Clary Lake Association

Preserving and Protecting Clary Lake

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Spring/Summer 2015

$There isn\'t enough water in front of Steve Viti\'s dock to float a canoe, let alone his boat. The lake level in this picture was 63\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 26 July 2015$ $The Antognoni\'s lake front. They used to have a nice beach. Now they no longer have any useable pond frontage at all: it\'s too muddy to approach the water. Photograph by George Fergusson 26 July 2015$ $Here\'s a different perspective of the State boat launch. The water has fallen far enough to expose the end of the ram. To take this picture I waded out to stand in 6\" of water. Lake level: 63\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 26 July 2015$ $The State boat launch. I was standing in 6\" of water when I took this picture. Water level at the time was 63\" below the top of the dam. Note the end of the ramp. Photograph by George Fergusson 26 July 2015$ $The 2015 Clary Lake Association Annual Meeting, outgoing treasurer Linda Gallion giving the treasurer\'s report. Photograph by George Fergusson 01 August 2015$ $2015 Clary Lake Association Annual Meeting. Mary Gingrow-Shaw, our new treasurer (seated), discussing serious financial matters with Margaret Fergusson. Mary is currently the Deputy State Auditor and is set to retire at the end of this year. We\'re very fortunate to have found someone so qualified to take over the role of Treasurer. Photograph by George Fergusson 01 August 2015$ $The 2015 Clary Lake Association Annual Meeting, one of our better-attended meetings in recent years. Not sure of the exact head count but I think close 50 people showed up. The weather was perfect. That\'s Don Normam waving at the camera, Linda Gallion and the new treasurer-to-be Mary Gingrow-Shaw at the registration table counting money, and Butch Duncan standing next to Jeff French looking suspiciously at the camera. The meeting hadn\'t actually started when I took this picture. Photograph by George Fergusson 01 August 2015$ $See that little 0.36\" uptick in water level on the 9th day of the month? That is the effect of draining the beaver flowage on the south side of Route 126. There\'s about 15 acres of marsh on that side and the beavers had raised the water level about 2.5\' which was enough water, when dumped into Clary Lake in a short period of time, to raise the lake level nearly 0.07\' (0.03\' after evaporation). Cool huh?$ $The steel grate that was over the end of the culvert. It should have been put back over the end of the culvert to prevent the beavers from stuffing the culvert itself full of sticks and mud. The beavers have already begun to do just that. That\'s my friend Rob Rowland standing there. Photograph by George Fergussson 09 August 2015$ $Sometime Saturday morning a work crew unplugged the culvert, letting the 15± acres of flooded marsh drain into Clary Lake. I estimate there was about 2.5\' to 3\' of water behind that plugged culvert (that\'s a 4\' diameter culvert). This inflow of water raised the lake level a measurable amount, about 3/4\" though over 2 days with evaporation in that time having vanished about 1/2\" of that lake level rise. Sadly, whomever unplugged the culvert failed to replace the iron gate and as you can see in this picture, the beavers have already begun filing the culvert with sticks and mud. If the grate isn\'t replaced soon, the beavers will have th culvert stuffed full and then it won\'t be so easy to unplug... Photograph by George Fergusson 09 August 2015.$

$Paul Koenig, Staff Writer with the Central Maine Papers, viewing a portion of the 350 acres of drained wetlands at the northwest end of the lake. The former Chester Chase property is on the left, the Floge property is on the right, and Butch Duncan\'s land is visible a little over 1/2 a mile in the distance. It seems silly to state the water level at the time this picture was taken since there is no water visible in it. A better way to put is Paul would be standing in water up to his neck if the lake level was where it is supposed to be. Photograph by George Fergusson 12 August 2015$ $Paul Koenig, Staff Writer with the Central Maine Papers, talking with recently elected Association President Malcolm Burson about his unappealing water front. The water level at the time this picture was taken was 64.44\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 12 August 2015$ $Paul Koenig, Staff Writer with the Central Maine Papers, taking notes at the State boat launch. The water level at the time this picture was taken was 64.44\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 12 August 2015$

