Lake Gerry Association

News

Stay up-to-date on the latest news from the Lake Gerry Community. 

  • 07/29/2021 7:42 AM | Anonymous

    The New - New website for the Lake Gerry Association 


    Hi Everyone,   

    Thank you for visiting our new Lake Gerry website.  Over the year I have been collecting information and trying to put together a comprehensive website with everything you need to know about Lake Gerry, the community and all the things happening behind the scenes.  The Lake Gerry Association Board and members are trying to promote the community by providing a transparent view of all the happenings with the organization in hopes that more members of the community will see a benefit to membership and offer to help us improve life in and around the lake for everyone. 

    As we began the creation of this website, if you have been following along, you will have noticed several changes in formatting, functioning and all of the things that make a website easy to use and engaging.  This latest iteration of the lakegerry.com website should be the one we stick with as it will have the most and best functionality and affordability.  We are looking forward to being able to modernize and digitize communications and documentation for the Lake Gerry Association which will allow all members to view and track items as they occur.  We will be able to provide one single access point for all the information you need to engage with the community and improve your stay at the lake. 

    Over the next several months I will be adding more functionality to the website including:  Private members-only documents/posts,  Classified ads for the community, Fund-raising opportunities such as raffles and auction items, events calendars, and an online-membership store which will allow you to purchase your membership online via a credit card including  boat passes, guest passes, etc.  With anything, there may be a few hiccups along the way, so please bear with us as we try to make this website the best we can. 

    I'm just a volunteer who has some computer programming experience and donated my time and hosting for this website;  More-over, I am also new-ish to Lake Gerry (Been here since 2019) so I am ALWAYS looking for more information from you all as to what you would like to see on this page and how it can best serve you and the community.  I will keep asking for feedback and looking for documents and anything pertaining to the history of Lake Gerry, it's formation and the association.   If something is way wrong, or difficult to read or see, please let me know.  Also, feel free to contact me at contact@lakegerry.com with any information you are willing to share including photos, stories, old newsletters, etc.   The more information we have, the better this site will be, and the more fun we can have with it.  I also keep hearing murmurs of a long-lost Turtle Soup recipe... 

    Thanks for reading, and I hope you all are well and enjoying the lake (when its not raining)

    Cheers!

    - Tim S.


  • 07/26/2021 7:41 AM | Anonymous

    SOlitude Lake Management will be performing Lake Gerry's first muck treatment on Friday July, 30th.  This treatment will be part of our monthly lake preservation and remediation program to improve the health of Lake Gerry. 

    The muck treatment consists of a non-toxic pellet treatment that enhances and promotes the decomposition of decaying plant matter that makes up the muck in the lake. As these treatments progress, please remember that it will take time to eliminate several feet of muck that has accumulated of the years in Lake Gerry. 

    As we go forward, it will be important for us to take care of the lake in several ways.  1)  Lily Pad Removal,  2)  Grass Carp for weed management, and 3)  Muck remediation.  

     


  • 07/18/2021 7:40 AM | Anonymous

    Raffle – Price Chopper Gift Card

    Current Fundraiser: $50 Price Chopper Gift Card

    Tickets: $5 each or 3 for $10.

    Drawing to be held at the August 8th Lake Gerry Association Meeting at the Charles Kelley Rd. Pavilion.

     

    Proceeds go to the Lake Gerry Association – Lake Preservation Fund

    If you would like to participate but cannot attend the next meeting please contact us at: contact@lakegerry.com


  • 07/12/2021 7:39 AM | Anonymous

    Repairs an maintenance of the Charles Kelley Road Pavilion will need to be performed this year.

    We are looking to cut down several trees in the back of the pavilion to allow better airflow and drying of the roof and supports.

    The ground in and around the Charley Kelley Road Pavilion is soggy which causes the tables to sink when sat on, and makes for a muddy mess during meetings and events held at the pavilion. Drainage stone will be brought in to raise the inner surface of the pavilion and allow for better drainage and more stability for the tables. In order to add stone to the pavilion, the picnic tables will need to be removed while the surface is upgraded and then replaced when complete.

    Two derelict out-houses still stand in the woods behind the pavilion. These should be removed and filled in.

    Events Sign - A new Events Sign will be installed on the road near the pavilion.

    The old Lake Gerry signs will be placed on the front of the pavilion.

    Volunteer Opportunities:

    • Remove and Replace Picnic Tables - We will set a date.
    • Spreading Stone - We will set a date.
    • Tree Removal - We will set a date for this.


