Tree damage and Stow Conservation Commission

Following the severe thunderstorm with tree damage, especially on Barton and Pine Point Roads this weekend, this message comes from the Stow Conservation Commission:

“We understand that downed trees need to be cleared for safety reasons and some storm damaged structures, fences, etc. may need repair.

“For folks with open permits at the Lake, we would ask that they let us know by email if they need to remove broken trees within the buffer zone and we will make a note in their files that it was due to the storm so there is a record when it comes time to close out permits.

“For those seeking to remove trees that were not downed by the storm but are perceived as hazardous and are within 100′ of the Lake, please call or email our office prior to scheduling the work so we can approve the work in advance. In most cases, we are able to schedule a site visit within days and without the need for additional permitting.”

To reach Stow Conservation Department and Commission, see this page on the Town of Stow website: https://www.stow-ma.gov/conservation-commission

Lake Boon Association Annual Meeting this Sunday, June 4

The Lake Boon Association holds its annual meeting this Sunday, June 4th starting at 7 p.m. Join us at the Pompositticut Community Center,  305 Great Road (Rte 117), in Stow.

Come out to greet your neighbors, get updates on the Healthy Lake Boon program and other LBA activities for the season. Lake Boon shirts, bags, history books and stickers will be available.

Lake Boon Commission meets Wednesday, May 24

The Lake Boon Commission will meet Wednesday, May 24 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Public participation via calling in or using your computer is encouraged. For a Zoom link to join the meeting and for information on phoning in, please see the posted agenda on the Town of Hudson website, here.

Agenda

• Welcome opening remarks
• Public Comment
• Weed Treatment plans/updates on permits for both drawdown and weed treatment
• Bills for Payment – Review/Approve
• Winter rules planning for hearing
• Past Meeting Minutes – Review/Approve
• Buoy locations all 7 of them
• Docks survey and plans to remove and dispose of docks in bad repair
• Old Business
• New Business
• Date of Next Meeting
• Adjourn

Lake Boon restrictions due to May 25 herbicide treatment

Below is a memo from SOLitude Lake Management to folks on the lake.

TO: Property Owners / Abutters to – Lake Boon, Stow/Hudson, MA
FROM: SOLitude Lake Management
DATE: May 16, 2023
RE: Management of Aquatic Vegetation in Lake Boon

Please be advised that SOLitude Lake Management will be conducting an herbicide treatment on May 25, 2023.
The use of the lake’s water in some areas of the lake will be restricted as follows:
Swimming, boating, and fishing – Until May 26, 2023 in basins 2, 3, 4
Livestock watering –Until May 27, 2023 in basins 2, 3, 4
Direct drinking –Until May 29, 2023 in basins 2, 3, 4
Irrigation – Until May 31, 2023 in basins 2, 3, 4

For specific water-use restrictions based on location, please refer to the treatment map available here.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact SOLitude Lake Management at (508) 885-0101.

Lake Boon Association Annual Meeting June 4

Note that we’ve corrected the date! The meeting is June 4, not June 5 as originally posted!

Save the date for the Lake Boon Association annual meeting at Stow’s Pompositticut Community Center, 509 Great Road (Route 117) on Sunday, June 4 at 7:00 p.m. Greet your neighbors. Get updates on Healthy Lake Boon and other programs and plans for the year. Renew your membership. Vote for officers. Purchase Lake Boon apparel, stickers, and books.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health holds virtual Harmful Algal Bloom Workshop May 17

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) will be hosting a virtual half-day Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) workshop on May 17th, 2023, from 9 am – 1 pm. This workshop will include an opportunity to engage colleagues and experts with presenters from local, state and federal agencies on the best practices for monitoring and responding to blooms. The workshop agenda is included below. Please feel free to contact the DPH Environmental Toxicology Program at DPH-Beach@mass.gov with questions or for more information.

Registration for this workshop is free. To register for the event, please use the following link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/513c79b5-9572-418b-abb3-48f404cf8d35@909c1787-2f35-4745-8f7d-ec2f2ee631e7

Please note: After registering, attendees will receive an email with the calendar event and link to join the webinar. This can sometimes get caught in one’s junk mail filters, so please make sure to check all inbox folders, including junk, if you do not receive a confirmation email after registering.

