Progress is Hard Work

 This week our Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) crew has been busy with a group of professionals who dive and use a suction process to harvest EWM, mainly working in the first (the smallest and most shallow) part of the three bodies of water that make up Joe's Pond. EWM there is really dense - it is an ideal spot for it to thrive.

Jamie (my youngest) was manning the barge (pontoon boat) that follows and serves the divers' needs on Wednesday. He is new to the work crew and told me that even though he was tired at the end of the day, had a bit of sunburn and a few aching joints, he thoroughly enjoyed working with the group and is ready to do it again whenever they need him. They harvested a bumper crop and are making real progress - photo shows Barry's truck with the EWM-filled barrels at the end of the day. From left to right, Jamie Dimick, Scott Burns, and JPA dive coordinator, Jim Bernotas. Barry says the EMW is great for his garden. That's a lot of fertilizer, Barry!

We've had some pretty strange weather so far this summer. We have gone from hot, humid, and hazy to extremely hot and clear, to violent electrical storms with downpours of rain. While the air is noticeably poor at times due to the wildfires in Canada, we haven't experienced the dense smog that has plagued much of the east recently. Here at Joe's Pond we are seldom without a good breeze, and I think that may help to keep the air moving through rather than letting it settle. 

The temperatures have been wild. I've had heat on, used the dry cycle for the humidity on my heat pump, and had the cooling cycle on - all during the same day! There have been several days when it was too hot to be on my screened porch during the daytime but too cool as soon as the sun went down in the evening. Last night I was concerned for my plants on the porch - the temperature was 51F when I went to bed around 11. I don't know what the overnight low was - I forgot to look this morning. Sometimes it's best not to know. The plants will survive just fine, but they don't like when it's in the low 50's or 40s. Today is cool (61F), overcast, and looks like it could rain any minute - and if it does, hopefully that will cleanse the air a bit.

I remember smelling forest fire smoke when I was growing up on Cabot Plain. We could smell the acrid smoke in the air, and sometimes it was very strong. The sun might get a bit hazy, but nothing like we are experiencing now. It seems to me it usually lasted a day or so but mostly we had clear, sunny days with some violent thunder storms with lots of lightning and thunder. There was often some wind with those storms, but not the tornado-like storms we get now. There was an occasional hail storm, but our biggest fear was the lightning. Being at the highest point around, our farm took many hits. Almost every summer the electric fence controller got blown up and had to be replaced. My grandfather refused to have lightning rods installed on any of his farm buildings. Most of our neighbors had them - like the barn in the photo at the left. My grandfather said they did more harm than good. Several of our neighbors lost their barns from lightning strikes, but I don't know if those had lightning rods. 

Our farm house was struck a few times, starting little fires that were quickly extinguished, coming in on the telephone and making it ring, or sometimes damaging electrical appliances. Nobody went near windows, the sink, stove, or telephone during an electrical storm. We huddled in the parlor where the only "conductor" was the old wood stove, and were not allowed to sit near that. No wonder I was dreadfully afraid of thunderstorms even as a young adult. I gradually overcame most of my fears because I didn't want my sons to be afraid. However, I have always maintained a deep respect for nature's fury and when there's thunder, I immediately "get out of the kitchen!" You won't find me on a telephone, either. Or on my computer. Or near a window. So, okay, I admit that I'm still really nervous during thunder storms. 

Stay safe, enjoy what's left of summer! 

 

Pretty Day and a Message from Peter!

 We have pretty nice, less humid, but still a bit smokey weather here today. The expected storm last night never materialized here at Joe's Pond. Everyone was well prepared - the road crew in Cabot had been out cutting ditches along the sloping roads to run water off and clearing culverts; I moved loose things inside from my porch and lawn and I was prepared for wind, hail, and torrents of rain, but this morning I measured a mere .14 in. in my gauge. Hardly enough to settle the dust. Whew!

