The program is free and open to the general public. The featured speaker will be Marine Resources Specialist Nate Gray with the Department of Marine Resources. Gray will discuss the important ecological role that river herring (alewives), eels, and lampreys play in Maine and why we might want to introduce them to Clary Lake. Have your questions ready!
If you’re interested in eating some of the fine food offered at the General, plan on showing up early!
Save the Dates: Two Upcoming Midcoast Conservancy Winter Programs
The Midcoast Conservancy is putting on a couple of informational programs this winter that look like they will be potentially of great interest to Clary Lake Association Members. The first program is on Alewife, Eel, and Lamprey Ecology to be held on Friday February 28th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at the Sheepscot General in Whitefield (map). The featured speaker will be Marine Resources Specialist Nate Gray with the Department of Marine Resources. The other program is a ways off and still in development but I understand it will be on Climate Change and it’s impact on Maine Lakes. It is scheduled for Friday April 24th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, also at the Sheepscot General. I’ll post updates on these programs as more information becomes available. While they’re a ways off, I did want to put them out there so you could “Save the Dates.”
Sheepscot General is renowned for their food, especially pizza, so if you’re interested in making a night of it, arrive early and get something to eat before the program!
Aquafortis Associates Appeal Hearing Reminder
The other day I emailed our Membership to remind them of the upcoming hearing on the Aquafortis Associates LLC appeal of the WLO Transfer, scheduled for 10:30 AM on Friday, January 10th. The hearing will be held at the Kennebec County Superior Court, 1 Court St Suite 101, Augusta, ME 04330 (map). I wanted to get notice out soon enough so those who would like to attend have time to make arrangements. If you’re not familiar with this proceeding and it’s history, I’ve posted about it a few times on the CLA website, most recently back in the middle of December. Here’s a link to that post, for more information: Continue reading
Maine Lakes Society Fall 2019 Newsletter
The Maine Lakes Society (of which the Clary Lake Association is a member) has published their Fall 2019 Newsletter. It’s packed full of interesting information. For example, check out the article on Freshwater Jellyfish on page 5. Who knew?
15 October 2019: Minor Repairs to Clary Lake Dam Completed
Last spring when the water level reached the top of the Clary Lake dam we discovered a few leaks that were missed during major repairs last fall. There were three gaps between stones near the south end of the dam by the red building, obscured by vegetation, and one small hole at the north end of the dam. At the time we just used sandbags to staunch the flow and made plans to repair the leaks properly this fall when the lake level was down.
We began the fall draw down back in mid-September and as of today the lake was 1 foot below the HWM, plenty low enough to allow us to make the repairs. Two bags of high strength Quickrete mortar mix and an hour and a half and we were done. Many thanks to Dam Operations Committee members Dave Knight and Steve Cowles for helping out with this project! Here are a few pictures from this morning’s work:
2019 Courtesy Boat Inspection Wrap Up.
Last weekend marked the conclusion of the Clary Lake Association’s first Courtesy Boat Inspection season and I’d like to thank our volunteers who gave of their valuable time to help out at the boat launch this past summer. In no particular order: Dave & Gayle Knight, Dan & Dolly Burns, Gareth Bowen, Wynne & Michael Keller, Malcolm Burson, Jack Holland, and George & Margaret Fergusson.
The purpose of the State’s Courtesy Boat Inspection Program is to prevent the transport and introduction of invasive aquatic plants into lakes in Maine, and this is the 19th year that the program has been in existence. With the repaired dam and newly restored water level this Spring we anticipated a significant increase in boat traffic and our concerns understandably turned to protecting Clary Lake from the chance introduction of invasive aquatic plants. It took a little while to get up and running, but finally, in early July, about a dozen CLA volunteers attended a short training session put on by Midcoast Conservancy (see “Courtesy Boat Inspection Training Set For July 1st“) and we started up our inspection program the following Saturday. Our goal was to have a courtesy boat inspector at the State boat launch on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 am until 3 pm. We broke the days up into 2 hour shifts. Continue reading
03 October 2019: Take Precautions Against Browntail Moth Hairs When Working Outdoors
Here’s a link to a Public Service Announcement (PSA) forwarded to me by CLA President Dave Knight, he thought it would be of interest to Clary Lake shore owners who’ve been impacted by these little buggers. Dave lives over on Hodsdon Lane, an area which was particularly hard-hit this past summer. Judging from the looks of the oak trees around Clary Lake this fall, next year is going to be another bad one.
30 August 2019: 1st Annual Coffee Clutch
1st Annual CLA Coffee Clutch
The CLA Coffee Clutch event was held last Saturday August 24th and we had a beautiful day for it. All told we had 7 boats and 6 kayaks show up carrying more than 30 people, all rafted together on Clary Lake, drinking coffee, eating donuts, and yakking up a storm. There was a stiff northerly wind so rather than anchoring out in the middle of the lake as originally planned, we moved the event closer to the north shore where we were a bit more sheltered from the wind. People who approached the flotilla from the south (which was almost everyone) had to battle high waves and a stiff headwind before arriving at the Coffee Clutch. Nobody had any trouble finding us- the sight of a few boats moored on the lake was hard to miss. Continue reading
24 August Clary Lake Association Coffee Clutch Out On The Lake!
The Celebration Continues!
Come join us out on Clary Lake…by whatever mode of travel suits you… swim, sail, float, paddle, motor. Look for the boats tied up out in the middle of the lake this Saturday, August 24th from 9-11 AM. We will be serving hot coffee and homemade donuts from the Chase Bakery.
Tell your friends! Hope to see you there!
Editor’s Note: This is just the first “on the lake” event we’re planning.
12 August 2019: UPDATED Lincoln County News Article
The Lincoln County News finally posted on line an article about our Annual Meeting. It appears to be the same article, but with better pictures 🙂
The Bangor Daily News also carried the story, as did the Nonprofit Quarterly who wrote this interesting promotional piece about the Clary Lake Association’s recent accomplishments:
Nonprofit, after Long-Sought Success, Adopts New Stewardship Role
These are exciting times!