Please join us, via Zoom - on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 6:00pm.
All Association members are welcome. To join the meeting, please click on the below link.
https://philasd-org.zoom.us/j/88244278593?pwd=ekxHMk4wMVQ1QzRCbzlxZVFFUjNpdz09
Should you have any questions, please email us at admin@nlake.org
Below is an update from the NLIA Board held on Saturday, April 13, 2024.
TREASURER'S NLIA FINANCIAL REPORT
WATER REPORT
Wilkes University students - led by Dr. Holly Frederick - installed buoys on the lake during the first week of April. These buoys will monitor phosphates, nitrates and dissolved oxygen in the lake. Dr. Frederick will have a report for us in early May which compares our numbers today with those she has from previous years.
The aeration system was turned back on - with a new oil filter (thanks to President Ken Price) - on April 7. It appears that at least three diffusers will need replacing soon as they are not functioning at full capacity. These 3 are at the deeper end of the lake. Ken has priced newer diffusers at around $300 each (absent of installation). First treatment of Nutrient Sponge, Clean and Clear, and Bio Boost was completed on April 26th. Also balanced aeration system with Flow meters.
At a county meeting held Tuesday, April 9, an addendum to our ARPA grant was approved. This allowed for NLIA to alter the terms of our treatment plan. Under the original terms last year, treatment was distributed all at one time. However - for this final year of the grant-funded treatment plan - BioBoost treatments (of 15 gallons) will be dispensed once per week, from (late) April thru August. Additionally, we will have five monthly Clean & Clear enzyme treatments.
COMMUNICATING WITH MEMBERSHIP
Board member Donna Rodio has updated the official NLIA website (www.nlake.org) to include some "Best Practices" of lake living. Be sure to check it out and bookmark the site so you can stay informed as to how to be a good steward of North Lake! You can find NLIA Board Updates and other important information on the website.
Please know that the NLIA Board is working hard to increase our media presence - via our website and social media - so that we can keep you all better informed. We appreciate your patience and your continued support.
LAKE MANAGEMENT PROJECT UPDATE
It has been suggested that we set up a separate account specifically for donations for this project. These monies would be earmarked to fund lake management as well as to facilitate treatments that become necessary and/or are recommended by such.
Please note, it has been brought to our attention that while proxy votes have been utilized in the past for special circumstances, such practice is not specified in our by-laws. Subsequently, the vote on moving forward with lake management will be conducted at our first general meeting over the Memorial Weekend (Saturday, May 25). Thank you for your understanding.
Coming soon! The board is working on signage (for NLIA and "public" lake front areas) and gathering information regarding updated PA boating regulations. It is important for all lake residents to be reminded and aware of laws having to do with boating and water recreation.
Below are highlights from a North Lake Board meeting held in February.
NLIA FINANCIAL REPORT
WATER COMMITTEE REPORT
After reviewing several proposals, the committee has selected AquaLink as a potential lake manager for North Lake. The board met with the CEO and two field managers to further discuss our lake's needs as well as costs for various services that might pertain to North Lake. In order to move forward in securing Aqualink, we need two things:
1. We need to take an official membership vote. The board has discussed this; we are reluctant to wait for an in-person meeting (in May) to conduct the vote as doing so would delay this necessary move. We are considering a proxy vote, conducted via email, telephone, or regular mail. (We WILL notify members once we decide on when/how/ to facilitate this.)
It is important to remember that ONLY residents who have paid dues for 2024 will be eligible to vote. (As of this writing, we have only received dues from 15 households.)
PLEASE SEND YOUR DUES IN ASAP so that you are eligible to vote.
2. NLIA needs YOUR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS in order to have a budget supportive of the lake manager's propositions. We are working hard to ensure that we have a solid plan in place - before the start of the season - to address any issues that arise.
Please send in your tax-deductible donations today!
