FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2015

CHAMCOOK WATERSHED LANDOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION HOLDS SECOND KAYAK RAFFLE

BAYSIDE – The Chamcook Watershed Landowners’ Association (CWLA) is  launching its second annual kayak raffle. The 10 feet long Sit-in Summit 100X kayak, complete with an adult boater PFD vest and an aluminum 84" kayak paddle could be yours!

The tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10 and are available at the Home Hardware in St. Andrews as well as from CWLA Board Members. Drop by and get a look at the kayak.

Tickets will be on sale starting June 24. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to be a proud owner of this super kayak and support the activities of the Chamcook Watershed Landowners’ Association at the same time.

The winning ticket will be drawn on Saturday, July 18th, 2015 at the close of our upcoming Annual General Meeting to be held again this year at the Wild Salmon Nature Centre in Chamcook, NB.

You do not need to be a member of the association to participate, but if you live within the boundary of the Chamcook Watershed or have a summer residence on any one of the six lakes, Gibson, Welch, Limeburner, Little Chamcook, Big Chamcook or Snowshoe and want to become a member, please contact us or visit our web site; www.chamcookwatershed.org and download a membership application. CWLA membership dues are only $20 a year.

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For more information please contact CWLA Chairperson Donna Muir at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 529-3788

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 LINK to PDF file:

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -  July 21, 2014

CHAMCOOK WATERSHED LANDOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION HOLDS SUCCESSFUL AGM

BAYSIDE – The Chamcook Watershed Landowners’ Association (CWLA) held a well-attended information session as part of its annual general meeting on Saturday, July 19^th at the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s Wild Salmon Nature Center in Chamcook. Over sixty people - both members and interested people attended the morning information session which featured Richard Wilber providing a story about what has happened at Chamcook Lake over time. He talked about the early years, about the small business that emerged over time and about the profitable ice cutting business which operated on the frozen winter lake. It was interesting to watch the video which clearly depicted the cutting and the eventual handling aboard the CPR rail car which transported the ice to St. Andrews and other locations.

Board member, Dr. Brain Glebe provided a visual presentation on an overview of cyanobacteria blooms on Chamcook Lake, include their biology, the threats they pose, and possible solutions. Since 2009-10, the lake has been experiencing the blue-green algae blooms and while not the only lake in New Brunswick to do so, it is of concern because of any possible threat to the municipal drinking water for the Town of St.Andrews and other users. More scientific investigation will need to be done to monitor the algae. It was interesting to see the lake and its sister lakes in the watershed from an aerial perspective provided by Bayside resident, Tim Foulkes captured on a recent flight over the watershed.

The Chamcook Watershed Landowners Association is now actively participating in a Volunteer Lake Monitoring Initiative led by our board members. Several volunteers are measuring water flows at various sites around the watershed and collecting information on wind direction and precipitation. It is hoped that the collection of this information will augment previous work done by biologist, Steve Tinker with ASF and will ultimately help in the determination of a water balance for the watershed and principally for Chamcook Lake, the largest of the six lakes in the watershed.

Also presenting at the meeting on Saturday was J. Schroer, President of NATECH Environmental Services, Inc. of Fredericton, a progressive consulting engineering firm based in Atlantic Canada which specializes in protecting the environment from wastewater discharges. He spoke of the ways in which septic systems could be upgraded to be environmentally favourable.

The afternoon session following the well-attended B-B-Q and an opportunity to visit the mini trade show featuring NATECH as well as AERUS from Saint John,dealers in ecofriendly home water purification systems, gave the members the opportunity to catch up on the activities of the Board during the past year.

It is still not too late to become a member. If you live within the boundary of the Chamcook Watershed or have a summer residence on any one of the six lakes, Gibson, Welch, Limeburner, Little Chamcook, Big Chamcook or Snowshoe and want to become a member, please contact us or visit our web site; www.chamcookwatershed.org and download a membership application. Our membership dues are only $20 a year.

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For more information please contact CWLA Chairperson Donna Muir at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 529-3788

Annual General Meeting was held on 19th July 2014 -

You can download the AGM Report here in PDF file format.

