Shadow Lake clean water week July 29 to August 4

In honor of the statewide Clean Water Week celebration of all Vermont water bodies and the tremendous effort of communities, individuals, businesses, and organizations working to protect and restore clean water, the Shadow Lake Association (SLA) is participating throughout the week of July 29 to August 4, by welcoming the public to join clean water initiatives and to visit the SLA and town of Glover’s free boat wash station open for the summer seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the state fishing access. The boat wash is Vermont’s first state-authorized watercraft inspection and decontamination station. Through the Public Access Greeter Program, the dedicated greeter staff will be providing clean water educational materials and teaching how to carefully inspect all types of watercraft as well as demonstrating proper decontamination procedures that help to intercept and prevent the transport and spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). Once AIS are introduced to a water body, they can rapidly spread to ruin a lake environment and its water quality. The majority of AIS management in Vermont is borne by local entities, which dedicate considerable resources annually to try and manage them. Once established, it’s virtually impossible to eradicate AIS.

The transport of all aquatic plants, plant parts, invasive or not, or aquatic invasive animal species (i.e. zebra mussels, spiny water flea) to or from any Vermont surface water is illegal. As of June 8, 2017, Act 67 established mandatory watercraft inspections for all vessels entering or leaving a state water body and if identified for decontamination be washed when a Vermont authorized boat wash station is present, open, and staffed. Boaters’ failure to comply with any of the Act 67 regulations are in violation of the law and boaters can be fined. Any nuisance or invasive plant and animal, no matter how small, has the potential to root or multiply and do irreparable harm to Vermont’s lakes, ponds, wetlands, rivers, and streams. Please support the Shadow Lake Association’s lake preservation programs and visit the boat wash revered by many as the “Gold Standard” for Vermont boat washes.

For more information about Shadow Lake, lake preservation programs, and clean water stewardship, please visit: www.shadowlakeassociation.org. –– from the Shadow Lake Association.