BURDEN LAKE ASSOCIATION
FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN OF ACTION
2000 - 2005
ISSUES RESOURCES
OWNERSHIP OF BED AND BOTTOM
Historically the lake was created by the Burden Iron Works Six individuals
with ownership passed on to the Portec Corporation. Recently Three from BLA
the Four Lakes Corporation acquired ownership and they are
in the process of transferring ownership of Burden Lake to the
Burden Lake Preservation Corporation.
Ultimately, there will have to be decisions made regarding the
future ownership of the lake. Will the six individuals retain
ownership, will an association assume ownership, who will
pay the taxes, etc?
OUTLET VALVE
The valve that was used to regulate the level of the lake Encon
has been non-functional for years and the outlet pipe has
been sealed. As a result there has been no way to control
the level of the lake except temporary sandbagging above Wayne Pratt’s
the dam. Control of the water level would allow the BLA expertise
to adjust the level of the water and thus: prevent flooding
in the Spring, stabilizing the lake when treating the water, Army Corps. Of Engineers
and lowering the shore line in the fall for the purpose of
cleaning up the shoreline. Town Govt.
Replacing the valve is now a viable option given the
resolution of the ownership issue. County Highway Dept.
BERM AND DAM
The Lake was originally created by the construction of a Town Govt.
berm and a dam at the North West end of the lake where the
water exits into the Wynanskill Creek. In recent years the Army Corps of Engineers
BLA work crews have noted points of erosion and repaired
the berm with additional soil. Four Lakes Corp.
An assessment of the integrity of the berm to determine if
it requires reinforcement is advisable. Encon
SEWERS
Sewers have been installed around the entire First and Second Town Govt.
Lakes except the East side of the Second Lake on Harriman Road County Health Dept.
and Glen Royal Road from Spath’s Cottage East to the Dike. There Encon
remain over twenty-five homes still relying on septic systems.
SEDIMENT RUN-0FF
There are several locations around the Lake where roadways Town Govt.
serve as conduits for the flow of sediment from the surrounding
hills into the lake. The problem is particularly critical on the Encon
East side of the lake where the roads connect to the two dikes.
Recent construction of new homes on the hills above County Govt.
Evergreen Drive have had a serious impact on erosion and the
resulting flow of sediment toward the lake.
Additionally, there are drainage pipes flowing into the lake at
various points around the lake, particularly along Burden Lake
Road. An assessment of each of these locations will help determine
if remedial action is necessary to prevent sediment and other
pollutants from entering the lake.
BRIDGES
The original design of the Lake included the construction of Army Corps.of Engineers
three bridges. One bridge is located at the outlet where the lake
flows under the Burden Lake Road into the Wynanskill Creek.. Town Govt.
The second and third were built at the West end of the two
dikes dividing the length of the lake. Originally, the dikes BLA Special Fund
were primarily intended for the use by local farmers to transport
their produce to market. In recent years they have been expanded State ENCON
and improved to accommodate the growing population around
the Lake. The structural integrity of all three should be reviewed County Govt.
to assure their safety, both for access over and through the opening.
Also, an Environmental Impact Study may be warranted.
The pipe that replaced the original bridge on the second dike,
dramatically altered the natural flow of the lake. The size of the
outlet was reduced restricting the volume of water flowing and
more importantly only surface water is allowed to move through
the pipe. The previous bridge allowed for the flow of water from the
natural lake bottom up to the normal water line.
Another consideration associated with this issue is access by
lake residents throughout the entire Burden Lake.
ALGAE
For as long as anyone can remember, come mid summer, BLA dues
when the water temperature warms, the lake has turned green
(pea soup color). The coloring is due to algae bloom. The relatively Encon
shallow depth of the lake, combined with the introduction of
nutrients from septic systems and runoff from near by roads and Frank Maier
fertilized lawns help create the perfect environment for algae to grow.
