Keeping Lake Lillinonah Clean On May 16

By Kendra Bobowick

More than the evergreens reaching over the water’s surface or bird’s shadows rippling across the water are the surprises hidden by Lake Lillinonah.

“You wouldn’t believe what we find,” said Friends of the Lake executive board member Scott Conant.

He is referring to enough trash to fill several 20- and 30-yard containers in past years’ cleanup days. The past two years uncovered 70 and 75 discarded tires, respectively. “Every year there is more,” he said.

Debris could travel the river from as far away as Pittsfield, Mass., to end up in the lake, he said. Each year as volunteers gather for a day to clean Lake Lillinonah’s water and shores, Mr Conant admitted, “We don’t make a dent in it.”

Volunteers are not discouraged, however, and still hold a Save The Lake Day annually. For at least 15 years lake residents have promoted the day, most recently organized by Friends of the Lake, and are again preparing to collect trash and free the shores of discarded coffee containers, plastic bags, old tires, wrappers, bottles, cans ....

This year, volunteers are invited to meet on Saturday, May 16, at the Route 133 boat launch in Bridgewater at 9 am or after for Save the Lake Day 2009. Boats will be coming and going off the lake during the morning, or volunteers can work along the shoreline. The cleanup ends at 1 pm, followed by a pizza lunch.

Hoping for good weather, helping hands, and pontoon boats to help patrol the water and carry trash back to the launch, Mr Conant said the day is also about fun.

“You come out, meet the neighbors, have pizza and coffee …” Bring boots and gloves, beware of broken glass, stay with a group, and remember that the water is cold, he reminded.

Lakeside residents who are unable to join the cleanup on May 16 are encouraged to collect trash in their vicinity ahead of time. Bags left on a property owner’s dock will be picked up by volunteers that morning.

Coordinating a Still River cleanup with the Friends of the Lake members’ Save The Lake Day is resident Peg Daley, director for the Housatonic Valley River Trail. Although the river does not flow through Newtown, is does feed Lake Lillinonah. “Everything in our river ends up there,” Ms Daley said. Sponsors for Save The Lake Day are the Lake Lillinonah Authority, Bridgewater General Store, Look North Inc, All American Environmental Disposal, All Aboard Pizza and Ice Cream. Sponsoring the Still River cleanup is the Connecticut Water Trails Association.

Contact Friends of the Lake at volunteers@friendsofthelake.org or 860-210-8064. Additional information is also available at FriendsOfTheLake.org. For more information on the Still River cleanup, call 203-482-1295 or email StillRiverCleanup@hotmail.org.