Truesdale Lake  

South Salem, New York

December 1, 2025
by rob
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Luminary Details for Caroling Event Friday December 19th

We look forward to seeing each of you at 5:45 PM on Friday December 19th for caroling at the Gilbert Street Beach!

Luminary Information for Caroling Event

Luminary Information & Instructions:

In the spirit of giving, this year we are raising funds to donate to Feeding Westchester for our luminary fundraiser. You can learn more about this wonderful organization by visiting here.

Light up the way for our carolers while helping our communities in need in this season of giving. Click here to order luminaries.

Luminaries will be delivered to your home the week of December 15th. Light them on December 19th, around 5 PM, in show of your support and to create a magical night for our community. Instructions will be emailed out once orders are received. 

Luminary Orders are due by December 16th.

Thank you for your generosity and support!
Much love, The TLPOA Social Committee

December 6, 2025
by rob
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Educational Series: Rehabilitation of the Dam 

by Scot Evans

Our 230 foot-long dam is now 117 years old and has deteriorated somewhat over the years, but remains strong with the two-foot-wide core wall intact. It’s most important for everyone to know that if we don’t maintain a strong dam, we will not have a lake. It is therefore in the interest of all residents around and near the lake to contribute equally to maintaining the dam.

The fire department’s water intake to fill its tanker (shown in the purple rectangle in the photo below) was lengthened to be submerged during winter drawdowns. 

Truesdale Lake Dam shown with various features explained below

The sluice gate location (green arrow), auxiliary overflow spillway (yellow oval), and primary service spillway no longer meet the current State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) requirements. Some repairs may be able to be “grandfathered” at a lower expense than to replace them to current requirements at higher expense. 

The low-level outlet under the dam (red arrow), used to lower the lake’s level during winter and ahead of major storms, is no longer functional. This is the reason we have to rely on siphons (100 foot-long white tubes over the spillway on the right side of the photo above, and discharge ends shown in photo below) to draw down the lake during the winter months every two to three years to cold shock and kill weed tubers.

Truesdale Lake siphons in action lowering the lake level

Full rehabilitation will take years to complete and a Special District will have to be established to pay for the most expensive projects. Grant money is not currently available, because we are classified as a minimum “Code A: Low Hazard” dam. We have separated these projects into five phases — listed in order of expense and safety priority — to be described at the end of this article. 

The Dam Rehabilitation Committee (DRC) consists of 14 neighbors from the two associations— the TLPOA and the TEA (listed in alphabetical order): Jennifer Bruch, Howard Citron, Robert Cummings (TEA President 2025-26 term), Susan Enos, Scot Evans (DRC Chairman), Alex Grigor, John Gusmano, Janet Harckham, Tianle He, Dieter Luelsdorf, Lucille Munz, Clare Panno, Ira Sanchick, Allison Settineri (TLPOA President)

Brief history of the lake and dam:

  • Theodore Langdon Van Norden was the 13th minister of the South Salem Presbyterian Church and arrived in 1894. He purchased all the farmland
    under our lake, became a prominent farmer, and built a small dam in July of 1908 to turn the pond below the Boway Stream on his property into a small lake (around 40 acres).
  • 18 years later on 10 APR 1926, the newly formed Truesdale Lake Corporation purchased the farmland, small lake and dam, and the land north of the dam from him. Van Norden then became one of nine Directors in the Corporation.
  • The Corporation widened, reinforced, and built up the dam to its current height while installing a control tower over a low level outlet to drain the lake as needed. This second phase construction increased the size of the lake to its current 83 acres.
  • The TLPOA now owns the dam and undeveloped property north of the dam. The embankment and property northeast of the spillway plunge pool has been cleaned up with invasive shrubs removed and grass planted by the abutting property owner, Marianne Shoecraft, at 25 Indian Lane at no expense to the TLPOA. We are grateful to Marianne for her maintenance of and beautiful work done to this area of the dam. The TLPOA performs regular maintenance on the embankment northwest of the spillway and plunge pool.
  • The TEA owns and pays taxes on the 83-acre lakebed and the islands.
  • The Lewisboro Highway Department has Right of Passage over the dam and maintains the asphalt road, guardrails, and bridge over the spillway. An engineering inspection will be necessary to determine if the guardrail posts that were driven into the dam damaged the embankments and/or allowed water infiltration to weaken the embankments. Lucille Munz recently inquired if the Town engineer had evaluated the dam prior to guardrail installation and found that he had not.
  • The last overtopping of the road by the lake (at the 511 foot AMSL elevation) occurred with Hurricane IDA on 1 SEP 2021 as a “100-year storm.” (A 100-year storm event is defined as 9″ rain within 24 hours with 1,500 cubic feet of water inflow from the watershed within the first 12 hours of the storm.) This part of the road has been used as our “auxiliary spillway,” though, it is no longer authorized by the DEC to be used for that purpose. See https://truesdalelake.com/2024/02/truesdale-dam-overtopping-events-since-1999/