  • 07/12/2021 7:32 AM | Anonymous

    Muck

    Venture out into the lake and you will quickly notice the layer of thick, gooey muck just above the bottom of the lake. This layer of decaying organic matter is called Muck. Muck is an accumulation of organic matter that forms in aging lakes that do not have good oxygenation or moving water. Muck is a common problem in lakes and when not addressed will interfere with the health of the lake ecosystem and ruin a lake’s recreation potential.

    As you know, Lake Gerry has a huge lily pad problem. Over the years, as these lily pads and other aquatic plants die off, they sink to the bottom of the lake where they begin to decompose. As this material decomposes it is kills of good aerobic bacteria and gives of a noxious gas called Hydrogen Sulfide. Hydrogen Sulfide is what is also known as a sewer, sewage or swamp gas and smells like rotten eggs. In large quantities, Hydrogen Sulfide is toxic.

    When left unaddressed, lake muck will eventually ruin the value of a lake by making it un-navigable, un-swimmable, and un-fishable. This natural process, without intervention, will ultimately turn the lake into a marsh then into a meadow then into a forest.

    There are multiple ways to address and maintain the muck levels in ponds and lakes; unfortunately, none of them are easy, or cheap without proper lake management.

    In the summer of 2019, the Lake Gerry Association began working with SOLitude Lake Management company to form a strategic plan to restore Lake Gerry to a robust and healthy lake. A multi-step plan was presented to the association’s board and several presentations were made to the Lake Gerry Association. During the summer of 2020, the Lake Gerry Association began the implementation of our lake restoration plan with the initial treatment of the lily pads on the surface of the lake. This topical herbicide treatment is designed to kill the root or rhizome of the lily pad. As many are you are aware, the rhizome of the Lily pad is that 3 to 8 inch thick, and 5 to 15 foot long root that the lily pads shoot off of. They’re miserable. – The herbicide applied to the lake, takes several weeks to reach the root system and kill the plant. If you ventured out onto the water a few weeks after the treatment, you would have noticed the lily pads turning yellow and brown then dying in large swaths. With this type of herbicide, it takes a season to see the complete results which we are starting to notice in the lake now. The down side of treating the lily pads in this manner, is when they die, they fall to the bottom of the lake and contribute to the Muck problem. Therefore it is of utmost importance that we begin addressing the Muck layer in the lake.

    Over the years, there have been several different attempts at addressing the muck, without addressing the root cause of the muck. (the lily pads and plant matter) Each attempt, while valiant, did little to mitigate the muck in the lake.

    During the summer of 2021, SOLitude Lake Management will be performing another lily pad treatment at a point when the herbicide will have peak efficacy. Unlike last year, when we learned exactly how severe and limiting our muck situation is, an airboat will be used, which will allow the herbicide to be applied in parts of the lake where the muck is several feet thick and the water is only a few inches deep. This second herbicide treatment should kill off another large portion of lily pads thus making it easier to navigate and swim in the lake. Please note, that not all the lily pads will be removed from the lake, and in the future we will likely need to manage them better than we have in the past.

    After this second lily pad treatment, it will become even more important for us to address the muck problem.

    As mentioned, there are several ways of addressing muck in the lake. The best, and consequently, the most expensive is a process called Hydro-raking. This is the gold-standard of muck removal and involves essentially a floating excavator that scoops up the muck and transports it to a container to be hauled away. Another highly effective and significantly expensive method to remove muck is called Dredging – which uses a large pump and vacuum hose to suck up the muck and move it to another location nearby (like a field). Each of these is a huge investment and to perform such, we would have to do some major fund raising.

    More affordably, there are products available the utilize beneficial bacteria, enzymes and minerals that help speed up the decomposition of the muck. These pellets are often called Muck Digesters and are applied several times throughout the summer to the areas of muck. Over the weeks, they begin to break down inches of muck at a time. Again, this is a process, and not something that will have immediate results, but something that each season you will see improvement in our lake.

    As with all things, muck digesters have limitations and depending on the recommendations from SOLitude Lake Management, we may need to add aeration devices to the lake to help remove and maintain low muck levels in the years to come. These aeration devices are exactly that: the cause bubbles and water movement that helps disrupted the layers of muck and introduce oxygen and beneficial bacteria to the muck layers. This will help facilitate and enhance the breakdown of the muck.

    Lastly, we will need everyone to help do their part to clean up and improve Lake Gerry so it will continue to provide years of enjoyment for our families, friends and neighbors. Please consider donations or help with fund raising for the Lake Preservation Fund. No amount is too large or small and every dollar helps and bring us closer to a healthier lake. Can’t donate monetarily? Please help donate time or energy with other projects around the lake. Every little bit is appreciated.


