June 2025
Hello Friends of Crystal Lake!
Save the Date!
Join the Friends of Crystal Lake as we welcome the Summer of 2025 aside our beloved lake.
FOCL Summer Kick-Off
June 21, 4 pm - 6 pm
at the home of Sue and John Sargent
35 Crystal Lake Drive
What’s happening on our lake…
Crystal was one of the shorelines cleaned up as part of Orleans Pond Coalition Celebrate our Waters Earth Day Celebration on April 26th. Also, Tom Coleman gave a couple of talks to share his journey to create a micro clover yard. See pictures here: https://www.orleanspondcoalition.org/posts/2025-celebrate-our-waters-earth-day-event-in-pictures/
The lake has been stocked and fishing is good.
Last but not least
We have a new Little Free Library! Thanks to Steve Bornemeier for the inspiration, persistence, work with the town for approval, and the books! Thanks to Tom Coleman for his carpentry skills! (Note: The new library, with its story, will have its own page soon on our website with photos!)
April 2025
SIGN UP FOR CELEBRATE OUR WATERS — EARTH DAY
Saturday, April 26, 2025
To welcome the arrival of Spring, the Orleans Pond Coalition would like to invite you to join in our new Celebrate Our Waters – Earth Day edition. Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 26th.
The morning starts with the Earth Day annual beach cleanup from 9:00 to 11:30 am, covering 17 landings and beaches in Orleans including Crystal Lake. At the Nauset Beach cleanup, there will also be a fun scavenger hunt for families. From 12:00 until 2:00, come see a demonstration of a Cape-friendly lawn, a sustainable drought-resistant solution that offers a green lawn with fewer environmentally damaging fertilizers and pesticides. This will be held at our President Tom Coleman’s house. Space is limited for this event so please register. The day concludes with a workshop on water management strategies for the homeowner. Peter Jensen and Lynn Van Norman of Terra Firma Permagardens will demonstrate terracing techniques to manage storm water runoff and control erosion. The workshop takes place at The Church of the Holy Spirit from 2:00 until 3:30 pm.
Here’s the link to their bulletin where you can sign up: OPC Bulletin: Celebrate Our Waters - Time to Sign Up for Earth Day 2025 Events and Programs.
March 2025
FRESHWATER QUALITY ON THE CAPE AND IN ORLEANS
Thursday, March 27, 2025, 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Orleans Senior Center
150 Rock Harbor Road, Orleans
Regrettably, water quality in our freshwater ponds and lakes is declining. Several groups, including the Cape Cod Commission, The Orleans Marine and Fresh Water Committee, and the Orleans Pond Coalition have been collecting and analyzing data to pinpoint causes of the decline and to identify remedies that have been put in place, and/or are being considered for future remediation. The Orleans Citizens Forum will be exploring these efforts at its March 27 Forum on Freshwater Quality on the Cape and in Orleans, in particular.
For more information visit their site: Reminder: Freshwater Quality on the Cape and in Orleans.
February 2025
Orleans will be holding an informational meeting on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 5:30 in the Nauset Room regarding the Phase 3 Sewer Plan (Lakes and Ponds). Impacted residents were sent post cards to inform them about the meeting. For those of you who are not in Orleans next week, the meeting can be viewed via Zoom and on Channel 8 and will be recorded for viewing later. See https://www.town.orleans.ma.us//CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=768
If you have any questions about whether your property is included, a map of the Phase 3 area can be found on the Town Website’s Wastewater Infrastructure section: https://www.town.orleans.ma.us/1484/Phase-3---Lakes-and-Ponds-Area.
May 2024
Good news! Crystal Lake received an alum treatment in May to suppress phosphorus release from the bottom sediments, which will aid in eliminating cyanobacteria blooms.
February 2024
We are pleased to let you know that our collective efforts have been recognized by the Select Board and that they are putting the steps in place to administer an interim alum treatment for Crystal Lake late this Spring. Significantly, over 300 Orleans residents signed our petition calling for action, including all 35 of the Crystal Lake abutters we were able to contact. Our online petition has garnered over 1300 signatures! Members of the FOCL Board and two Nauset High Seniors presented the petition and case for a swift response on January 17th. You can read about it in the Cape Cod Chronicle January 25th edition. Here’s the link: https://capecodchronicle.com/articles/441/view
Hello Friends of Crystal Lake!