The milfoil crew has been working diligently locating and destroying the miserable invasive plant. There are divers, the supporting crew with kayakers, all working in tandem and they are covering a lot of territory. Part of the process as the plants are pulled from under water is making sure no fragments are left floating from the area. People in kayaks are watching for those and scooping them up.

Peter Crosby sent me this message yesterday:  Paige has placed a box of strainers  with float handles at the pavilion and on our back porch for anyone who would like one. They are handy scooping fragments from the water.
Thanks so much. --Peter  

Thanks to everyone for pitching in and helping wherever and whenever you can. It is amazing how many people have turned out to join the effort to rid our lake of milfoil. In the process, people are making new friends and even though it is labor-intensive, they are enjoying it and making a difference. The more the merrier - so get in touch with Barry, Joe, Jamie, or anyone on the team if you'd like to get involved. They'll be happy to have your help. 

Milfoil Update and Other News

 I'll start off with the Milfoil Update - please read the whole message. The battle to overcome Eurasian watermilfoil is far from over and it will take your cooperation if we are going to be able to  control it or eventually be rid of it.

 Subject: Milfoil Update

We are continuing to discover more Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) plants along and near the inlet channel.
Several harvesting operations have been conducted there. Warning signs have been placed to divert boat traffic away.

This is considered an extremely high priority infestation area for these reasons:

1.  Fragmentation of plants here are likely to re-infest the Sandy Beach and Channel Drive/Islands areas in which extensive efforts and investments were made in 2025 to eradicate dense stands of EWM in these locations.
2.  The entire Third Pond littoral zone is vulnerable and susceptible to infestation from the inlet channel source.

The Joe’s Pond Association will be implementing these measures:
1.  Lakeshore Coordinators will be monitoring the inlet channel area closely and marking any EWM found.
2.  The JPA Harvesting Team will pull plants as soon as possible following discovery.
3.  The JPA advises that all watercraft including paddlers should strictly avoid entering the inlet channel area upstream of the warning signs or near any orange marker buoys.

The JPA cannot emphasize enough how much of a hazard for EWM re-infestation and proliferation is posed by this outbreak at this location. Increased flow rates alone, such as occurred last Thursday evening [torrential rain storm], can fragment and transport EWM down into the lake. However, our current knowledge indicates there are a limited number of EWM plants here such that we feel the potential for eradication of this outbreak is achievable if we all do our part.

Thank you.

For the Joe’s Pond Association
Joe Hebert, President
Barry Cahoon, EWM Management Coordinator

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This is an uphill battle, but the EWM Management Team is working hard to keep ahead of the infestation. There is no controlling the weather, but we can all do our part to support the team's efforts by staying away from the channel and all marked trouble spots.

 

I learned this weekend that a long-time former Joe's Ponder, George Karnedy (West Shore Road) passed away recently. George loved Joe's Pond and served as president of JPA in 1985. He also initiated a Fishing Derby in 1982 that was fun for a few years. George was an avid fisherman and hunter. He came to camp every November for deer hunting, and loved roaming the hillsides nearby, searching for a buck. He sold his cottage to the Geers in about 2003, and although he has been gone from Joe's Pond for many years, those here who knew him will be saddened to learn of his passing.

 

The National Weather Service is advising that tomorrow, Tuesday, July 14th, will be extremely hot and by the end of the day we can expect severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and strong winds. This can be a damaging combination, so be prepared. Take measures to stay cool during the heat of the day, but also be sure water toys, lawn decorations or furniture are secure or inside by evening when stormy weather is expected. There could be power outages from downed trees or lightning strikes. 

 

Some of you will remember the micro-burst that hit in 2012 - this is the Chase cottage. There was extensive damage on the east shore of the pond during that storm. I believe that was considered a "straight-line" wind storm. According to the weather people, a micro-burst is more concentrated and can have winds of 100 mph - like a tornado. With weather patterns changing radically everywhere, we need to heed warnings and take precautions as best we can. Stay safe.

