Solitude Lake Management will complete our third and final treatment of the season on Monday, July 26th. We will be applying Captain XTR which is the same product we applied last year. The only restrictions are for domestic and potable water use. Please refrain from these uses until we report that testing has been completed.
See the poster below for details. This same poster will be posted along the affected waterfront.
Our planned treatment for variable leaf milfoil is scheduled for Thursday, June 17. There are no water use restrictions for this treatment. The following sign will be posted across the treatment area and riparian owners will also receive a postcard notification.
You can view the planned treatment area in our treatment map.
The Little York Lake Preservation Society (LYLPS) is meeting with Cortland County officials to establish a sustainable lake district around Little York Lake. This will create a mechanism for ensuring a long-term, predictable funding base for improving and maintaining the lake.
A range of invasive species have been introduced to the lake, primarily through the public boat launch. These include zebra mussels, starry stonewort, Eurasian milfoil and variable leaf milfoil.
While LYLPS has been working actively since 2014 to meet the challenges to lake usage presented by these invaders, it began aggressive herbicide treatments in 2019. Over the past three years LYLPS has raised over $40,000 from residents and received $18,000 in support from Soil and Water to provide $58,000 in treatments.
The result has been a dramatic improvement in lake appearance and usability from a reduction in invasive species, primarily milfoils.
While everyone has benefited from these efforts, the unfortunate truth is that the funds have been primarily raised from approximately 2/3 of the community. LYLPS realized that this is not sustainable and that short term gains could be quickly lost as people tired of shouldering the burden for others.
LYLPS established an ad hoc committee of 10 community members to explore long-term funding alternatives. After considering several approaches the committee recommended the creation of a sustainable lake district. Because the lake straddles two towns, Preble and Homer, the district needs to be formed under the County. This also aligns with the County’s interests of ensuring that citizens can enjoy the lake from Dwyer Park.
By establishing the new district LYLPS intends to develop long term management approaches to ensure the continued viability and access to the lake for everyone: boaters, swimmers, kayakers, and fishermen.
While this district will provide a financial base, it cannot fully meet the ongoing financial needs of a sustainable lake management plan. Continued financial support from the County and citizens who use the lake will also be needed.
LYLPS remains committed to its mission of improving and maintaining the lake for everyone to enjoy.
Our 2021 work plan has been released Read on to learn the details
The Board has developed and approved a work plan for 2021. Below is a summary:
You can view the full work plan here.
In addition to ongoing lake management activities, the Board is planning to pursue a treatment program targeting variable leaf milfoil (VLM), starry stonewort (SSW) and pondweed. We will follow our standard process for treatments:
One of the key benefits of our treatment program over the past two years is the reduced amount of milfoil floating on the lake. We are asking everyone to donate to support the cost of treatment. We will also work with Soil and Water for financial support once budgets have been finalized.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please email us at [email protected].
In spite of Covid restrictions, 2020 was a very active season for LYLPS. We completed most of the items in our work plan (published here) including successful treatments of variable leaf milfoil and starry stonewort.
The following table shows our results vs our plan:
|
Plan |
Results |
|
· Prevention o Support the installation and roll-out of the boat decontamination station at Dwyer Park o Continuing support, through C-OFOKLA, of the boat steward program, CCStoptheInvasion.org |
· The boat station was successfully installed and operated. The boat steward program was operational through the year. · Community educational programs were put on hold due to pandemic restrictions. |
|
· Monitoring o Monitor the lake through CSLAP o Conduct regional CSLAP training on May 8th o Expand the monitoring by joining the Finger Lakes PRISM macrophyte program
|
· We successfully conducted our 8 CSLAP sessions, reporting data to the state-wide program. · We were unable to conduct regional training due to the pandemic. · Similarly, the PRISM macrophyte program was put on hold. However, we were able to conduct a macrophyte survey in conjunction with SWCD. |
|
· Treatments o Treat variable leaf milfoil (VLM) in previously untreated areas o Test treating starry stonewort (SSW)
|
· We successfully treated VLM in previously untreated areas and conducted a test treatment of starry stonewort. VLM treatment went very well and the 2019 treatment seems to have had a lasting effect. · SSW treatment seemed positive and we will learn more next summer. |
|
· Management o Support new drawdown permit process o Establish shorescaping program in collaboration with SWCD o Continue support of septic education program
|
· A new drawdown permit was issued and implemented in the fall. We have supported monitoring of the lake levels to assist compliance with the permit. · We did not make progress on the shorescaping program. · Septic workshops are not feasible under pandemic restrictions. |
|
· Organizational o Continue to build community o Maintain the lake management plan |
· We have continued to develop community and engage volunteers including with a Zoom social hour and several community Zoom meetings. · We are actively referencing the lake management plan as we move forward to next year. |
We’ve had a busy summer at Little York Lake and now is the time to review what we’ve accomplished and begin to plan for 2021.
Please join us Saturday, 9/19, at 10:00 a.m. either in person at the main pavilion (CRT) or via Zoom. We are limited to 50 people in person and we will only send the Zoom link to registrants, so you must pre-register to attend. Please click on this link and complete the form.
We are also collecting dues of $50 for our 2020/21 membership year. There are 3 easy ways to pay:
We need your support to continue our efforts at improving the lake.
We have had two dogs suddenly die after exposure to the lake. Both dogs were in the same area of the lake, along the south-western section of Elm Avenue (see map).
LYLPS board members along with the director of NYSFOLA inspected the area on Monday afternoon looking for evidence of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). These bacteria are responsible for harmful algae blooms (HABs). HABs can make people ill, but they can kill dogs.
The following information comes from Webmd:
The algae produce two different toxins: one that causes neurological problems, and one that leads to liver failure, according to David Dorman, a professor of toxicology at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Signs that a dog has ingested blue-green algae include twitching, weakness, seizures, vomiting, and diarrhea. Although it is more common to see symptoms within minutes or hours, it might be days before the toxins take effect.
Blue-green algae are commonly confused with green algae — both can create dense material on the water’s surface that can interfere with activities like swimming and fishing, and may have a similar smell, the Environmental Protection Agency says. But, unlike green algae, blue-green algae can be fatal.
You can read the full article here: https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/news/20190814/toxic-algae-kills-dogs-across-the-country
During our inspection we did not see anything that looked like blue-green algae, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t present in the lake. We took a sample of an unusual material floating on the surface in the suspect area and will have an evaluation in the next few days. We are also waiting for an autopsy from the second dog.
Unfortunately, other than avoiding them, there is not much that can be done about them, though research in how to eliminate them has been ramped up in recent years. For now, it is important for everyone to stay vigilant and alert LYLPS if you see anything that looks like a HAB by emailing location and hopefully a picture to [email protected] or texting 607-218-2550.
View images of various types of algae blooms here so that you know if there is something you should report. You can review additional information on the DEC main HABs page here.
For the time being we recommend that people avoid using the lake in the affected area until we get additional information. We will post an update as soon as possible, hopefully around mid-week.
Signs are posted and the weather looks good for the first of our planned lake treatments. On Thursday morning we are treating the variable leaf milfoil. Treatment is scheduled to begin at approximately 10 a.m. and should take a few hours. 
While there are minimal water use restrictions, we are asking boaters to stay off the lake during the treatment period.
Check back here and we will post when the treatment is completed.
This week we received our permits from DEC and are planning our initial treatment on Thursday, June 18th. All lake and downstream property owners will receive a notification postcard in the next day or two.
We will update this post with more details as we have more details.