Save the Date!
Join the Friends of Crystal Lake as we welcome the Summer of 2025 aside our beloved lake.
FOCL Summer Kick-Off
June 21, 4 pm - 6 pm
at the home of Sue and John Sargent
35 Crystal Lake Drive
What’s happening on our lake…
Crystal was one of the shorelines cleaned up as part of Orleans Pond Coalition Celebrate our Waters Earth Day Celebration on April 26th. Also, Tom Coleman gave a couple of talks to share his journey to create a micro clover yard. See pictures here: https://www.orleanspondcoalition.org/posts/2025-celebrate-our-waters-earth-day-event-in-pictures/
The lake has been stocked and fishing is good.
Last but not least
We have a new Little Free Library! Thanks to Steve Bornemeier for the inspiration, persistence, work with the town for approval, and the books! Thanks to Tom Coleman for his carpentry skills! (Note: The new library, with its story, will have its own page soon on our website with photos!)
April 2025
SIGN UP FOR CELEBRATE OUR WATERS — EARTH DAY
Saturday, April 26, 2025
To welcome the arrival of Spring, the Orleans Pond Coalition would like to invite you to join in our new Celebrate Our Waters – Earth Day edition. Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 26th.
The morning starts with the Earth Day annual beach cleanup from 9:00 to 11:30 am, covering 17 landings and beaches in Orleans including Crystal Lake. At the Nauset Beach cleanup, there will also be a fun scavenger hunt for families. From 12:00 until 2:00, come see a demonstration of a Cape-friendly lawn, a sustainable drought-resistant solution that offers a green lawn with fewer environmentally damaging fertilizers and pesticides. This will be held at our President Tom Coleman’s house. Space is limited for this event so please register. The day concludes with a workshop on water management strategies for the homeowner. Peter Jensen and Lynn Van Norman of Terra Firma Permagardens will demonstrate terracing techniques to manage storm water runoff and control erosion. The workshop takes place at The Church of the Holy Spirit from 2:00 until 3:30 pm.
Here’s the link to their bulletin where you can sign up: OPC Bulletin: Celebrate Our Waters - Time to Sign Up for Earth Day 2025 Events and Programs.
March 2025
FRESHWATER QUALITY ON THE CAPE AND IN ORLEANS
Thursday, March 27, 2025, 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Orleans Senior Center
150 Rock Harbor Road, Orleans
Regrettably, water quality in our freshwater ponds and lakes is declining. Several groups, including the Cape Cod Commission, The Orleans Marine and Fresh Water Committee, and the Orleans Pond Coalition have been collecting and analyzing data to pinpoint causes of the decline and to identify remedies that have been put in place, and/or are being considered for future remediation. The Orleans Citizens Forum will be exploring these efforts at its March 27 Forum on Freshwater Quality on the Cape and in Orleans, in particular.
For more information visit their site: Reminder: Freshwater Quality on the Cape and in Orleans.
February 2025
Orleans will be holding an informational meeting on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 5:30 in the Nauset Room regarding the Phase 3 Sewer Plan (Lakes and Ponds). Impacted residents were sent post cards to inform them about the meeting. For those of you who are not in Orleans next week, the meeting can be viewed via Zoom and on Channel 8 and will be recorded for viewing later. See https://www.town.orleans.ma.us//CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=768
If you have any questions about whether your property is included, a map of the Phase 3 area can be found on the Town Website’s Wastewater Infrastructure section: https://www.town.orleans.ma.us/1484/Phase-3---Lakes-and-Ponds-Area.
May 2024
Good news! Crystal Lake received an alum treatment in May to suppress phosphorus release from the bottom sediments, which will aid in eliminating cyanobacteria blooms.
February 2024
We are pleased to let you know that our collective efforts have been recognized by the Select Board and that they are putting the steps in place to administer an interim alum treatment for Crystal Lake late this Spring. Significantly, over 300 Orleans residents signed our petition calling for action, including all 35 of the Crystal Lake abutters we were able to contact. Our online petition has garnered over 1300 signatures! Members of the FOCL Board and two Nauset High Seniors presented the petition and case for a swift response on January 17th. You can read about it in the Cape Cod Chronicle January 25th edition. Here’s the link: https://capecodchronicle.com/articles/441/view