For a comprehensive and beautifully-written history of Truesdale Lake, see neighbor and historian Priscilla Luckow’s https://truesdalelake.com/history/

Engineering Inspections of the dam:

  • HTE Northeast, Inc. conducted an engineering inspection and dam rehabilitation proposal in February of 2004.
2004 HTE Northeast Dam Study drawings
  • The most recent NYSDEC inspection of our dam (assigned ID #231-5160) was conducted in June of 2009.
  • A dam engineering study by Kathryn Serra, P.E. of CT Male was conducted in February of 2024. In summary, she found that:
  • The two-foot-wide concrete vertical core wall through the middle longitudinal length of the dam seems to be in good shape. This means that we are not in imminent danger of a breach during 100-year storm events, which are occurring more frequently.
  • Our lowest elevation in the road over the dam is 511.3 feet located between the flooded valve vault and NYSEG pole #7367 and currently serves as our “Auxiliary Spillway” during rainfall overtopping events. Erosion of the north embankment occurs during these events. This low area of the road is not an authorized auxiliary spillway.
  • A combination “primary service” and “auxiliary overflow” spillway will need to be designed and constructed so that the lake level can be reduced 75% within seven days between the combined spillway crests. The usage of our current removable Weir Boards in the new spillway is no longer authorized by the DEC. 
  • A new low level outlet conduit must be constructed transversely through the dam, with the valve vault/control tower (currently flooded and non-functional shown in the photo below) relocated to the upstream side of the dam – along the south embankment or in the water directly over the intake south of the south embankment.

DAM REHABILITATION will be completed in five phases: 

Phase 1: North embankment reinforcement, grading and erosion control with replacement of road-to-river curtain drains.

  • Lewisboro Superintendent of Highways, John Winter, looked at the project in February of 2024 and said that he would be able to help with the corrugated curtain drain replacement and providing soil and materials to regrade the north embankment once we receive Town Board approval, an engineer’s plan, and the required permits.
  • Lucille Munz is developing an engineer’s plan to reinforce and regrade the north embankment.
  • John Gusmano will work with James Gorman of Pond & Lake Connection regarding lake’s wetland status and with NYSDEC and NYCDEP in their portions of work permits.

Phase 2: Replacement of Low Level Outlet Conduit and Relocation of Valve Vault/Sluice Gate Control Tower to the upstream side of south embankment. 

  • In March of 2021, Scot Evans offered to go into the flooded valve vault with SCUBA gear to inspect the submerged cavern and turn the submerged control wheel to open the low level outlet; the TLPOA president at that time, Nick Fiegoli, feared that if it opened and drained the lake successfully, it may not close properly to allow the lake to refill, so this plan was rightfully deferred. 
  • This phase will be a major construction project and Lucille Munz estimates that approximately $250k would have to be raised for the actual construction and an additional $50k to $75k for engineering soft costs and permitting.
  • Howard Citron is currently working with engineering contractors to see if the low level outlet can be repaired at a reasonable expense and permitted with NYSDEC “grandfathering” the project.

Phase 3: Spillway, Training Walls, Discharge Ramp and Auxiliary Spillway upgrades. 

  • This is a major construction project with costs greater than the phase 2 project above. 

Phase 4: Bridge Replacement and load tested with Load Limit posted and No Fishing signs posted on each end of the dam. 

  • This is an intermediate construction project to be performed in tandem with Phase 3.

Phase 5: Replacement of potable water and installation of sewer pipes along and apart from the south embankment, and replacement of road over dam. 

  • This is a major construction project and the final rehabilitation initiative.

