6.6.13:MLID Meeting Notes

I'll aim to bring you full, proper notes of all meetings going forward.  Here are abridged, unofficial notes:

Mohegan Lake day will be on July 14th, 2013.  Save the Date.  Details of all activities to follow shortly.  Remember what a good time we had last year.  This year will be on par.

We love our beavers.  They do pose a problem.  Mohegan Ave is constantly flooded and it's too much maintenance for the town to keep up with.  There's a reason people say "busy as a beaver."  These cute little critters are industrious; they are making an amazing comeback all around the region (we should welcome it since our fore bearers nearly extincted them).

We are opening discussions with the town.  Aiming for a bridge over Mohegan Avenue because that's the real (and natural) solution.  Wetlands are supposed to regulate the level of the lake.  It's supposed to flow back and forth. Mohegan Ave never should have been built as it is because it completely blocks that natural flow of the lake to the wetlands and vice-versa.  The real solution is that the Army Corp of Engineers redesigns it.  In the meantime, we'll do our best with our able bodied Highway Department. 

Lake health is not awesome, but water quality is still fully swimmable--as of today.  Many factors contribute to water quality, but one problem is invasive plant species.  The kind that live under water, like water chestnuts and curly leaf pondweed.

Our weed harvester was bought new in 1984.  I was 6 years old then, now 35 with 4 daughters.  It's a machine and is basically kaput.  We have a decent budget, about $96,000 a year, but a new harvester is about 100K.  We'd have to bond it.  Going to be done as it's a necessity, not happening this year.
Wayne--our lake manager-- and his boys are using the Jon boat and elbow grease to do everything possible to remove as much plant matter as possible.  Remember, those plants just die and add to the nutrients that fuel the algae blooms.

Algae is bad and we'll get it again this year. We are exploring several solutions: barley straw, Phoslock (way too expensive), and Alum (expensive, but we could swing it, but there are DEC permitting issues).

If you have an interest in Mohegan Lake, please stay tuned and get involved.

The Mohegan Lake Recap: 5/15/2013

Our Mohegan Lake Improvement District lake manager fired up all of the aeration stations on the lake, less the one on Horton Road that was damaged during Hurricane Sanday.  Nice work, Wayne.

We should expect to further our discussion about the Faith Bible Church Proposal at their public meeting on May 20th.  And don't forget the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Thurday, May 23rd.  Word on the street is they are excited to meet with us again.

Beavers!  Did you see the Yorktown News Article about "public enemy #1," the beavers that have taken up residence in the lake?  Unfortuanately that publication does not have a web presence and I can't link to the article.

The Mohegan Highlands Beach is opening up Memorial Day weekend.  We need volunteers to help float our swimming docks and ropes.  If you can help scrup Canada goose poop off the docks, maneuver them into position and tie ropes and buoys this weekend, please email me at YorktownCode@gmail.com. This Sunday.  1pm.  MHPOA beach.  Be there, or be square. 

Spring Onions and Beavers in Mohegan Lake

If you live in Mohegan Lake then you know this is the time of year our yards are inundated with wild onions.  It helps to use a hand trowel to loosen hard soil to free up the bunches of scallion-y wild spring onions.  I cooked with some tonight.  They have a fresh herb and garlicky flavor.

In beaver news, I saw one swim past my house this weekend.  There was a spirited discussion at the Mohegan Highland's beach clean up about the beavers this weekend. There were persuasive arguments made to leave the beavers alone and let the northernmost section of Mohegan Avenue flood.  It's futile to fight nature--plus abandoning that section of the road will cut down on through traffic and speedy speedsters speeding through our quaint residential community.  I think I'm leaning towards a let it be policy.  Who knows, I may have water front property.  Beavers sure are industrious. 

It seems that the Mohegan Lake Improvement District is supporting a grating system and some cleaning.  More details to come at the next MLID in a couple weeks.  Stay tuned for details.

Solid Beaver Evidence

Took a trip to the Holland Club this weekend.  Me and the girls took a tour of the site and made a few fun discoveries.  We found fresh, solid evidence of a beaver in the lake.  The town has been trapping them to help mitigate the outflow issues.  Did you know the beaver was adopted as the New York state animal in 1975?

Add caption

Stripping it clean.

Wow.

A little vine on vine action.

Big rocks and steep slopes, that's the character of the neighborhood. 

Beavers and The Mohegan Lake Outflow

So last weekend I claimed to have photos of a beaver-felled tree.  I went back this morning and retook the photos I lost.  Looking at them again, I think I was wrong.  It almost looks like someone axed it down? Feel free to comment below and share your opinion on what cause it.  One thing is sure is that it was recent.  I think beavers may work more circularly and symmetrically around the tree.  And as Wayne pointed out, that tree is a bit big for a beaver.  Anyhoo...the town has hired a wildlife trapper and has rounded up 4 to be relocated--last I heard.

Detail of felled tree. 

For reference, you can see the corner of Faith Bible at the top right (white corner) of this photo taken from the lake .

View Larger Map