DLA website news

Classified Ads

The Classified Ads tab on the Duane Lake Association website is now up and running!  If you haven't noticed the tabs below the watercolor title banner, you can click any tab into the many layers of the DLA website.

The first ad has been uploaded this morning, so check it out!

The Classified Ads section hosts anything you might find in a traditional classified ads section of the newspaper, from ads such as For Sale, Free, Help Wanted, Services, etc.  All residents from the Duane Lake community, whether a DLA member or not, is welcome to place an ad - it's a free service!

Please send an email to the Duane Lake Association email at duanelakeassoc@gmail.com with the type of ad, a picture or two, a brief description, and your preferred contact method.  Your ad will be removed from the site once you notify the DLA at the email above or after three months, whichever comes first.  Thank you!

The first ad has been uploaded this morning, so check it out!

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Wildlife Emergency?

A link has been provided to help you should you find a wildlife emergency.  AnimalHelpNow.org finds help for wildlife emergencies, 24/7 via their website or downloadable app.  

Whether it's an emergency or nuisance situation, the website/app will search for the nearest wildlife rehabilitator, rescues, hotlines, humane wildlife control operators, and veterinarians who treat wildlife, for the type of animal that you are requesting assistance.  

See the image below to find the permanent link on the DLA website.  

If you want to download the app, search the Apple/Android app stores for Animal Help Now.

Duane Lake news and a reminder...

April showers bring May flowers - so they say. The wind has certainly been brutal this winter and early spring. I know we are all looking forward to more sunny and warmer days.

A reminder: next Saturday is the Duane Lake Earth Day and Raptor Day. We hope to see all of you as we help-out with cleaning up around the lake and enjoying the Silent Wings Raptor Day event that afternoon.

Saturday, April 26th (two events)

Annual Earth Day Roadside Cleanup, 9:00 AM

We’ll gather for assignments at the Duane Lake sign on the spur road between Duane Lake Road and Schoharie Turnpike. 

We are usually done by 11:00 a.m. Many hands make light work! Please dress for the weather and for tick prevention. So, mark your calendar for a worthwhile cause that makes a difference.

"Raptor Day” presentation, 1:30 PM (you will want to be there!)

Silent Wings – Raptor Rehab and Education organization will present a program about birds of prey at the Lady Fatima Church Hall in Delanson (behind the high school). Three owls, a hawk, and a falcon will be coming along, so we will be able to see them up close and learn about them. This program is appropriate for all ages. Silent Wings comes highly recommended from local libraries. DLA members are encouraged to bring a friend or family member to join us for the event!


An alert to the lake community:

A beaver has been spotted on the south shoreline in the last week or so. Please keep an eye out for any signs of a beaver lodge and report back by replying to this e-mail if you see any beaver activity. Beavers can be very destructive and create water flow problems with their lodges.

Congrats go out to Mr. and Mrs. Whitehead! 

So far, our nesting eagle pair have a new set of eaglets that are growing fast. Please see the latest video in the post below from our neighborhood eagle videographer, Karen Conners.

A request from a neighbor:

One of your neighbors on the south side of the lake had a platform piece of his dock blown away by the strong winds we've had over the winter. If you see this piece of dock platform, please reach out to Cindy Creasy and let her know where it landed. Here's what it looks like:

Cindy can be reached at cynthia9thcreasy@gmail.com

Duane Lake sign refurb

And one more time - a big thank you again to Kim Roberts for thoroughly refurbishing our Duane Lake sign at the top of the hill at North Mansion.

And one more reminder: if you haven’t renewed your DLA membership for 2025, please don’t waste another minute before writing a check to the Duane Lake Association and mailing it to:

    Norm Stewart, Treasurer

    624 Duane Lake Road

    Duanesburg, NY 12056

($75, but $45 for those age 65 and older—‘though most pay the $75 anyway and many contribute even more.)

It matters more than you might guess.

Beyond paying for lab tests of water samples gathered from our lake-water monitoring program, beyond battling to get Duane Lake admitted into the NY State Septic Replacement Program, beyond getting an engineering firm to appraise the integrity of the dam and saving-up money for its maintenance, and beyond organizing a host of social and work parties for the Duane Lake community, your membership and your dues deliver a powerful message.

The message is this: 

When you’re meeting with government officials and they’re wondering how many folks around the lake really support your work, you can confidently say 85%-90% . . . a vote majority they would envy.

Yes, it matters a great deal.

So . . . thank you. Thank you for your support. We’ll keep working to earn it. 🙂

We hope to see all of you next Saturday for our 

Earth Day clean-up 🌎

and our 

🦅 Raptor Day event!

Furry and feathered friend sightings

Photo by David Vincent

You never know what you might see out your window as Mother Nature wakes up all the critters and creatures that have been months at rest in a Winter's slumber.  

This cute fluffy kitty, okay, not quite...bobcat was spotted early Friday morning in the yard at the North Mansion enjoying the Mourning dove activity at Ann's bird feeder.  

A quick photo capture by David Vincent allows us all to enjoy the moment!

