Flood Maps

For those interested, you can check out the flood maps for our area.  Crooked Lake properties do not seem to show up in any flood plain maps.On the left, product search, put in flood maps and your address. I had to increase the scale (top margin) to 20.Flood maps for Town of Tully

Next Cortland-Onondaga Federation of Kettle Lake Associations Speaker

Eric Murdock was Project Manager for the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Skaneateles Lake Demonstration Project. The objective of this project was to research, select, and install alternative onsite wastewater treatment systems in the Skaneateles Lake Watershed. Most of these systems were the first of their kind in New York State and/or the United States. Eric will present on the watershed protection work he performed in and around Skaneateles Lake.

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This 20 minute presentation will be followed by 10 minutes for questions

The C-OFOKLA general meeting will follow

Learning Opportunities

Lots of lake things coming up. First is our social event scheduled for March 20th.

There is a workshop scheduled on March 30th at Aquatic Invasive Species identification that some of you might be interested in. See the work attachment for details. This will cover both plants and aquatic animals.

Contact: Sisters of St. Francis,c/o Sr. Caryn Crook, 7770 Green Lakes Road, Fayetteville, NY 13066    315-637-9334    Registration Fee: $25 and lunch is included.  Any questions call at above number or email caryncrook@yahoo.com.
Aquatic Invasive Species Workshop

March 30, 2010     9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location:  7770 Green Lakes Rd., Fayetteville, NY 13066

For a 'green' lawn, focus on mowing, not early fertilizing, says CU turf specialist

Donna K. sent in this article on lawns and runoff. We thought it might be of interest.
Take care to keep your lawn from being a source of phosphorus pollution, especially if it's located near water or prone to runoff.

For a 'green' lawn, focus on mowing, not early fertilizing, says CU turf specialist

By Craig Cramer

Most lawns in New York already have enough phosphorus and don't need supplementation, especially if clippings are left on lawns, according to recent research by Marty Petrovic, a turf specialist at Cornell. He says that new guidelines can help promote an eco-friendly lawn.

"The first step to minimize the environmental impact of your home lawn is to raise the mower's blade to a height of 3 to 4 inches -- usually the highest setting on your mower -- and leave the grass clippings on the lawn to recycle nutrients," says Petrovic.

Taller grass competes better with weeds and sinks roots deeper into the soil to better withstand midsummer heat and drought, explains Petrovic, and such lawns require less watering and prevent soil from washing away.

In analyzing soil tests sent to the Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratory for lawn fertilizer recommendations, Petrovic found that at least 80 percent had enough phosphorus already. When soils are extremely high in phosphorus, Petrovic has found that it dramatically increases the amount that runs off into lakes and streams, where it can promote algae blooms and eutrophication (excessive nutrients in the water) and reduce water quality.

Other tips to promote a "green," eco-friendly yard:

• Keep your mower's blades sharp for a clean cut that reduces stress on the grass.
• Since phosphorus can leach out of plant material on hard surfaces, clean up plant waste promptly; prevent runoff by also cleaning up any fertilizer or other chemicals on hard surfaces.
• Avoid applying fertilizer where the soil is always wet because these spots are more prone to runoff.
• Do not allow clippings and leaves to blow or be raked into roads, ditches or storm water drains where they (and the phosphorus they contain) can easily get into a waterway.
• Do not apply phosphorus fertilizer unless certain you need it. If levels are high, it might take five to 10 years to draw down phosphorus in the soil to the point more is needed even if you remove the clippings. "Meantime, look for zero-phosphorus fertilizers, and if your retailer doesn't carry any you should encourage them to do so," suggests Petrovic.
• Do not overapply organic products -- especially those made from composted animal manures, which are usually relatively high in phosphorus.

"A quarter- to half-inch application of a typical composted manure product may have 8,000 times more phosphorus than a year's worth of a commercial product's season-long weed and feed program," says Petrovic. "That's a century's worth of phosphorus in a single application."

To get the benefits of organic matter without too much phosphorus, consider yard waste composts, suggests Petrovic. They are generally lower in phosphorus than most manure-based products.

• Even if you have enough phosphorus and return clippings to the soil, grass still needs some nitrogen to form dense turf to prevent runoff. If you don't want to use zero-phosphorus chemical fertilizers, Petrovic suggests an organic nitrogen source, such as corn gluten, or planting a legume, such as clover, in the lawn that will remove nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix it in the soil.
• Fall and late spring -- not early spring -- are the best times to apply nitrogen. Fine-tune watering practices and do not try to grow grass where it doesn't want to grow. Plant shade-loving plants where there's too little light, rain gardens where drainage is poor, and hardscape high-traffic areas.

For more lawn care information, including the online publication "Lawn Care Without Pesticides," visit http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/lawn.

2nd Annual Homeowners Picnic

All Crooked Lake Homeowners are invited to join us on Sat. July 25th for the 2nd Annual Homeowners Picnic. This year's hosts: Melanie and David on Gatehouse Rd - 2:00pm-6:00pm

Suggested Contribution of $10.00 per family appreciated. RSVP by July 18th with dish to pass.

Contact:
Marlene Heinmiller - 8306
Melanie Kalman - 5364
Lissa Ward - 8694
Carla Laubach 882-1289

We'll be discussing our next actions regarding clearing the weeds from the lake. Hope to see you then!

Fishing on the lake

This is a reminder asking all to “fish wisely.” More than one neighbor has seen people on the lake (pulling bass out). It is not yet bass season. By state regulation bass fishing must be catch and release until the third Saturday in June. Allowing fish to be pulled prior to that date ruins the fishing for the rest of us.

Remember that this lake is for all Crooked Lake homeowners. If you are allowing guests on the lake, please remind them that they are also expected to fish wisely and follow state regulations. It would be best if they could use your own craft. Please tell them that if they bring any water craft onto the lake, it needs to have been cleaned and dry before being put in our water. Boats constitute a major source of propagation of invasive weeds into the lake.

Let’s work together to self regulate and avoid involvement by the DEC or other authorities.

Update from DEC

We heard back from our letter to the DEC. David & Melanie and Sue & Tom both wrote. The response was disappointing. A copy of the letter is below. (if you click on the document it will get to a readable size)