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Photo of the month by Ed Prajzner!

News and Notices

The lake will begin to be lowered on October 14th. Please be sure to have your boats/docks out of water by the 13th. Also, use this time to clean the area of debris, leaves and sludge.

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The SPLA Board is working to address the geese population issue. Over the summer, our lake has many issues and one major cause has been the significant number of geese that have taken up residence. Below are a list of FAQ’s about the issue and mitigatation plan:

1) Why are we doing this?

A: Algae and Bacteria are real problems for Shake Pines Lake. Our Lakes Health is in decline and we need to take action.

2) Who are the Authorities the SPLA BOD is working with?

A: North Central District Health dept notifies us when bacteria levels are unsafe for our community. CT DEEP WildLife division and USDA wildlife services consulted with us on how geese can impact our properties and water quality.

3) Are Geese the only problem leading to poor water quality ?

A: SPLA BOD realizes that other factors such as street and lawn run-off and a warming climate can also impact water quality. We will work to address these as well.

We have had detailed discussions with Nick McMahon from Pond and Lake Management regarding the contributing factors of the quality of our lake. He has indicated that while there are a number of factors such as road/lawn runoff, weather, potential septic issues, one of the main factors is the number of geese we currently have living on and around the lake.

Per DEEP standards, a lake our size could accommodate 8-10 geese. We have had 40-50 geese on the lake for a good majority of the summer. Their feces contribute to the amount of phosphorus and bacteria in the lake.

4) Why can’t I feed the geese ?

A: Feeding the geese is not only a violation of our SPLA By-Laws but is known to Cause problems for both People and Geese! Please read attached “Do Not feed waterfowl” Pamphlet from CT DEEP. Please note that if you are feeding the Geese you are personally contributing to the problem at SPLA.

5) Do Geese really impact water quality ?

A: This is a link to a 2002 study that USDA did on bacterial levels in geese feces.

https://nwrc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/NWRCPubs1/id/39329/rec/8

This is a link to National Institute of Health about pathogens in Canada geese feces.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/zph.12227

Please also see attachments “Goose management on water quality” and ” CT Dealing with Geese”

6) So what is the plan to moving forward?

A: SPLA Board of Directors has already contracted with the USDA APHIS Wildlife services. We will work with homeowners that are interested in having them enter their property. WInstanely Enterprises is also interested in a coordinated effort between our properties.

7) What is the timing of visits by the USDA?

A: We expect this to be a multi year effort with a few visits this year and next year. There are many factors which impact the visits such as USDA Resource availability, Weather, Geese location. So please be patient

8) Will all geese be eliminated ?

A: Absolutely Not !. The CT DEEP and USDA would never allow this. This is a management and control activity. So don’t worry we will always have geese floating around the lake !