Funding options for the dam’s rehabilitation:

  • Our low hazard classification means that we are out of the running for grant money.
  • The Congressionally Directed Funding application that Scot Evans and Lucille Munz submitted was not granted – in favor of a competing drinking water project in another district.
  • Therefore, all owners within the lake community would have to share the cost of dam rehab and maintenance via an ad valorem tax district program to insure that all affected households contribute.
  • Special tax districts allow for bonding and loans when necessary to get the projects completed more quickly. 

December 5, 2025
by rob
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Educational Series: Lake Drawdown

by Scot Evans 

Winter drawdowns are designed to expose the lakebed to the air and sustained sub-freezing temperatures. Over the past five years, we have improved and fine-tuned our annually-tested lake drawdowns. Siphons to draw the lake down three feet below normal winter spillway level are necessary because the low level outlet under the dam is no longer functional. Our 230 foot long dam was completed in July 1908, so it 117 years old. Since the 1980s, the control tower has been flooded and the sluice gate control wheel submerged.

The Drawdown Team consists of John Gusmano, who approves and oversees each drawdown as the Chairman of the Lake Management Committee; Scot Evans, who designed the three drawdown siphons necessary to drain the lake approximately one foot every ten days, also monitors the progress of each drawdown, submitting weekly reports and siphon restart notifications; James Gorman of The Pond & Lake Connection, who builds the siphons and recommends modifications based on field performance; and Lucille Munz, who incorporates all siphon design improvements into AutoCAD (commercial computer-aided design) “blueprints” as shown below.

The air-exposed lakebed and sub-freezing temperatures allow the weed tubers buried in the silt and decomposed mud to freeze and die. The dry air also desiccates and compacts the silt to deepen the lake slightly without the expense of dredging. Some lakeside homeowners have been very helpful in raking out trash, decomposed algae mats, and cleaning their exposed lakebeds as shown in these before-and-after photos.

Debris revealed near some lake shores in 2019-2020 drawdown
Lake shore in one area after clearing

The summer photo below of the refilled lake captures the beneficial effect beautifully; it shows no weed growth in the area where the lakebed was exposed to air and sub-freezing temperatures, while dense weed growth is clearly visible beyond that point where the lakebed was still submerged.

A few shoreline residents have procured throwable weed rakes, attached to a nylon line, to haul in and compost lake weeds into natural fertilizer and “black gold” — decomposed soil to use for topsoil and gardening throughout the year. This is highly appreciated.

Howard Citron, a resident engineer with the TEA, will provide John Gusmano with dam-specializing-contractor estimates to repair the low level outlet so that we can eliminate the siphons and draw the lake down using the repaired sluice gate control wheel — currently submerged, shown below:

Looking down into the dam to the valve control

Silt infiltration from Ridgefield‘s West Mountain watershed into Pumping Station Swamp and the Boway Stream makes our lake shallower every year. The Siltration Pit, between the Boway Stream and the lake, has never been pumped-out, required since 1980, in order to prevent silt accumulation in the lake.

As a result, 45 years worth of silt has been allowed to flow freely into the lake. The TLPOA President will come up with a plan to remediate the lake of accumulated silt. The drone photo below shows some of the silt that has poured in from the over-loaded siltration pit.

Overhead photo (north is top) showing main inflow stream into the lake during a drawdown event of approximately 3 feet below spillway height. Silt delta is clearly shown.

December 4, 2025
by rob
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Educational Series: Population Control of Resident Geese

by Scot Evans

In the early 1900s, only a handful of Canada Geese nested in the wild in New York State. These geese were descendants of captive birds released by private individuals in the lower Hudson Valley and on Long Island. Local flocks grew rapidly and spread to other areas. During the 1950s and 1960s, game farm geese were released by the New York State Conservation Department on wildlife management areas in upstate New York (north and west of Albany).

‘Migratory Canada Geese’ remain in their migratory wedges when flying north or south. Geese that live and nest locally are ‘Resident Geese’ due to the human-made problems from the 1990s described above. Fecal e-coli saturation from over-population is a significant health concern; each goose or gander drops one pound of fecal matter per day.

Every year, from the end of March through the middle of May, volunteers from around the lake visit all three islands to monitor our gaggle of resident geese and prevent any eggs they lay there from developing and hatching.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) issues permits to organizations to enlist their help in controlling the resident geese population. This is achieved by hunting, culling, harassment of geese, egg oiling and egg addling. Our associations employ the latter three methods only. 

