•Support FOCL!

•Survey for Boat Parade

•No 2009 Drawdown

•Board Meeting Minutes

Quick Links:

•FOCL Website

•Join FOCL

•FOCL Merchandise

•Upcoming Events

Contact Information:

•Phone: 540-674-0166

•Fax: 540-980-3540

•Email: darla113@verizon.net

The following link will take you to a Membership Contribution Form at our website. You can locate prior year membership listings here.

Prior year Boat Parade winners.

We're considering what to do in 2010, would like to have your input on the subject and would sincerely appreciate your answers to the following questions:

1. Would you like to have a Boat Parade in Honor of Independence Day in 2010?

2. Will you participate in it?

3. Do you have any suggestions regarding the boat parade?

Thanks in advance for your time to consider these questions and please email us at this address with your thoughts: darla113@verizon.net

FOCL is well-aware that most Claytor Lake Stakeholders are in favor of the drawdown and use it as a way to help care for the lake and its environment. Recently, your FOCL Board has been involved in an energetic discussion about what to do about it. The result of this discussion has been to send to FERC a letter from the FOCL Board spelling out how the drawdown is used to help care for Claytor Lake and its environment by providing an opportunity to care for the shoreline and to suggest mitigation for issues created by the drawdowns.

It is important for you to know that the FOCL Board is doing its very best to navigate through these difficult waters and your support is needed and greatly appreciated as we do our best in furthering our mission of conserving and protecting the quality, sustainability and tranquility of the environment of Claytor Lake for all.

FRIENDS OF CLAYTOR LAKE • Board Meeting Minutes • October 8, 2009

Present:  Ron Powers, Darla Jennings, Dave & Susan Dobbins, David Collett, Caitlin Worsham (RU), Clarissa Clarke (RU), Donald White (RU), Lisa Morgan (USACE), Jeff Zylland (USACE), Mike McLeod, Wayne Alexander, Teresa Rogers, Dave Stevenson, Jackson Beamer, Mike Hoffman, Bill Cunningham, Laura Walters, Jeff Arnold, John Johnson, Cheri Strenz, Ranny Akers, Grant Turnwald (CLSA), Carol Brandt (VT), Larry & Irene Killough, Laura Bullard, Larry More, John Copeland

Minutes of September 10, 2009 Board minutes were approved as written.

Claytor Lake Sailing Association (CLSA) Commodore, Grant Turnwald, proposed that the third cove NW of Dublin Hollow be named Shep’s Cove or Shep’s Hollow in recognition of Shep Zedaker’s role in it’s long-time use for temporary boat mooring.  Ron recommended that the request be considered by committee or the Board as a whole.

Radford University (RU) students Caitlin Worsham, Clarissa Clarke and Donald White, as part of their Ethnographic Methods class, expressed their desire to learn what FOCL is about and how it is contributing to social change in the local community.  They requested the opportunity to conduct interviews and participate in FOCL activities.  The Board was open to their request, and Ronnie suggested a float trip to view clean-up, water monitoring and hydrilla issues.

Feasibility Study, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE):  Lisa Morgan and Jeff Zylland presented an update of the study of how to deal with sedimentation problems uplake including using such measures as dike fields with wetlands, fish habitat structures and bioengineering for eroding banks.  Incremental cost analysis showed the five “best buy” options in descending order as:  1) hinge trees, 2) fish attractors, 3) bioengineering, 4) large dikes, and 5) dikes and dredge fill.  When asked about dredging around boat docks to restore residential lake access, the response was that there has to be a nexus with ecosystem restoration, since that is the Corps’ focus.  Before concluding the Feasibility Study, sediment must be tested for toxins in case of future dredging; and additional federal funding ($90,000 requested) must be secured.  They are also soliciting input from FOCL by the end of October to include, for example, any additional things they should consider, information on local services available, and any questions.

Clean-Up has concentrated on the upper end of the lake and to date has yielded 84 roll-offs (averaging 15 tons each), 527 trash bags, 105 tires, 2 freezers, 4 docks (3 converted to fish habitat), 1 boathouse and 1 pontoon boat.  The budget from the County has been spent, and funds from AEP are now being used.  Enough money must be saved from this year to operate clean-up next year until July 1, 2010 when County funding begins again.

Float trip of Claytor Lake was conducted with representatives from Smith Mountain Lake (SML) on September 24.  More information will be forth coming.

Income/Expense Report:  General Fund:  $3,580.76; Money Market:  $30,153.71, Restricted Funds:  $10,172.19.  Contributor Appreciation Day showed a deficit of $208.38.  Report was accepted as written.

Christmas Meeting December 10 will be held at MK’s.

AEP’s Relicensing of Claytor Lake:  In notice dated September 30, FERC is soliciting comments for the next 60 days (til November 28) on AEP’s application for relicensure.  The application is available online at www.claytorhydro.com under Claytor Relicensing / Application for New License.  According to Teresa, comments can be submitted electronically or by hard copy as in previous comment periods.  Laura Bullard requested that notice of the comment period be sent out on FOCL e-News.  Discussion was held regarding FOCL making comment.  Darla stated that FOCL is restricted in number of letters of support it can send on issues outside of Claytor Lake, but not on number of letters regarding Claytor Lake. 

DEQ:  Mike McLeod referred Board to DEQ’s website (Programs, TMDL, Chesapeake Bay) for EPA’s TMDL goals for point and non-point sources of phosphorous and nitrogen for Chesapeake Bay, which will impact us here.

The meeting was adjourned.