Violent Weather!

 We had a very hard storm sweep through our area last night. There was torrential rain, strong wind, and a few sharp cracks of lightning and thunder. It didn't last very long, and we didn't get the hail or mini-tornado winds that some nearby communities got, but I'm sure there were broken tree limbs and maybe some trees uprooted locally. I really thought some of my big old trees might come down on my lower lawn, but as far as I know, there was no damage. I did have a lot of water coming off of my roof next to the porch. I watched for a while as it beat down on the patio, but the wind was constantly changing and I was getting sprayed with water, so I finally retreated to the house. This morning everything looks normal and my pond is back up after being about six inches below normal!

I want to remind folks about the Italian Dinner at the Joe's Pond Pavilion this Saturday - it is always a great meal, so if you don't already have tickets, get in touch with Jeremy or Lori Grenier, 802-505-0032, to see if they still have tickets available.

Also, if you are up for chicken BBQ, the Cabot United Church has dinners available by donation on Saturday, starting at 5:30. Their meals are always very good. This is a takeout meal - or you can eat on the common where there are usually tables available. I enjoy getting takouts. 

Then, mark your calendar for July 26th - and visit North Danville's Old Home Day evening event featuring Howard Coffin. See poster - Howard's presentations are always great. He is a powerful speaker and is an authority on the Civil War as it pertained to Vermont. I have heard this presentation and it is very interesting. You won't be disappointed.

So much to do, so little good weather to do it in! 

We are expecting an unusually nice weekend, but getting all that rain last night (I measured 2.27 inches) in such a short period of time - and so close to the infamous July 10th date of disastrous storms that hit Cabot Village two years in a row - did sort of rattle my nerves a bit. I haven't heard, but I'm betting that all the work accomplished in the village to prevent flooding again paid off. The babbling brooks that come off the hillsides into the Winooski in Cabot can become raging, powerful tools of disaster in mere minutes when there is heavy rainfall like last night. We can only hope the measure to mitigate damage worked. The ground was dry, which might have helped some, but rain that heavy isn't absorbed quickly enough, so there's bound to be serious runoff.

Take care - summer storms may not be as serious here as in other parts of the country, but we still need to be cautious. Stay safe and enjoy the nice weather while it's here!
 

More Things to Do!

 I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth. We were fortunate that the weather was actually pretty nice the whole weekend. Fortunately, it cooled down a bit for the Fourth - that heat last week was pretty intense!

It was a busy weekend, and I'm just getting to my emails. I found this message about a very interesting series of classes at the Joe's Pond pavilion - starting today!!! It's too late to go to the class today, but there are two more classes, so get things together and plan to be there next Monday at 10. 

Art with Andrea

This July, I am excited to offer an adult art class held at the Joe’s Pond Pavilion on Mondays from 10–11am. 

Students are asked to bring their own sketchbook and preferred drawing tools. Each session will introduce a specific technique that builds from week to week, supporting both skill development and personal artistic exploration.

Class dates: July 6, 13, 20. The class fee is $10. 

If you would like to RSVP or simply reach out with questions, email me at andrea.aimi@gmail.com 

                                                                

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And here's a reminder about the Paint & Sip Afternoon coming up!

Who knows, perhaps there's a hidden "art colony" here at Joe's Pond that is emerging. Participants last year reported it was great fun. Susan told me that Cabot Creamery is donating the cheese again this year to munch as you sip wine or flavored seltzer water. Can't beat that! Do let Susan know you will be there as they need to order the supplies. Information is on the poster - click to enlarge. Have fun!

 Then this morning I noticed  another local festivity that you may want to go to. This is at Harvey Lake in Barnet - it will be sort of an Old Home Day and 250th Celebration on July 18th.  It looks like a fun event, something for everyone - an all-day event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Announcements

To the Members of the Joe's Pond Association:

As are many of you, the JPA is looking forward to celebrating the Independence Day holiday, this being a special one: the 250^th anniversary of America's declaration of independence.