The Lake’s Goose Patrol Chairman obtains the USFWS permit prior to each Spring’s nesting and six-week egg-laying and incubation period. The volunteer agents (in alphabetical order) are Ciorsdan Conran, Robert Cummings (Chairman), Scot Evans, Deanna Novak, Clare Panno, Lee Rasamny, Jill Wishner. 

Oiling the eggs with pure corn oil prevents oxygen from passing through the shell and therefore prevents its further development. Addling the egg is a further insurance to break-up the yoke within the shell to also prevent its development. The treated egg is placed back in the nest so the goose does not lay more eggs and continues to incubate the treated eggs for four weeks. The nest is simply abandoned by the geese when no eggs hatch and those eggs are then collected by the volunteers and composted so they don’t remain on the islands to burst open in the summer heat.

This year, for example, 12 goose nests were built and a total of 57 eggs were laid and treated between the end of March and the middle of May. None of the eggs developed and no goslings were spotted during the geese molting months of June and July.

Our weekly reports and annual updates can be found at https://truesdalelake.com/tag/geese/.

Resident vs Migratory Canada Geese and the Resident Geese control problems are described at https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/geeseproblem.pdf

Truesdale Lake goose nest and nesting pair

November 5, 2025
by rob
Comments Off on Save the Dates – Adult BYOB Nov 14 & Caroling Dec 19!

Save the Dates – Adult BYOB Nov 14 & Caroling Dec 19!

Happy November, Neighbors! Before the weather gets too chilly, we have a few fun events to look forward to—and a big thank you to everyone who made October such a special month around the lake!

All associations are welcome!

Adults-Only BYOB Beach Night – Friday, November 14 | 6:30 PM | Gilbert Street Beach

Join us for a cozy evening under the stars! Bring your favorite beverage or appetizer to share, warm up by the fire, and enjoy some relaxed community time.

We’ll also be holding a fun raffle to help raise funds for future events—and we’re looking for raffle item donations! This can be a skill (a garden consult, a music lesson) or a special item (a bottle of wine, handmade art, etc.). If you’d like to contribute, please email Marissa!

We will also be selling Truesdale Lake Vinyl stickers!

And a big Thank you to those who donated raffle items for our October Adult BYOB – including The Lyness family who donated a $150 gift card to Luc’s Cafe! We raised over $300 for future social events!

Save the date for Caroling!! Friday, December 19th | 5:45 PM | Indian Lane Dam to Gilbert Street Beach

Come join us for what is without a doubt our most special event of the year!!

We will meet at the Indian Lane Dam at 5:45 and carol over to the Gilbert Street beach.Party to follow: hot cocoa, a warm fire & even a visit from our favorite man in red!

**Details on Luminary fundraiser to come!

 *A heartfelt thank you to all who came out in October!*

If you have an idea for an event or gathering you’d love to see, don’t be shy! We’re always happy to support neighbors who want to bring something special to life around the lake and would love to help you execute it!

See you in November!
The TLPOA Social Committee
Marissa, Bree & Megan

October 29, 2025
by rob
Comments Off on Stay Safe During Twilight Walks!

Stay Safe During Twilight Walks!

As the days get shorter and the evening light fades earlier, many of us are out walking or walking our dogs during twilight hours. This time of day can be especially tricky for visibility — for both walkers and drivers — and a few simple precautions can make a big difference in keeping everyone safe.

For Walkers & Dog Owners:

Wear reflective or light-colored clothing. A small reflective vest, armband, or clip-on light can make you much more visible to drivers.

Carry a flashlight or use a headlamp. It helps you see uneven pavement and lets drivers see you sooner.

Walk facing traffic. This gives you a clear view of oncoming cars and more time to react if needed.

Keep pets visible. Reflective leashes, collars, or light-up tags are easy additions that make a big difference.

For Drivers:

Slow down and stay alert, especially at dusk. Reduced light can make it hard to spot people and pets along the road.

Avoid distractions. Keep your eyes on the road — pedestrians can be hard to see even with headlights on.

Use high beams when appropriate. This helps illuminate road edges where people or animals might be walking.

Let’s all do our part to keep our community safe and enjoyable for everyone — whether on two legs or four.

