IN THIS ISSUE:
- Meter reading
- Fall landscaping
- Lake health
- Prepping for snow
- Burn pile questions
Please note that a Burn Restriction is still in place for Okanogan County. This restriction allows for recreational fires in fire rings only. Burning of brush piles is prohibited until the burn restriction is lifted on October 15th.
News from Wilson Ranch
Home Water Meter Readings
Sometime in the next few weeks Eddy with Windy Valley will be out at Wilson Ranch winterizing your irrigation systems. After that Marvin and I will collect your home water meter readings. The new schedule is to take readings each spring and fall. Our hope is to be taking them during the week of the 23rd. If that changes we will let you know.
Freestone Lake Landscaping
Thanks to the help of Kyle Northcott and his crew, the Freestone Lake and the common areas surrounding it have been looking quite amazing lately! New trail work was completed in August, management ordered and put up new fishing signs, new sign posts were installed over the summer, and weed/cottonwood treatments were done by Sweetgrass Restoration. The goal of the Lake Committee is to implement a landscaping schedule that maintains Freestone Lake’s natural beauty, stays within Wilson Ranch budget guidelines, and does not rely solely on volunteer efforts.
Lake Weeds
Have you ever swam in the lake and wondered if what was touching your leg was perhaps not a weed but something more sinister? Well, thanks to Lake Defense Force (based out of Seattle), our weed problem has been drastically reduced, and these floating patches of what nightmares are made of have finally been removed. Early in September a crew of 3 divers worked for 8 hours and removed 3 large floating patches of lake weed and dragged them to shore for disposal. Our goal is to have them come back in the spring to remove any of the smaller patches that they missed and also trim back the lily pads. Since the lake is fed from river and well water, and does not have boats put in from other lakes, it is at a low risk of re-infestation. Our hope is that Freestone Lake will be weed free for many years to come.
Prepping for Winter / Burn Pile
Considering snow may be only a month away, please take a moment or two to clear out your driveways, walkways, and other areas to make way for snow berms and snow plows. As a reminder, please do not park in the roadways once the snow starts falling and remind your guests as well.
We didn’t get many requests for a chipping event this fall, so if you have branches to chip, you can take them to the burn pile, save them until a chipping event in the spring, or burn them safely on your property. In regards to the burn pile, the board will be discussing other options at the upcoming meeting. It has grown too large over the past few years and has become difficult to burn safely in the fall. There is no water spigot in that area to keep the fire under control, and we can’t find anyone to hire that will help monitor it–the burn pile can burn for days. The fire department is unable to assist us as well. We also have to consider the poor air quality for those that live near the burn pile as it burns and smokes. We welcome any other thoughts or questions on the matter.
Please contact Rachael Plemel or Marvin Sutton with any questions
methowvalleyps@gmail.com
msutton@freestoneinn.com