Letter to Members from Science & Education Committee - July 2014

Greetings,

I am writing from the Science and Education Committee of the Chamcook Watershed Landowners’ Association (CWLA). This summer, the Committee is excited to be undertaking its first full season of volunteer monitoring in the Chamcook Watershed. We are writing today to advise you of the monitoring that we plan to conduct, and also to seek your help in completing it. The Committee is taking on two monitoring projects, and volunteers are welcome to help with one or both.

Project #1 - Flow monitoring in the watershed

The objective of this project is to measure water flow across the Chamcook Watershed from late spring to early fall.

It is during this period that water withdrawal from the system is at its maximum. In 2013, engineers from Stantec Consulting began the work of creating an accurate water budget for the Chamcook Watershed using existing data. The model they created accounts for all incoming and outgoing water to the system, but it is only as strong as the data used to create it.

The model will improve as the amount of data increases, and it is the opinion of the Stantec engineers that the most important activity to improve the model is the collection of water flows throughout the system. CWLA believes that an accurate water budget is crucial to the successful management of the watershed and will be visiting seven sites throughout the watershed every week to monitor the water flow.

As a volunteer you will be provided with training on how to use the flow meter, which is a simple piece of equipment. You will be assigned a time and place to collect measuremen

ts according to your availability and location, and given access to the project’s database, where you will upload the data you collect. Monitoring can be done in groups or by individuals and there are plenty of opportunities to contribute at any of the seven monitoring sites:

• Snowshoe Lake Outflow

• Welch Lake Outflow

• Gibson Lake Outflow

• Gibson Railbed Outflow

• Little Chamcook Outflow

• Chamcook Lake Outflow

• Ducks Unlimited Marsh Outflow

Project #2 - Dockside monitoring of aquatic life and conditions

Thanks to the support of the Fundy Community Foundation, the CWLA will be purchasing underwater lights and small data loggers to be installed on docks around the watershed. These lights will illuminate the water and the things living in it. It will help residents better understand the rich communities of life that the lake supports, and also provide a warning if cyanobacteria populations increase.

As a volunteer in this project you will be provided with an underwater light and small temperature logger. You will be asked to install these on the end of your dock and make a weekly record of cyanobacteria abundance based on a simple scale of:

• not present

• small amount

• large amount

• complete cover

Chamcook Watershed Seminar and BBQ

Please join us on July 19^th at the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s Wild Salmon Nature Center in Chamcook as we celebrate the Chamcook Watershed. You can download the entire schedule here in PDF file format.

If you have any questions about the Committee’s work or would like to volunteer to take part in either of our projects, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or any Director of the CWLA.

Warmest regards,

Brian Glebe, 

Chairperson - 

CWLA Science and Education Committee

340 Chamcook #3, Bayside, NB   E5B 2X7

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

529-3951

 NEWS RELEASE:   May 20, 2014

CHAMCOOK WATERSHED LANDOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES 2_ND ANNUAL KAYAK RAFFLE

CHAMCOOK – The Chamcook Watershed Landowners’ Association (CWLA) would like to announce the launch of its 2^nd annual kayak raffle. The prize is a 15’ sit-inside Summit 100X Kayak with a retail value of $499. The tickets are $5 each, and can be purchased at St. Andrews Home Hardware.

The winning ticket will be selected during the organization’s annual general meeting, held at the Atlantic Salmon Federation on Saturday,  July 19^th.

All proceeds from the raffle will support volunteer environmental monitoring in the Chamcook Watershed.

This summer, volunteers from the CWLA will monitor the water flow between the watershed’s five lakes, the water quality in the lakes, and the abundance of cyanobacteria. Proceeds from the kayak raffle will be used to purchase the necessary equipment, ensure volunteers have the proper training, and to pay for laboratory analysis.

The kayak raffle would not be possible without the generous support of St. Andrews Home Hardware. The CWLA would also like to thank the Atlantic Salmon Federation and Eastern Charlotte Waterways for assisting with the volunteer monitoring of the Chamcook Watershed and Fundy Community Foundation for providing financial support toward the project.

The St. Andrews Home Hardware is open Monday – Saturday from 8am to 5:30pm at 189 Water Street in St. Andrews.

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For more information please contact Sandra Thurber at 529-4976 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Notes to Editors:

Established in 2012, the Chamcook Watershed Landowners’ Association is led by a volunteer Board of Directors representing a membership of landowners in the Chamcook Watershed. The organization is committed to the health of the watershed, and was formed to ensure that landowners have a voice in the responsible management of the area.