Photo by Karen Connors  

Don't go...make sure you check out this next photo.

Also spotted Friday by Karen Connors, the long awaited baby eagles have finally made their debut!  Two fuzzy gray heads have been counted!  

Make sure you watch the video below...they sure are cute! 

Video by Karen Connors

Lastly, there has been so much migratory water fowl on the lake it's hard to keep track of all the varieties passing through.

Photo by David Quickenton

These two loons made many of us rub our eyes just to be sure we were seeing what we thought?! While they have probably moved along they did put on a spectacular show while they were here.

This photo was taken by David Quickenton, with a powerful zoom, some cropping, and it's pretty spectacular!

Thank you to all the spotters for sharing these great images!

If you have Duane Lake community photos, videos, or stories you would like to share, send them to us at DuaneLakeAssoc@gmail.com.

What's going on around Duane Lake?

The geese are starting to return, the chipmunks are running around, tulip leaves are starting to emerge from the ground and the temperatures are finally going above 30 degrees on a more consistent basis! Spring seems to be returning - finally! One word of caution: with the spring thaw easing in, you may want to consider bear proofing or putting away your bird feeders for a while.

The Statewide Burn Ban Went Into Effect March 16th 

There's lot's of news to share!

Uncle Duane Needs You!

The Duane Lake Association is looking for volunteers to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting of the NY State Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA) May 2-3, 2025, at the Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center in Lake George.

It’s a terrific opportunity to learn about lake management and absorb ideas and experiences from leaders of lake associations all across the state. And the Duane Lake Association will reimburse expenses for two attendees attending on behalf of our association.

It’s a festival of new ideas and tried ‘n true ones for lake management and lake association management.

Topics on this year’s agenda include aquatic invasive species identification and monitoring, navigating new freshwater regulations, an introduction to limnology, watershed education, evaluation of aeration for the mitigation of algae blooms, and watershed rules for the protection of drinking water . . . and a whole lot more.

Here is a link to all the conference details.

If interested, please reply to DuaneLakeAssoc@gmail.com no later than March 23rd.


Your membership renewal REALLY matters!

If you haven’t renewed your membership for 2025, please don’t waste another minute before writing a check to the Duane Lake Association and mailing it to Norm Stewart, treasurer, 624 Duane Lake Road, Duanesburg, NY 12056. ($75, but $45 for those age 65 and older—‘though most pay the $75 anyway and many contribute even more.)

It matters more than you might guess.

Beyond paying for lab tests of water samples gathered from our lake-water monitoring program, beyond battling to get Duane Lake admitted into the NY State Septic Replacement Program, beyond getting an engineering firm to appraise the integrity of the dam and saving-up money for its maintenance, and beyond organizing a host of social and work parties for the Duane Lake community, your membership and your dues deliver a powerful message.

The message is this: When you’re meeting with government officials and they’re wondering how many folks around the lake really support your work, you can confidently say 85%-90% . . . a vote majority they would envy.

Yes, it matters a great deal.

So . . . thank you. Thank you for your support. We’ll keep working to earn it.


Upcoming Dates:

Saturday, April 26th (two events)

Annual Earth Day Roadside Cleanup, 9:00 AM

We’ll gather for assignments at the Duane Lake sign on the spur road between Duane Lake Road and Schoharie Turnpike. We’re usually done by 11:00 a.m. Many hands make light work! So, mark your calendar for a worthwhile cause that makes a difference.

Raptor Day” presentation, 1:30 PM (you will want to be there!)

Silent Wings – Raptor Rehab and Education organization will present a program about birds of prey at the Lady Fatima Church Hall in Delanson (behind the high school). Three owls, a hawk, and a falcon will be coming along, so we will be able to see them up close and learn about them. This program is appropriate for all ages. Silent Wings comes highly recommended from local libraries. DLA members are encouraged to bring a friend or family member to join us for the event!

Saturday, June 21st

Duane Lake Association Annual Meeting, 12pm

Be sure to join us for the Annual Duane Lake Picnic & Meeting at the Van Patten Mill Park. It’s a fun and informative get together with the hamburgers, hotdogs and an array of dishes provided by everyone.

Saturday, August 9th 

Annual Rowing Feast - details to follow

Saturday & Sunday, August 22nd & 23rd

Duane Lake Neighborhood Garage Sale - details to follow

Duane Lake Eagle Update

Our resident bald eagles are at it again! We think they mated on or near Lincoln’s birthday although there were no reports from local voyeurs. The Whiteheads are less than robust in their mating dance; internet search results show some wild courtship behaviors. The first sighting of an adult nesting deep in the aerie was February 20th. It is known that eggs are laid about 10 days after mating. Mrs. Whitehead insists on doing the majority of the nesting and often demands fish dinners be delivered. Mr. Whitehead willingly takes the incubation duties when allowed. Incubation is about 35 days. Usually two eggs are laid, one a day or two after the first.