AGENDA

9:00 – 9:15 a.m.: Welcome and Introduction, Marc Nascarella, MA Department of Public Health

9:15 – 10:00 a.m. Keynote Technical Presentation, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Speakers: Neel Aluruand, Mark Hahn

10:00 – 10:30 a.m.: Effective Collaborations/Local Partnerships, Mashpee Department of Natural Resources
Speaker: Ashley Fisher

10:30 – 10:45 a.m.: Break 10:30 – 10:45
10:45 – 12:00 p.m.: State/Federal Agency Presentations, National Park Service (NPS), Cape Cod National Seashore
Speaker: Sophia Fox

MA Department of Public Health (DPH), Bureau of Environmental Health
Speaker: Irena Draksic

12:00 – 12:15 p.m.: Break

12:15 – 1:00 p.m. Panel Discussion on HAB mitigation strategies
Moderator: Logan Bailey, MA Department of Public Health
Speakers: Ken Wagner, Water Resource Services
Max Rome, Charles River Floating Wetland
Donald Williams, Herring Pond Watershed Association

Lake Boon Spring Discount Septic Pumping

Once again, the Lake Boon Association is sponsoring a discount septic pumping program this Spring. The program will run beginning the week of June 5th. Deadline for sign up is May 21st. To register please email David at lbaseptic@gmail.com or call Dave Siewierski at 978-562-2203. Capacity is limited so register early. The program is open to anyone living within the Lake Boon watershed or within a mile of the lake.

Since the inception of this program many tanks have been pumped at the discount price, saving money for individual homeowners while preserving property values and helping reduce weed growth in the lake. The more frequently a system is pumped (recommendation every 1 – 2 years depending on family size), the longer it will last and work well. The LBA sponsors this program spring and fall each year, and so far Rich Casaceli continues to give us a lower price than other area companies for an excellent job!

Please spread the word to your neighbors on Lake Boon so we can continue to do everything we can to clean up the lake and keep our septic systems running well.

Healthy Lake Boon signs

We thank those who have been displaying the “Lake Boon Needs Your Help!” signs to raise awareness about taking care of our lake. However, a few of them have been damaged by snow plowing, blowing into the lake, etc. Please dispose of damaged signs and those that are not displayed reasonably.

There has also been concern about one of the three signs that incorrectly says “No wakes within 150 feet of shore, swimmers, boats.” In Massachusetts boating law, the 150 foot distance does not relate to wakes; it relates to motor boats moving at more than headway speed. The LBA ceased distributing that version sign as soon as the error was noted and Boonies who have those signs are encouraged to trade them in for one of the others by emailing Dave Gray at grayscale@earthlink.net to make arrangements.

Lake Boon Commission meets May 3; public hearing on winter lake rules

The Lake Boon Commission will meet on Wednesday, May 3 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Public participation using your phone or computer is encouraged.

Agenda:

• Welcome opening remarks
• Proposed Lake Boon Winter Rules
• Public Comment
• Deliberation of any recommended changes as proposed
• Vote of LBC members
• Adjourn

To join the meeting, see the posted agenda for a Zoom link or phone number.

Happy Earth Day this Saturday, April 22!

Let’s participate with our annual roadside cleanup this weekend. We can contribute to our lake community, enhance the environment, set a good example for our children and grandchildren, and carry out another part of our Healthy Lake Boon Initiative. Please help pick up trash along our roads to keep the neighborhood looking nice and prevent anything from blowing or washing into the lake or clogging storm drains. You can put the accumulation with your normal trash pickup. Participants should wear gloves, long pants and long sleeves to help avoid poison ivy and bright clothes or a reflective vest for safety.

Those in Stow can also register as part of the town-wide cleanup by signing up online or at the Lower Common (Shaw’s plaza) on Saturday morning 8 a.m. to noon. The Stow Cleanup Group will have yellow garbage bags, gloves and reflective vests available there also. Bags can be put in your own trash can or left by the side of the road in Stow. The Stow Town Highway Department will pick up bags on Monday.