  • 07/10/2021 7:38 AM | Anonymous

    2021 – Lake Gerry Association – Agenda

    The Lake Gerry Association has put together the following agenda of items that we would like to try to address this year. This is a wish list, and not all will be completed, and many may be declined by the association members. Never the less, here is the list:

    Pavilion Upgrades and Repair

    • Charles Kelley Road Pavilion – Shore up supports, Drainage Issues, Clean up Area
    • Pine Road Pavilion – Replace Supports, Replace Roofing, Assess Size, Add Grills, Replace Dock, Address Lily Pads and Muck

     

    Emergency/EMS Access

    • Address access areas for Emergency Personnel to reach residents in case of emergency.
    • Provide access to water supply in case of fire
    • Check in-to 911 Locations and Fire-ID’s for residents around the lake

     

     

    Signage

    • Improve and Replace current road signs and safety signs around the Lake Gerry property

     

    Website Development and Communication

    • Create and utilize the new Lake Gerry website to reduce paper, the amount of work, and increase efficiency for generating Memberships, Guest Passes and Boat Passes
    • Provide in-depth information to the Lake Gerry Association and community members to improve transparency and encourage volunteerism.
    • Allow for online payments and donations for the Lake Gerry Association.

     

    Document Storage

    • Create a secure and rodent proof storage area for LGA documents and equipment
    • Explore digital document storage solutions for the Lake Gerry Association paperwork

    Lake Gerry Preservation and Cleanup Efforts

    • Grass Carp – Adopt-a-Carp Fund
    • Lily Pad Remediation and Treatment – To be carried out end of July – August
    • Muck Remediation and Treatment – To be carried out ASAP and to establish a routine plan

     

    Social Gatherings

    • Return of the Pot Luck, The Craft Fair and Bake Sale, Lake Days
    • The Charles Kelley Fishing Derby
    • Explore new fund raising opportunities that are fun and engaging for the community.
    • Off-Season Opportunities

     

    We realize that these are ambitious goals, but with your help and support we can accomplish as many of them as possible. If you have an area of expertise or skill that you would like to help us with, please reach out to the Lake Gerry Association board.


  • 07/03/2021 7:37 AM | Anonymous

    It was a wet morning for the annual Charles Kelley Fishing Derby on Lake Gerry.

    Thank you for all those that braved the weather to participate and the Beckwith family for donating their beautiful dock.

    As always, Lake Gerry did not disappoint:

    1st Place Adult: Eric Frank with a 17 inch Bass weighing in at 2.18 pounds

    2nd Place Adult: Don Simmons with another 17 inch Bass weighing in at 1.98 pounds

    Biggest Fish – Youth: Tyler Curtis

    Most Fish – Youth: Ruby Curtis -12 fish

    Smallest Fish – Youth: Carter Davis with a whopping 6 incher

     

    The winner of the Fishing Derby Guessing Game: Carter Davis

     

    A very special Thank You to Patrick Fucci for donating the prizes for this year’s Charles Kelley Fishing Derby.

     

     

    If any of you have photos of your fishing derby adventures today that you would like to share with the community please send them to us at Contact@lakegerry.com

     

    We hope you all have a fun and safe holiday weekend!


  • 06/30/2021 7:31 AM | Anonymous

    In spite of a cold and rainy Memorial Day Weekend at Lake Gerry, our new entrance signs have been installed.

    Many thanks to those who donated money and time to help purchase and install the new signs.


  • 06/27/2021 7:37 AM | Anonymous

    Come out and test your skills and luck landing the Big One this weekend (Saturday, July 3rd) at the annual Charles Kelley Fishing Derby.

    Things are a little different this year, the Registration and Weighing/Counting will take place at the Beckwith’s Dock. (hopefully you all know where that is). The Derby will go from 9:00am until 12:00pm.

     

    Trophies will be awarded for Youth: Largest Fish; Most Fish Caught; Adults: Largest Fish

    We love to see photos of all the fun. If you would like us to share them, please feel free to email them to Contact@lakegerry.com

    Have a safe and fun weekend everyone! Fish-On!

     

     

    Charles Kelley Fishing derby Saturday July 3, 2021. 9am to 12pm. Registration at Beckwiths dock and fish weighing/counting at Beckwiths dock. Trophies in Adult and Youth categories.


  • 06/24/2021 7:36 AM | Anonymous

    Sunday June 27th, join your friends and neighbors at the Chaz. Kelley Pavilion for our 2nd Coffee Clutch Sunday.


Lake Gerry Association is a non-profit organization. PO Box 665 Oxford, NY 13830

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