This message is a reminder to those who plan to go out on the lake on Friday evening 07/03 to view the fireworks, that numerous plants and patches of invasive Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) have been confirmed in the Second (middle) Pond.  These plants have exhibited surprisingly robust growth through this past spring and now early summer such that some plants have already grown near and even reached the water surface.

It is in this condition that EWM becomes extremely vulnerable to fragmentation by watercraft activity.  Fragmentation is the primary vector of EWM proliferation and spread to other parts of the lake; either drifting by wind and current or direct transport on watercraft.

Mike & Sue Yesalonia and Michelle Parker and Larry Rossi, JPA Lakeshore Coordinators for lakeshore sections B & C, have recently conducted surveys in an attempt to identify any additional established EWM in the Second Pond.  Jim Bernotas, leader of the JPA EWM Harvesting Team will have pulled as many plants as possible in the Second Pond prior to the fireworks event.  However, as always, there will undoubtedly be remaining plants either not found or not harvested.

If you do go out on the water to view the fireworks, please consider not entering the Second Pond.  The fireworks should be fully visible from the lower end of the Third Pond above (upstream of) the Upper Narrows.  If, for whatever reason, it is essential that you enter the Second Pond, stay within the navigation channel delineated by the yellow marker buoys.  Another good reason not to enter the Second Pond is that it would not be desirable at all if a marker buoy anchor rope were to become entangled in a boat prop. The buoys won't be all that visible at night.

The JPA expended tremendous efforts and financial investment in 2025 in an attempt to eradicate EWM from the Third Pond.  These commitments were largely successful.  So far in 2026 we have found EWM in the Third Pond only in a small area adjacent to the inlet channel where, in response, hand pulling operations have recently been conducted.

Every JPA member has a responsibility to help protect these gains accomplished through our EWM management operations both last year and this year.  Please do your part during this 250th Independence Day celebration (and after) to avoid jeopardizing everything we achieved in 2025.

Let's work together to keep the known major EWM infestations in the First and Second Ponds from spreading back up to the Third; so that our limited resources can be focused in 2026 on the lower two ponds and so that full eradication of EWM from all of Joe's Pond remains potentially within our reach.

Thank you for your help.

For the Joe's Pond Association

Joe Hebert, President

Barry Cahoon, Eurasian Watermilfoil Management Coordinator

 

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Please join us for the 2nd Annual Paint & Sip event at Joe’s Pond!

Come unwind, paint, and enjoy an afternoon filled with laughter, creativity, and good company. My daughter-in-law—a high school art teacher who regularly hosts these events—will be leading us again this year.

Event Details:

• When: Monday, July 27, from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

• Where: JPA Pavilion

• Cost: $50 (Includes all painting supplies, wine, cheese, crackers, and seltzer)

Special Shopping Table: In addition to painting, we will have some beautiful, donated items for sale:

• Jane Brown: Handcrafted earrings – $4 each or 3 for $10

• Jules Chatot: Framed watercolor sketches of Joe's Pond scenes – $40 each

Supporting a Great Cause: All proceeds from the ticket sales and shopping table will go directly toward our ongoing efforts to fight milfoil at Joe’s Pond.

RSVP: Seating is limited and we need to order supplies, so please let me know as soon as possible if you plan to attend. I will be at the JPA meeting [Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m.] 

so I will be able to sign you up.  Feel free to bring a friend!

Thank you, and I hope to see you there!

Susan Bouchard

978-590-9342

chatotbouchard@icloud.com

Important Information

 The following is from JPA secretary Jamie Stewart: (Thank you, Jamie - this is very helpful.)