The BLA has, for many years, applied Copper Sulfate to help
treat the algae. Each application is authorized by Encon and applied
by a certified applicator.
EURASIAN WATERMILFOIL
In the late 1980’s Milfoil was introduced into Burden Lake. Headlines Special fund raising
in the newsletter referred to the Milfoil Alert and everyone became
focused on the rapid growth of the “WEEDS”. For several years Frank Maier
volunteers attempted to control the problem with manual harvesting.
In the Fall of 1994 a committee was formed to find a solution that Encon
was safe and affordable. Following much research, discussion and
fund raising, the BLA applied Sonar to the lake. It was almost
100% successful. Unfortunately the third lake could not get organized
in time to also apply Sonar and the following year we began to see the
weed spread back into our area through the culvert.
Subsequent applications of Sonar in all parts of the lake have effectively
eliminated Milfoil from the lake. It is expected that occasional spot
treatments may be necessary in years to come as the Milfoil is re-
introduced by geese or boats liveried from other lakes and rivers.
CURLY-LEAF PONDWEED
Early each spring a weed commonly referred to as Curly, completes its Encon
growth cycle, dies and floats to the surface in what is technically called
a biomass. Lake residents have a variety of other terms they use to refer Frank Maier
to the accumulation of weeds that die and float to the surface during mid
June. Eventually the weeds sink to the bottom where they decay, releasing Fund Raising
more unwanted nutrients into the water and causing oxygen depletion.
As of the date of this writing the only treatment has been manual
harvesting, although the Sonar did have some impact. Unfortunately
the weed grows from a seed called a turion that sits on the bottom of
the lake. The March 2000 meeting of the BLA authorized the application
of a product called Aquafil, subject to approval of Encon. Fundraising
began immediately to underwrite the project. If this approach works as
well as Sonar did on Milfoil, the lake will be rid of the two main
causes of distress over the past decade.
Throughout the process of authorizing the use of chemical products
there has been a constant caution to only resort to this approach when
absolutely necessary. There is the hope that the native plants will again
thrive once the non-native nuisance aquatic plants are eliminated.
GEESE
At about the same time foreign weeds began to take over the lake Encon
we also witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of Geese and Ducks
on the lake. Large flocks of waterfowl are now a common sight County health Dept.
on the lake. As attractive as they may seem gliding up the lake, they
are also polluting the lake with their discharge. Concentrations of
discharge in small areas, such as beaches and docks where people feed
the waterfowl, may result in increased bacteria in the water and disease.
There are extensive government regulations designed to protect
waterfowl. While the citizens of the lake do not want to harm the
wildlife, it would be good to find a solution before there is a problem.
If, as some have suggested, the geese and ducks are attracted by
the weeds as a source of food, then the elimination of curly and milfoil
may have the added benefit of discouraging the large population of
waterfowl.
BOATER SAFETY
The introduction of high speed boats and jet skis into all areas of the County Govt.
lake has evolved into a new set of issues to contend with. Boater safety
and noise pollution are two concerns increasingly expressed by residents.
While enforcement of boater safety falls under the domain of the
law enforcement community, it may be possible to reach a consensus
among property owners for the development of guidelines on high speed
boats and jet skis. Included in any discussion should be an appropriate
grandfathering clause.
Because this issue is of equal concern to residents of all three areas of
the lake, discussion should include representatives of both associations.
EROSION
There are numerous locations around the shore of the lake where the Encon
land is gradually eroding into the water. In the distant past, residents
successfully stemmed the erosion by forming wall along the shore
using the natural rocks found on the lake bottom. Since the valve
broke and the Fall draw down no longer occurs, it has been increasingly
difficult to access the rocks and repair the walls. Residents have
resorted to constructing walls from commercial brick and stone as well
as treated wood. Others have recommended the introduction of riprap
to contain the erosion.
Consideration should be given to the impact of introducing foreign
material, such as riprap to the lake water quality. Also, the separate
goal of replacing the valve may help alleviate the problem.