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Shining the light on CWLA - Update January 31st, 2013

Here are a few things we want to share about the busy bees of CWLA Inc.(CWLA). Although this meeting wasn’t an official meeting (no quorum) there was still lots to discuss and share.

• The members were surveyed at the December meeting to identify the priority areas for the Chamcook Watershed. The top three priorities were:

1. Water Quality

2. Dam and Recreation both ranked 2nd

3. Networking and Advocacy both ranked 3^rd

• A summary of the CWLA Inc. Environmental Trust Fund application will be posted on the website.

• All members are encouraged to use the website to provide feedback.

• Pat will draft a letter to the Minister of Environment requesting the scientific data to support the current regulations for the watershed. The information will be used to inform landowners.

• The 2^nd Annual ECW Lakes Conference: Julia Carpenter (Secretary, CWLA) made a presentation outlining her research on Volunteer Monitoring Programs (VMP) for lakes.  It was an excellent presentation which highlighted similar initiatives in widely disparate regions, and included recommendations for a VMP in NB.

• Pat, Donna, Richard and Donald attended and participated in the 2^nd Annual NB Lakes Conference. Everyone found this very educational and worthwhile. A steering committee exists to form a New Brunswick Alliance of Lake Associations. Rick will represent the CWLA on the steering committee.

• Emma of Eastern Charlotte Waterways is conducting research on the watershed and will interview Donne, Pat, Rick and Sandy .

• CWLA Inc. is building partnerships with other stakeholders to grow membership.

Next Board Meeting: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 6:30 PM Town Hall St. Andrews

Report Submitted by Sandy T.

Letter to CWLA Inc.  Members from Chairperson Pat Mowatt   -  January 2013

Dear CWLA Member,

The Chamcook Watershed Landowners' Association would like to take a moment to advise you, the Membership, of our activities since the Charter Meeting in July 2012.

We have had many items on our agendas, but first and foremost was the structuring of our Association so that it may function as intended. A brief explanation of the process is provided so that you will have an idea of what has taken place.

First, it is important to understand that the Association Board is comprised of volunteers: those who sit on the Board do so as representatives from one of the six lakes in the Watershed, or as a landowner of property within the designated area which is not adjacent to a watercourse.

 

The Directors and their affiliations are as follows:

Jamie Carpenter - Chamcook Lake

Julia Carpenter - Little Chamcook Lake

Tom Clark - Chamcook Lake

Todd Elsemere - Chamcook Lake

Lezlie Leblanc - Director at Large

Daniel McBride - Non-adjacent Landowner

Rick MacMillan - Director at Large

Andrew Moffitt - Limeburner Lake

Pat Mowatt - Director at Large

Donna Muir - Non-adjacent Landowner

Richard Tarn – Director at Large                            

Sandy Thurber - Welsh & Snowshoe Lakes

Donne Smith - Gibson Lake

David Wildish - Non-adjacent Landowner

Stan Choptiany (ex-officio), Mayor, Town of St. Andrews

Donald Killorn, Executive Director, Eastern Charlotte Waterways

 

There are four executive officers with the following designations:

Chairperson - Pat Mowatt

Vice-Chairperson - Rick MacMillan

Secretary - Julia Carpenter

Treasurer - Donne Smith

This may seem to be a large number of people to be involved in a volunteer organization, and it is- following the examples of successful Lake Associations from all over North America, the CWLA has structured itself in such a way as to represent landowners as equitably as possible.

It was recognized early on that successful Lake (or Watershed) Associations must follow certain structural formalities to function in their primary role: that of advocacy for their membership.

The CWLA is now officially incorporated as an "Entity" in the Province of New Brunswick, operates under its own incorporated bylaws, and maintains a bank account and mailing address.

The CWLA Board is currently focused on developing specific elements of our advocacy role.

To accomplish this, we have formed three subcommittees to work in various areas:

 

Web Site Committee - Strategy for communicating with members of the association.

Tom Clark, Julia Carpenter, Rick MacMillan, Sandy Thurber, Donald Killorn

 

Issues and Solutions Committee - Identify current issues & solutions / action plans.