$Representative Deb Sanderson at the State boat launch with CLA President Malcolm Burson. The water level at the time this picture was taken was -65\" below the top of the dam. The water has actually fallen past the end of the ramp. Photograph by George Fergusson 10 August 2015$ $Representative Deb Sanderson walking down to the end of the State boat launch. It was readily apparent that you can\'t even launch a kayak without having to carry it across the rocks to deeper water. With Sanderson is Clary Lake Association President Malcolm Burson. The water level at the time this photograph was taken was -65\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 10 August 2015$ $Representative Deb Sanderson viewing the outlet channel from Clary Lake. There should be 5\' of water where she is standing. The Floge property is to the left, the Burns property is in the distance. Photograph by George Fergusson 10 August 2015$

$Clary Lake shore owners Bob Rubin and his wife Cheryl Ayer hanging out on their dock on a nice August afternoon, kicking toes. For some reason, Bob doesn\'t look too happy. Neither does Cheryl. I\'m pretty sure it\'s because of the lack of usable water front on their lake front property. Bob and Cheryl are both lawyers and Bob represented the Clary Lake Association during the water level petition proceedings. The water level when this picture was taken was -64\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 28 August 2015$ $Clary Lake shore owners Bob Rubin and his wife Cheryl Ayer hanging out on their dock on a nice August afternoon, kicking toes. For some reason, Bob doesn\'t look too happy. Neither does Cheryl. I\'m pretty sure it\'s because of the lack of usable water front on their lake front property. Bob and Cheryl are both lawyers and Bob represented the Clary Lake Association during the water level petition proceedings. The water level when this picture was taken was -64\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 28 August 2015$ $John Wood with the US Department of Agriculture preparing a live trap for beaver at at the inlet to Clary Lake on the south side of Route 126/215. He said he\'ll take the beavers to a wildlife management area over in the next county. He\'s baiting the trap with Poplar branches. I suggested he could release them over by the Clary Lake dam but he said that probably wasn\'t far enough away and they\'d just come back here. Photograph by George Fergusson 03 September 2015$ $John Wood with the US Department of Agriculture preparing a live trap for beaver at at the inlet to Clary Lake on the south side of Route 126/215. He said he\'ll take the beavers to a wildlife management area over in the next county. He\'s baiting the trap with Poplar branches. I suggested he could release them over by the Clary Lake dam but he said that probably wasn\'t far enough away and they\'d just come back here. Photograph by George Fergusson 03 September 2015$ $John Wood with the US Department of Agriculture preparing a live trap for beaver at at the inlet to Clary Lake on the south side of Route 126/215. He said he\'ll take the beavers to a wildlife management area over in the next county. He\'s baiting the trap with Poplar branches. I suggested he could release them over by the Clary Lake dam but he said that probably wasn\'t far enough away and they\'d just come back here. Photograph by George Fergusson 03 September 2015$ $Metaphyton is a term used to collectively characterize filamentous (stringy) algae that grow predominantly in shallow (littoral) areas in lakes and ponds. Recent anecdotal information, casual observations and inquiries from both volunteers and professionals suggests that metaphyton growth may be increasing in some Maine lakes and ponds. This (not very good) photograph was taken over on the south shore of Clary Lake in water that was 2\' to 2.5\' deep. There is a lot of these green cotton-candy like clouds of algae. The water level a the time this picture was taken was 64\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 02 September 2015$

$Senator Christopher Johnson during a recent site visit to Clary Lake, discussing the lake level with a couple from Windsor who brought their lawn chairs to the State boat launch to get some sun. The water level at the time this photograph was taken was 64\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 30 August 2015$ $Senator Chris Johnson during a recent site visit to Clary Lake, checking out the expansive drained shore area at the Antognoni residence in Jefferson on the south shore. The water level at the time this photograph was taken was 64\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 30 August 2015$