The NLIA Board extends hearty THANKS to member Bob Ochs for his work in preparing the RFP (request for proposal) on behalf of NLIA. The document was well-developed and comprehensive and of great assistance to the Water Committee in screening potential managers.
OTHER NEWS
Four Board members attended the Pennsylvania Lake Management Society (PALMS) conference in State College, PA on February 28-29. The conference offered a great deal of information on many lake-related topics, including harmful algal blooms, best practices of lake living, invasive plant species, and new watercraft inspection requirements. This information will be shared with membership at future meetings.
Board member Preston Gibson is reaching out to the conservation district of Luzerne County to explore any assistance that may be available to North Lake.
Below are highlights from a North Lake Board meeting held on January 20th.
The NLIA financial report:
Hello everyone,
Attached below is the latest Clean-Flo scan that was performed fall of 2023. Clean-Flo calls it moderate results but it’s only been 5 months into the massive restoration treatment. The scan shows 3 inches of sediment reduction, receding from the shallower areas as that’s where it will diminish first. It also shows two million more gallons of water in the lake. The system is doing what it’s intended to do, reduce the nutrient rich bottom sediment, biologically dredging the lake.
At the last 2023 meeting we voted to seek a lake management company. We have multiple proposals and started the review and vetting process to find a company to coincide with the restoration project that’s ongoing. There is no easy solution or answers to the issues of our lake or they would have been done long ago. At our first board meeting of 2024, highlighted was that North Lake has tried just about everything from chemicals to grass carp to aeration and biologics and most recently ultrasound. We plan on meeting monthly through the winter working on multiple issues.
We will keep members informed with monthly updates on our progress.
Ken Price
NLIA President
Clean-Flo Report North Lake 2023 (pdf)
DownloadUpdate on ARPA Grant Application through Luzerne County - 2023
In the fall of 2022, NLIA submitted a grant proposal to Luzerne County for American Rescue funds that were being made available to municipalities, nonprofits, and other businesses. We are very pleased to report that we have been officially notified that the North Lake Improvement Association has been awarded a grant of $88,890 to support a lake water quality improvement project. The funded grant project was based on a proposal requested from Clean Flo International who have been engaged with North Lake over the past number of years. Clean-Flo has periodically been on the lake to observe algae bloom events and have conducted sonar scans to document organic sediment buildup on the bottom of the lake. They have also reviewed water quality data showing high nutrient levels in the lake and very high nutrient levels entering the lake from the watershed. When nutrient levels increase, nuisance algae and even weed growth can dominate a body of water, making it unattractive, odorous and a poor environment for a healthy aquatic life. The goal of this treatment plan is to address the nutrient buildup, to reduce nutrient availability in the water column, reduce organic sediment (muck) at the bottom, and in turn improve overall water quality. The plan includes aggressive treatments using Bio Booster and Clean and Clear enzymes that will be applied to the lake by Clean Flo over several treatments through this year and into 2024. These treatments are aimed at reducing nutrients and organic sediment in the lake. In addition, Clean Flo will also be deploying 100 Nutrient Sponge bags over the next 2 years in and about the lake at the various stormwater runoff areas. These bags are designed to absorb nutrients before they ever reach the water. Finally, Clean Flo will be conducting water quality monitoring/reporting and will perform a sonar scan in the fall of this year to measure the effectiveness of the treatment plan. We are now working through the actual performance portion of the grant process which includes additional documentation, ongoing submission of progress of the project as well of request for release of the funds to pay for the treatments. The funds will be released to NLIA only when we make a request to cover the actual expenses on a quarterly basis. The first two treatments were already completed by the Clean Flo team in May and June and there will be another treatment later this summer in August. The actual timing for treatments for next year will be determined based on results from this year and the recommendation of Clean Flo. The Board is very appreciative to have been selected to receive this grant and we are confident this treatment plan will have a significant impact on the water quality and overall conditions of North Lake. We will continue to provide additional updates at our regular membership meetings. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out with any questions.
Ken Price NLIA President
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