In a blog this past week you had a question on what was going on with the harvesting on Joe's Pond of the Eurasian Water Milfoil.  I would like to direct you to:  https://www.joespondvermont.com/ewm-committee-meeting-minutes.html

     I encourage all of your readers to keep up with the JPA website and the meeting minutes which should answer a lot of the questions.  The milfoil committee is determined to be as open and communicative as possible.  Below is an explanation of our rationale with respect to harvesting for 2026.  We do not want to wear out our divers and snorkelers.  The below is within the 6/9 milfoil meeting minutes:

2026 EWM Harvesting Plan & Priorities - Below is the draft plan by Barry that was discussed:
 In recognition that the pond is taking its sweet time warming up this spring, it is anticipated that EWM growth will also lag a bit and may not become easily observable until mid-late June at which time the harvesting team’s efficiency would be enhanced.  Therefore, it is likely the Harvesting Team may not be mobilized until the 3rd or 4th week of June.
It is important to consider conserving the team members’ energy level and commitment over a long season.  If we shorten it up by a few weeks on the front end, we might be able to better maintain our participation and effectiveness later. The DASH work by VTHozers should be focused on the 1st and 2nd ponds scheduled for July 13-17 (unless the June aquatic vegetation survey by AE reveals unanticipated growth in the 3rd pond.
Prior to July 13-17, we may choose to mobilize the harvesting team only if we are seeing EWM (on the 1st and 2nd ponds) approaching the surface where it is most vulnerable to boat-induced fragmentation or in close proximity to a dock.  The marked navigation channel and the warning signs should provide some level of protection here and this becomes another measure to conserve our limited harvesting resources.  If it can be left to the DASH operation with minimal risk, we should consider it.
If EWM growth is observed in the 3rd pond at any time (including early June) the harvesting team's priority will be to hand pull those areas as soon as they can be visited.
 

The main concern about our dive teams is burnout.  We need to wait until the plants are more visible.  If we find plants in the 3rd pond we need to get them fast.  We will have DASH concentrate in the First and Second pond.  If we do find plants in the littoral zone, we could let it go until the DASH team arrives.  In any event, we need to wait for next week’s survey.  Jim Bernotas wants to do an exploratory dive 2 weeks before DASH.  This would not be a full-blown harvest day.   He wants to get in a reconnaissance dive prior to the Fireworks when we can expect boats to crowd into the 2nd pond and not stay out of the littoral zone.  Discussion then occurred about benthic barriers.*  They will likely be used in the second pond but not the first pond.  These barriers will be staged on Jim Bernotas’ lawn.  We are not to cut the rebar.  Leave them at 20-foot length.  Lake Eden has extra barriers for our use, and we need to pick them up.

 

As an update:  Harvesting has happened in the upstream area of the inlet channel.  This is upstream of the 2025 treatment area.  Fully grown plants were at the top of the water and beginning to mat over.  There are orange buoys up there to be geolocated and 2 warning signs placed there to keep people out.  Kayakers are the hazard here.  Their paddles will fragment the plant.  This will be very difficult for the kayakers to stay away from that area as it is so  beautiful to kayak in.  

Hope this helps and please encourage your readers to stay away from the channel area, stay within the navigable water way delineated by the yellow buoys in the middle pond, and stay completely out of the 1st pond.  Many thanks.

Jamie

 

* Benthic barriers (often called lake blankets, bottom screens, or weed mats) are physical sheets or screens placed directly on the bottom of lakes, ponds, or rivers to suppress the growth of aquatic plants. They act as an underwater "sunblock," depriving plants of light and physically pinning them down. 

 

 

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I thank Jamie for this information and add a note to remind readers that the dive teams  work very hard and continuously, and they will appreciate any help you can give them. If you are interested in diving - GREAT! They will train you in the procedure being used; but if you aren't a diver, there are a variety of  supporting teams that can use your help. Just ask what you can do. They are a dedicated and serious but fun-loving group, and I'm sure you will enjoy being part of this important work. Even if you are here for only a short period of time but want to help - get in touch with Barry Cahoon or Jim Bernotas. 

 

Barry: bear817@hotmail.com, or 802-748-5333.

Jim: 802-684-1205, or 413-665-5044