If you have been watching the nest cam from Big Bear Valley, CA, you know that “Jackie” and “Shadow” had 3 eggs hatch, a fairly rare occurrence. (Sadly, on Friday 3/15, only two eaglets were seen. On an early video, one eaglet was seen clearly picking on another. This happens often and we experienced it here in 2021.)

The Whiteheads made Duane Lake their home in 2019 and laid their first egg(s) on April 14, 2020. The eggs were not viable and the adults vacated the nest on Day 35. In 2021, two eaglets hatched on April 12 and one - the first born - survived.

On April 14/15, 2022, two eggs hatched and both eaglets survived. In 2023, hatching began on March 30th and both eaglets survived that year as well.

Last year was devastating as no eggs or chicks were successful. During the incubation period in 2024, two major storms plus extended cold spells may have affected the mortality.

NY DEC suggested that the Avian Flu is increasingly prevalent in the Northeast. H5N1 is most devastating for birds in the Southeast coastal areas, estimated at 90% mortality rate. Our human neighbors wintering in southwest Florida know that the North Ft. Myers bald eagles’ clutch was unsuccessful this year due to this disease.

Talons are crossed for successful Duane Lake hatchlings during the week of March 23rd! Watch for additional feedings and parental protection activity. Also, in past years there have been juvenile baldies terrorizing the family hoping for a free meal. The best sign will be tiny faint “peeping” sounds emanating from the nest. The babies are not in view for a week or so as the walls of the nest are high.

We are a blessed community in many ways including our beloved winged neighbors producing grandchicks for our excitement!

- photos and article courtesy of Karen Connors

And last but certainly not least, a big shout-out to Kim Roberts for re-designing, repairing and improving the door of the Duane Lake sign at the corner of West Duane and North Mansion! Thank you, Kim!

"On Duane Lake, A Battle for Septic Funding"

Click here for the full article

Or continue reading below

'Bogged down in bureaucracy': Upstate lakes struggle for clean water funding

The state's seven year old septic system reimbursement program has proved inaccessible for some lakeside communities upstate.

By Lucy Hodgman,Staff Writer March 15, 2025

Allowing Duane Lake to Enroll in the NYS Septic Replacement Program - Your help is needed!

Things are moving along in the campaign to persuade the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to allow the Duane Lake community to participate in the NY State Septic Replacement Program.

• NBT Bank has expressed a possible willingness to offer supplementary low-interest loans if Duane Lake is admitted into the program, copying a program offered by banks around Lake George.
• At long last Schenectady County applied on our behalf (a requirement) and the County is now formally enrolled as a “participating county.” But DEC still says NO to Duane Lake.
• Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara and State Senator Patricia Fahy are now scheduled to meet on our behalf with interim DEC Commissioner Sean Maher in the next few weeks.
• A reporter and photographer from the Albany Times Union will be here Friday morning, February 28, 11:00 a.m., 1399 West Duane Lake Road, to gather information for a story about the situation.

You can help!

You can help by completing this survey (if you haven’t already; about 30 people already have) so we can more accurately gauge any possible participation in the program. So far, eight Duane Lake homeowners have said they are very likely to participate and another three have said “chances are pretty good.” Five more said “maybe.”

Eight, eleven, or sixteen new septic systems could make a huge difference to Duane Lake water quality. Heck—three or four would be an improvement. (A dozen or more recent analyses of Duane Lake water have found caffeine, so we are very sure there is at least some septic effluent in the lake).

And—most pressing at this moment—you can help by turning out for the Times Union visit to be included in a group photo (showing a committed community) and, if you feel up to it, to answer any questions the reporter might ask.

Your participation in the survey or appearing in a photo does not commit you to participate in the Septic Replacement Program. It does, however, show your support for the program being available to Duane Lake homeowners.

A quick bit of background: The NY State Legislature passed a bill in 2018 that created a water-quality protection program that would reimburse homeowners in designated watersheds who repaired or replaced defective septic systems. Reimbursement would be 50%, up to a maximum reimbursement of $10,000 per system.

The DLA immediately inquired about applying, only to be told—for absurd, flat-out-wrong, and “curious” reasons—Duane Lake was ineligible. Since then, all these made-up reasons for denial have been thoroughly rebutted. Click here to read “The Case for Permitting Enrollment” for a fully detailed explanation.

A big part of the problem has been DEC’s refusal to respond to any further communication from the Duane Lake Association—completing “stonewalling” us for years. So we sought intervention by our elected State Representatives, and even they have been met with silence from DEC—until now.

If you can participate on Friday the 28th, please send an email right away to duanelakeassoc@gmail.com to confirm your participation. Once we hear from you, we’ll send you a link to a Zoom meeting set for this Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. to “get our ducks in a row” before the Times Union folks arrive.

It’s been a long struggle to get this far.

We hope you can support this effort to protect our lake. A strong showing on the 28th will be important!

Your Duane Lake Association Board of Directors

Pat Huff    Norm Stewart    Kathy Hotaling    Chris Miller

Alan Knight    Dirk Felton    Kim Roberts    Ian Colgan    Tom McGrath