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"




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

Casella Waste collection delay

February 18th, 2025
Casella Waste broadcasted a text message this morning which reads:

(Casella Waste) We are collecting on a day delay this week.  Please have your containers out Thursday for collection.  Thank you


Please plan accordingly.


Raptor Day...Found...Free Water Testing

Save the Date!
RAPTOR DAY - SATURDAY, APRIL 26TH, 1:30 P.M. AT THE LADY FATIMA CHURCH HALL IN DELANSON - Thank you to all that responded to the Raptor Day Survey. 

The DLA is looking forward to the Silent Wings event! 

It's going to be a HOOT!
(Silent Wings – Raptor Rehab and Education) will present a program about birds of prey on Saturday, April 26th. 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! 


Lost & Found
(update: owner has claimed the lost collar)
A purple dog collar (with some white dog hair clinging to it) that was mixed in with the returnable bottles and cans two weeks ago. If this is your furry friend's collar, please reach out to Pat Huff to retrieve it. You can reach Pat at pathuff1@hotmail.com.


Free Water Testing
Duane Lake Homeowners - Schenectady County Offers a Free Annual Drinking Water Test

If you have a well or use a treatment system for Duane Lake water, Schenectady County offers a free analysis of coliform bacteria. Water sample bottles (with instructions) can be picked up and then returned at the Environmental Health office at 107 Nott Terrace ste 300 – (518) 386-2818. The County recommends that potable water, whether from a well or the lake, should be tested at least once a year for bacteria and every 3-5 years for other contaminants.

Water sample bottles and water analysis forms must be picked up at the Environmental Health Division Office, 107 Nott Terrace, Suite 300, Schenectady, NY 12308 between 8:30am and 4:30pm Monday through Friday except for Schenectady County’s Holidays.

Water samples WILL ONLY be accepted on Thursdays. Samples should be taken on Thursday between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm and submitted to Suite 300 of the Schaffer Heights Building at 107 Nott Terrace prior to 3:00pm on that same day. Samples collected more than 30 hours before reaching the lab are not valid, therefore there may be times that homeowners will have to resample if the 30-hour limit is exceeded.

Procedure for taking potable water samples for bacteriological testing:
  1. On a potable water tap (usually a kitchen or bathroom cold water tap), remove the anti-splash screen from the faucet if possible, and let cold water run for approx. 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. Open the sealed sample bottle, making sure not to touch the inside of the bottle or the cap.
  3. Do NOT rinse out the bottle. (Certain bottles may contain a visible or nonvisible preservative)
  4. Slow down the water flow to eliminate splashing and fill the bottle to the 110 ML (milliliter) line.
  5. Do NOT over-fill the bottle and pour it out.
  6. Samples with LESS than 100ml will not be accepted.
  7. Securely seal the bottle, and record the name, date, and time the sample was taken on the bottle.
  8. Fill out highlighted areas on the “Chain of Custody Form” and return it to the Schenectady County Public Health Services, Suite 300.
Contact the Schenectady County Public Health Services Environmental Health Division at (518) 386-2818 with any questions regarding the proper collection of the water sample.

Roving Feast 2025...A BIG Thank You!

A big thank you to the hosts and to everyone else who brought a dish to the Roving Feast on Saturday, January 25th. We had a great time catching-up with everyone, meeting some new faces and some faces we just had not seen in a while - and as usual - eating too much! 

The hosts did a wonderful job setting up and really putting on a generous spread.     

Thanks again everyone!

    


Pat Huff    Chris Miller     Norm Stewart     Kathy Hotaling    

Alan Knight     Kim Roberts    Dirk Felton     Ian Colgan    Tom McGrath