Pat Mowatt, David Wildish, Donne Smith, Tom Clark, Donna Muir, Jamie Carpenter, Lezlie Leblanc, Richard Tarn, Stan Choptiany (liaison)

 

Membership & Fundraising Committee Committee responsible for building membership, investigating options pertaining to fundraising, and grant writing.

Donne Smith, Leslie Leblanc, Sandy Thurber, Donald Killorn

  

Since the Charter meeting in July of 2012, the bulk of the work accomplished by the CWLA has been in assembling the structure and becoming a legally Incorporated organisation (as outlined above). We feel is an encouraging start, given that the CWLA Board meets only once per month.

 

A brief outline of the work done (and ongoing) within the individual committees follows:

 

Web Site Committee Progress:

This component is essential in engaging a growing membership, and much work has been done (a big thanks to Tom Clark, who is wintering in Ireland, and attends our Board Meetings via Skype, in spite of the four-hour time differential). There is a mechanics to building a website and database; and both are essential to the long-term success of our organization. The database, which will include the email addresses for the entire membership, will be used for mail-outs, it is by using this tool that you have received this message. You can visit the CWLA web site at www.chamcookwatershed.org

 

Issues and Solutions Committee Progress:

This is a working group of individuals who have been discussing ongoing concerns, both of the Membership of the CWLA, and the other stakeholders. These issues include, but are not limited to:

• landowners' concerns with regulations of the Watershed Protection Program

• lake water levels,

• recreation,

• the blue green algae issue

 

 

Membership and Fundraising Committee Progress:

The Membership and Fundraising Committee (M&F Committee) is responsible for building membership and grant writing.

 

The committee appointed Lezlie Leblanc and Sandy Thurber as Co-chairs

It was decided to leave the Membership and Fundraising Committee as one committee for now. However, the work involved may require two separate committees at some point in time.

Donald Killorn, Eastern Charlotte Waterways advised the committee of an opportunity for funding through the Environmental Trust Fund for a project to conduct a historical review of the Chamcook Watershed. ECW has developed the application with input from the M&F Committee and the CWLA, Inc., board, and the application has been submitted. An application pertaining to this project will also be submitted in the spring to the Fundy Community Foundation.

The project has been designed in concert with the Town of St. Andrews and Eastern Charlotte Waterways, each of whom are also submitting proposals based in the Chamcook Watershed. Those proposals include environmental monitoring supplemental to what is currently done by the province, and the development of a hydrological model for the watershed, or a "water budget", both identified as priority areas.

The committee discussed the possibility of hosting a social event in January, and another event during the summer in an effort to create awareness, participation and encourage membership.

The Membership & Fundraising Committee welcomes your participation.

 

 

Other CWLA Progress:

In addition to the initiatives above, the CWLA has endorsed, in writing, a Private Members Bill (M-400): this Bill, currently awaiting reading in the House of Commons. The Bill recommends Federal funding to help landowners upgrade substandard septic systems.

 

The CWLA has also established a presence at meetings held by the Multi-Stakeholders Group: this Group is comprised of representatives of the Town of St. Andrews, the Department of Environment and Local Government, The Department of Health, The Atlantic Salmon Federation, and The Huntsman Marine Science Center.

This is a working group which was initially formed to address the concerns of the blue-green algae bloom of 2010 in Chamcook Lake.

The presence of the CWLA at these meetings is an historical "first": meaning, the first time Watershed Landowners have ever had a seat at the table in discussing our interests.

 

The CWLA Directors would like to thank YOU.

Your participation in this organization is important in ways which are either obvious now, or will become apparent in time. Your patience is appreciated, as we are aware that communications have been slow since the Charter Meeting.

We believe that, in light of the information presented above, you will agree that we have been productive. With the streamlining of the website and database, it will become standard practice to communicate more directly and frequently with the Membership: an ability we have not had until now.

 

We have arranged an opportunity to meet at a General Meeting of the CWLA at the Bayside Hall on January 19th, at 1PM, to discuss whatever issues we have been working on, and more importantly, to get to know each other a little better.

It is our sincere hope that, working together, we will enter into 2013 as an organization fully engaged with the Membership, and working towards specific and directed goals.

 

Best Regards from the Chair,

Pat Mowatt

Chamcook Watershed Landowners Association Inc.

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