Everyone use these same safety tips during Halloween! We hope everyone has a safe & fun Halloween!!

October 21, 2025
by rob
Comments Off on Fall 2025 TEA Membership Meeting: Mon, Nov 10th

Fall 2025 TEA Membership Meeting: Mon, Nov 10th

FALL 2025 Membership Meeting Monday, November 10th @ Horse & Hound

The TEA Annual Spring Membership Meeting is planned for Monday, November 10th at the Horse & Hound at 94 Spring Street. We also plan to have a laptop/camera at the meeting broadcasting over Zoom for TEA members interested in watching remotely.

Meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Note: This meeting is for TEA Members only.

Email tea@truesdalelake.com to RSVP for in-person. If you want the Zoom Link please ask for it when you RSVP.

If you are new to the TEA or you want to update us on your information, please fill out the TEA Resident Questionnaire. Thanks!

Agenda
➡ President and other Officer reports
➡ Treasurer:

  • YTD FY2025-2026 Budget vs. Actual review
  • Our Fiscal Year is April 1 – March 31

➡ Beach Report / Lake Committee update

➡ Projects Update: Drawdown / Septics / Sewer / Dock / Shed
➡ Upcoming meeting schedule for coming year.

Zelle – members payment – direct electronic payment went live in 2024 and worked well the past two years. If you have not yet paid for 2025 please Send your dues payment in immediately either via mail or Zelle – Payment is to tea@truesdalelake.com via Zelle. If you want to confirm receipt, email us at tea@truesdalelake.com and let us know you are sending a payment.

End of Summer Party September 2025 and pre-Full Moon Regatta

More photos in photo gallery or on the https://instagram.com/laketruesdale page

Notes for TEA Board / Officer Membership

The TEA Officer roles are two year terms. We have new officers for the current 2 year (2025-2026) term.

Board members cannot be in the same role for two consecutive terms so if you want to take over a role after 2026 let us know.

WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW BOARD MEMBERS! a lot of the same people have taken on the board and officer roles, some for many years. Fresh eyes and fresh energy is needed and valued. If you are new to the community and want to help, there are lots of ways to pitch in.

Current TEA Officers for 2025-26 (through end of 2026):

President (Rob Cummings) – organizes & runs meetings, in charge of recruiting next president and officers. Can sign checks.

Vice President (Jo Ann Ferrigno) – runs meetings when President can’t attend. Fills in other roles as needed. Can sign checks.

Treasurer (Ellen Rose) – deposits checks, writes checks, tracks and reports on income/expense and bank balances. Tax filing 990.

Recording Secretary (Howard Citron) – Takes meeting minutes, sends drafts to board and membership attendees post-meeting.

Corresponding Secretary (Debbie Fink) – Receives and replies to association correspondence.

Sergeant-at-Arms (Mike Gorman) – guards the door (or virtual door).

Formal roles for Officers are in the TEA Bylaws here:

http://truesdalelake.com/associations/tea/tea-bylaws/

At-large Board members (7-10 members needed) attend 4 standing meetings per year. Current board members are: Mike Vellensky, Lisa Capobianco, Glenn Capobianco, Sarah Polizzotto, Kate Grieve, Harron Appleman, Melissa Scarlatto, Tom Houlihan, Ira Sanchick, Kathleen Ward Gallagher, Carol Gamez, and Wendy Daniels.

Sarah Polizzotto and Kate Grieve are beach co-chairs. Thank you Kate and Sarah!

Standing Association Meetings are on the following schedule (Add to your Calendars!):
-TEA Membership Meetings (entire membership invited 2x/year):
SECOND Monday of April (April 13, 2026, NEXT MEETING Spring Membership Meeting)
—SECOND Monday of November (Nov 10, 2025, Fall Membership Meeting, the one coming up)
-TEA Board Meetings (board members only):
—SECOND Monday of March (March 9, 2026)
—SECOND Monday of October (Oct 12, 2026)
Special Meetings can be called for association business.

Critical positions that don’t have to be board members:

Beach Chairperson – coordinate beach clean-up, monitor beach conditions, keep an eye on beach things like electricity and trash service. Lots more! A lot of overlap with the Social Chairperson.

Social Chairperson – Plan and get volunteers for any social events – primarily the Summer Kickoff BBQ the second weekend in June. Some events can be at our beach while others we can coordinate with TLPOA. This position is all about fun!

