Progress, Priorities, and Preservation:
Highlights from the Salem Lakes Annual Meeting
Salem Lakes Preservation Board members grab a little time in front of the lens and under the sun after the 2025 Annual Meeting. Pictured left to right: Ed Wells, Sharon Kelley, Jason Brueck, Dennis Bond, Beckie Eakin, Paul Roy, Jim Sullivan, Ross Ogilvie, Andrea Ogilvie, Tim Votapka.
The Salem Lakes Preservation Association convened its annual meeting on July 19 with a productive and forward-looking agenda centered around financial health, environmental education, and lake management updates (download minutes).
The meeting opened with the Treasurer’s Report from Andrea Ogilvie, which reflected a healthy financial standing thanks to strong member support, annual dues, and several generous donations throughout the year via our Capital Campaign. These funds continue to support vital preservation programs, including aquatic invasive species control and public outreach initiatives.
One of the highlights of the meeting was a presentation by Abraham Ames, an environmental specialist contracted with the Vermont State Department of Environmental Conservation, who introduced the Lake Wise Program. Ames outlined how this science-based initiative helps property owners implement lake-friendly landscaping practices that reduce runoff, protect water quality, and preserve the natural shoreline. His insights offered practical steps residents can take to become more engaged stewards of the lake ecosystem.
According to the Vermont Lake Wise Program map, there are 15 certified properties on Big and Little Salem. We are well on our way toward the Gold Award which requires 15% of our property owners around Big and Little Salem to be certified. Let's do this!
The meeting also recapped what's been going on with the Eurasian Watermilfoil Management Program. Committee members shared findings from the most recent surveys on Big and Little Salem. As previously reported, we gained back the vast majority of the littoral zone that had been overtaken by EWM prior to hitting it with ProcellaCOR in 2023. Recent surveys confirmed the plant had come back in certain areas including the "patch" near the Little Salem inlet (sandbar) at the south end of the lake. This patch is in an area where water current prohibited the herbicide to make effective contact with EWM at the time it was applied. Makes sense.
Secondly, we have discovered healthy infestation in Little Salem now just a little upstream from the public access near the bridge. That's the bad news. The good news is no EWM was spotted on the south end of the pond which indicates we are not receiving any fragments from the Clyde River upstream.
So, What's Next Then?
The Eurasian Water Milfoil Management Committee (EMC) which consists of chairman Ross Ogilvie, Tim Votapka and TJ Jackman are in communication with two of our environmental experts, Arrowwood Environmental and SOLitude Lake Management. Both firms have been highly valuable in developing tactics specifcally tailored to the ecosystems of both Big and Little Salem while remaining compliant with state DEC regulations. The short answer to "what's next" for 2025 is:
Big Salem
- Bottom Barriers over the Patch
- Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH)
- Hand Harvesting
- Thorough Visual Surveying all Season
Little Salem
- DASH not an option due to the intermingling of EWM with native species
- Barriers are a possiblly, though we would need a new DEC permit
- Hand Pulling - possibly
- ProcellaCOR - not possible in 2025, though maybe in 2026 (again new permitting required)e annual meeting served as a strong reminder of the power of community, science, and active involvement in safeguarding the future of Salem Lakes.
Greeter Program Marks 23 Years of Protecting Our Waters
Now in its 23rd year, the Salem Lakes Greeter Program continues to play a vital role in safeguarding the health of our lake by preventing the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species. As one of only 35 lakes and ponds in Vermont (out of nearly 800) to operate a Greeter Program, Salem Lake remains a leader in proactive lake stewardship.
During the 2024 season, greeters inspected 787 boats entering the lake.
These included:
- 418 outboard motorboats
- 111 kayaks
- 108 pontoon boats
- 72 jet skis or wave runners
- 32 inboard motorboats
- 18 wake boats
This level of vigilance comes at a cost of approximately $31,000, funded through a combination of a $22,000 state grant and about $9,000 from the Town of Derby.
The program is staffed by five trained greeters plus a Greeter Coordinator. Coverage runs seven days a week, with daily shifts lasting up to 13 hours on Saturdays, ensuring peak times are well-monitored.
Greeters share a consistent and crucial message with boaters: “Clean. Drain. Dry.”
Boaters are reminded to take special precautions if their vessel was recently in infested waters such as Lake Champlain or Lake Memphremagog, which are known to harbor zebra mussels, spiny water fleas, and other harmful species.
Recommendations include:
Flush motors if the boat was in infested waters within the past 5 days, or allow the vessel to sit 14 days out of water without use.
Wake boats must have ballast tanks flushed with cold water and sit for 5 days, or remain 14 days out of water without flushing.
Vessels that receive a hot water flush at a certified decontamination station are cleared for immediate use. As aquatic invasive species continue to pose a serious threat to Vermont’s waters, the Salem Lakes Greeter Program remains a frontline defense—educating the public, inspecting watercraft, and upholding a strong tradition of environmental protection.
Ed Wells has managed our Greeter Program for the past five years, and at the recent annual meeting he announced his intention to step aside from the role this year. If anyone would like to step up and learn the ropes of this post now's the time to be heard! Please contact Ed directly by email if you have any questions before turning your maybe into a yes.
