Category: News

Fall Drawdown

The annual drawdown of Little York Lake is scheduled to begin on October 1st and be completed within a week. The maximum drawdown is 2 feet and is supposed to be down gradually during that time. The drawdown is managed by the Cortland County Highway Department.

The drawdown is intended to limit weed growth near the shoreline as well as allow owners to maintain their property. The timing and maximum drawdown are designed to limit the impact on inhabitants in the benthic layer, an important part of the fish food chain.

In the past, we’ve experienced some issues with excessive initial drawdowns. Now is the time to make appropriate plans for this annual process.

Fall Meeting and Picnic

Join us on Saturday, September 30th for our annual fall meeting and picnic beginning at 11 a.m. in Preble Park. As usual we will provide hot dogs and soft drinks. Please bring a dish to pass.

Everyone on the lake is invited to get an update on our work progress from this past season as well as our plans for the coming year. We’ll discuss the first year under the Lake District and how we see it evolving.

We’re also going to hold a live drawing for the 30th day of our 30-day raffle: a $100 cash prize!

To help plan for food on hand, please take a moment and fill out the following questionnaire prior to September 23rd: https://forms.gle/KvXXB665L82qbZqv5

Its Prize Time!

We start our 30-day raffle tomorrow, September 1st. Each day at 5 p.m. we’ll post the winning number from our amazing sponsors. You can see the winning number either on our website or our Facebook page.

And remember, even if you win, you’re still eligible to WIN AGAIN! That’s right, winners are included in every drawing. 

So be sure to check back on this site at 5 p.m. every day to see if you’ve won. Thanks again to Hage Real Estate for sponsoring this event, all of our sponsors who donated prizes, and to each and every one of you who bought a ticket. 

Good luck!

30-Day Raffle Launched

Today we are announcing the launch of the Raffle for Restoring the Splendor of Little York Lake presented by Hage Real Estate. The month-long daily raffle will offer prizes from local merchants ranging from $20-$82, and a grand prize of $100 cash will be given on the final day of the raffle for a total of more than $1,100 in prizes. This is the first step in a multi-pronged campaign to raise significant capital for the restoration and preservation of the lake.

“We are thrilled to launch this fundraiser to support the ongoing maintenance of Upper Little York Lake,” said LYLPS President, Gary Lawrence. “We believe that the raffle will not only help us raise the funds we need but also bring attention to the critical importance of preserving our natural resources for future generations.”

Ticket sales are being launched on Saturday, June 24th and will be available through July and August. A total of 500 tickets will be sold for $10. Each ticket is valid for each of the 30 days of prizes. Participants can purchase tickets for the raffle through a member of the association, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 607-358-0339.

The daily raffle will begin on September 1st and run through September 30th. All proceeds will go toward the long-term maintenance of Upper Little York Lake, including the preservation of its wildlife, water quality, and natural beauty.

“We are grateful to our local merchants who have generously donated prizes for the raffle,” said Lawrence. “Their support is critical to the success of this campaign, and we encourage everyone to visit their businesses and show their appreciation.”

Full details of the raffle are on this page.

LYLPS Work Plan Review and 2023 Plan

The LYLPS Board has reviewed the work plan for 2022 and developed a plan for 2023. We believe our efforts to control milfoil have been successful, though we observed some new growth in several portions of the lake. 

With the control of milfoil, native species have returned in full force. In 2023 we intend to spend significant efforts to manage these in areas where they impact recreational use. 

Here is the summary of our 2023 work plan:

  • Monitoring
    • Monitor the lake through CSLAP
    • Expand the monitoring by developing a macrophyte monitoring program with Soil and Water (SWCD)
    • Develop a HABs monitoring program
    • Support C-OFOKLA flood rapid-response program
  • Prevention
    • Continuing support, through C-OFOKLA, of the boat steward program, CCStoptheInvasion.org and including support of the boat decontamination station.
    • Provide content for public outreach, both directly and through C-OFOKLA.
  • Treatments
    • Treat recurring VLM with ProcellaCOR
    • Treat starry stonewort, pondweed, and nuisance natives through weed harvesting
  • Management
    • Support SWCD shorescaping program
    • Continue support of septic education program
    • Participate in the Tioughnioga River LWRP Update project
  • Organizational
    • Continue to build community
    • Maintain the lake management plan
    • Explore establishing a “dredging” fund

You can read the full plan (as a PDF) here. The 2022 review is here.

Annual Meeting 2022

Our annual meeting will be held Saturday, June 18th at 10:00 a.m. in Calvary Baptist Church, 6753 State Route 281, Preble. We’ll have elections for president, secretary, and vice president (1-year term). We’ll also update everyone regarding our lake management activities as well as have an update on the lake district. See our newsletter for more details.

If you haven’t paid your dues already, please bring your payment to the meeting. Additionally, luminaries will be available for purchase.

2022 Work Plan

Our 2022 work plan is available here. In addition to other activities, the association is proposing to continue our treatment efforts to help manage the weeds.

We are planning to continue our campaign against milfoil with another, smaller, ProcellaCOR treatment primarily focused on the “seed” areas: the mouth of the stream in Dwyer Park and the channel from Goodale Lake.

This year we are moving away from other chemical treatments to focus on mechanical harvesting of starry stonewort and pondweeds. Our goal is to have two weeks of harvesting (not consecutive). We have one confirmed for the last week of June and are still working to secure a second week of harvesting.

Tax District Update

The Cortland County Legislature voted to create the Little York Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District subject to a referendum of eligible voters. Anyone who is registered at a residence in the district is eligible to vote.

The election is scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2022. Polling will take place at Calvary Baptist Church on Rt. 281 in Preble from 6 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The registration deadline is January 14 and the last day to apply for an absentee ballot is January 24. You can get the absentee ballot application here (pdf). 

LYLPS is holding a Zoom webinar on Tuesday, January 18th at 7 p.m. for property owners and eligible voters to answer questions and clarify any issues. You will need to register in advance to get the link to the meeting. Click on this link to register for the webinar. You will receive a link to join the webinar within 24 hours of your registration. Your link will only work for one device, so don’t share it.

Following the webinar we will publish the Q&A on the website.

If  you have any questions in advance of the webinar please email us at [email protected] or call 607-218-2550.