Volunteer Opportunities & Committees:

Beach Clean-up Day – the Saturday before Memorial Day Weekend (May) each year. Lots of sand spreading, weed cleanup, general maintenance, and straightening up the beach getting ready for the first official weekend of summer on Memorial Day Weekend.

Floats and Dock installation, management, and winterizing – 2-3 people needed – at the beginning of the season, usually on Beach Clean-up Day, volunteers put out the floats and swim dock. 2-3 people. At the end of the season, this group pulls in the floats and winterizes & secures the swim dock

Lake Management Committee Member – be the TEA liaison to TLPOA Lake Manager John Gusmano and Pond & Lake Connection (James Gorman, main contact). Participate in email communications and bring any concerns to the TEA & TEA Board. More info: http://truesdalelake.com/lake-management/

CSLAP Testing Member (1 person needed) – We are looking to rejoin the New York State Federation of Lake Associations “Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program” which uses trained volunteers to sample the water conditions of Truesdale Lake and hundreds of other NY State Lakes. More info is at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/81576.html

Resident Canada Geese Registration and Egg Control program volunteers (2-3 people needed to go out to the islands in March and April) – Each year we get permits from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) to oil and addle eggs in the nests of Resident Canada geese. 20+ years ago there were hundreds of Canada geese that would take up permanent residence on Truesdale Lake for the summer. This causes unhealthy conditions in the lake and on lawns. More information at truesdalelake.com/goose

Truesdale Lake Dock Committee (TLDC) – We have a joint TEA/TLPOA/Vreeland/Lake Shore Drive committee that accepts applications for new and renovated docks. The TLDC process is designed to help the homeowner comply with our requirements and the Town of Lewisboro’s regulations..

Truesdale Fishing Committee – fishing guidelines and signage around Truesdale Lake. Fishing information here: http://truesdalelake.com/lake-management/fishing/

Ad-hoc Building Committee – We built two boat racks at the TEA beach. These racks have 2 spots available for TEA members. If you are interested in a spot on the rack, the season rental is $100. If you are interested in helping build an additional boat rack at our TEA Gilbert/Lake Shore boat launch property let us know. Other projects of the Building Committee in 2025 will include the new shed installation including a proposed tiki bar(!?)

Landscaping committee – anyone with ideas to beautify our already lovely beach let us know. We have ornamental grasses along the boat launch fence side. Always looking for additional ideas to make it look good.

Projects for the following items at the beach:

  • Boat Launch Dock, bridge, and path
  • Storage Shed / electric
  • Landscaping on street side of beach fence.

Anything else you can think of? Let us know…

Some helpful links for lake residents new and old:

TEA Map and Other TEA Resources Online
Map available at the website here: https://www.truesdalelake.com/tea

For residents new to the lake, download the TEA Welcome and Information Packet from this link above as well.

*If you are interested in volunteering for the TEA board or a specific activity, please email tea@truesdalelake.com or fill out this questionnaire.


Contact Information

Truesdale Estates Association
PO Box 363
South Salem, NY 10590
tea@truesdalelake.com


*if you are not current with your TEA dues, you cannot vote until your dues are brought current.


TEA Board Meeting – Notes FALL 2025 – SUMMARY OF ITEMS OF INTEREST

Drawdown 2025-26

  • Successful drawdown this past winter 2024-25 – this was significant because winter before (2023-24) the drawdown was not successful (due to equipment failures and unusually warm winters causing water to flow all winter long).
  • No drawdown in 2025-26.
  • Lake management best practices advise staggering years for drawdowns so the flora does not become adjusted to it.
  • Lake website has detail on the past winter drawdown: https://truesdalelake.com/tag/drawdown/

Septic/Sewer Plan – Engineering studies (FUTURE)

  • -County/State/NYC initiative / funding
  • https://truesdalelake.com/2023/07/cleaning-up-our-lakes-septics-sewers/
  • -3 lakes plus Truesdale involved
  • -Waccabuc, Oscaleta, Truesdale, Rippowam (WOTR is the acronym being used)
  • -Treatment facility at recycling center
  • -Fully treated outflow into stream that becomes the waccabuc river
  • -See map in linked story for covered locations.
  • -estimated $40 million cost paid by NY state and NYC EOH grants
  • -Early stages of plan
  • UPDATE: Plan has been submitted – it is one of many grant proposals under consideration by NYC DEP.

Beach improvements

  • Step repair before last spring – Thanks Mike!!
  • Dock rebuilding – Corey (who did the step repair) will get us price. (UPDATE: Not received yet)
  • Shed replacement
    • Electric meter move (since electric meter was on shed)
    • New electric hookup to be done on delivery
    • Timer for aerator also will be moved inside new shed
    • Shed ordered and will be delivered and installed
    • Old shed disposed of by delivery company
    • Will need to measure and customize new shed for efficient use
  • Aerator Replacement
    • Aerator motor blew after 20 years of service
    • Replaced in August by Pond & Lake Connection

October 20, 2025
by rob
Comments Off on Halloween Parade – Saturday, October 25 @ 10:30am

Halloween Parade – Saturday, October 25 @ 10:30am

Halloween Parade – 2025 - Reminder! THIS upcoming Saturday, October 25th – 10:30 AM

*All Truesdale Lake residents welcome*

Parade Details: Don your spookiest, most creative Halloween Costumes and meet us behind the Lewisboro Library at 10:30 AM! Decorate wagons, strollers, etc and join us as we parade to the Gilbert Street beach together! Go all out! Music & spooky songs will lead the way!

**If you aren’t walking in the parade we highly encourage you to cheer on your neighbors along the route of Lake Shore Drive. 

Beach Party to Follow: Once we get down to the beach we will be voting on the pumpkin carving contest, enjoying refreshments, and playing some fun, seasonal games! 

Even if you do not join the parade you’re welcome to join us at the beach. 

Pumpkin Carving Contest: We will be having our annual pumpkin carving contest. Voting will happen at the beach. If you are interested in participating please email Marissa.

Bring the pumpkins down to the beach the morning of the parade between 9am and 10am. The winner will be granted a prize!

A thank you to our local library

Every year the Lewisboro Library generously allows us to use their library as a starting point for our parade. We are so grateful for their continued support. Here are some Halloween-themed activities that they are offering this year: South Salem Ghost Walk – October 24 at 7 pm https://lewisborolibrary.org/event/south-salem-ghost-walk-3/

  See you all there and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

October 2, 2025
by rob
Comments Off on Two CSLAP Volunteers Needed

Two CSLAP Volunteers Needed

We need two new volunteers to collect and process water samples once a month (June, July, August & September). This will continue the work Susan and Dieter have done over the past few years. The volunteers will be trained and all required equipment provided with the exception of a boat to get out on the lake.  

More info:

The Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) is a volunteer lake monitoring program run by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the NYS Federation of Lake Associations, Inc. (NYSFOLA). The analysis of our lake data provides real information on the health of our lake. Here is a link which provides more information on the program and sampling process. https://nysfola.org/what-is-cslap/  

Any questions can be directed back to me, thanks – John (use Contact Us to get in touch and we will pass on your note to John)

October 1, 2025
by rob
Comments Off on October 2025 Social Events

October 2025 Social Events

Adults-Only BYOB Beach Night

THIS Friday, October 3 | 6:30 PM | Gilbert Street Beach

Join us for a cozy evening under the stars! Bring your favorite beverage or appetizer to share, warm up by the fire, and enjoy some relaxed community time.

We’ll also be holding a fun raffle to help raise funds for future events—and we’re looking for raffle item donations! This can be a skill (a garden consult, a music lesson) or a special item (a bottle of wine, handmade art, etc.). If you’d like to contribute, please email Marissa! (RSVP)

Fall Garden Club Meet Up

Saturday, October 11 | 10 AM | Gilbert Street Entrance

Join fellow garden lovers as we plant bulbs and perennials to bring next year’s blooms to life!

**Have something to share? We’re happily accepting donated perennials to add to our lakefront spaces. Let’s dig in and grow something beautiful—together!

Halloween Parade & Party

Saturday, October 25 | 10:30 AM | Gilbert Street Beach

Meet behind Lewisboro Library in costume and parade to the beach!

Decorated strollers, wagons, and costumes encouraged! Party to follow: cocoa, donuts, games, pumpkin carving contest!

** Drop off your carved pumpkins before the parade to enter.

** Not marching in parade? Encouraging all on parade route to cheer everyone on with cowbells, music, pots and pans!