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Gonna need an ocean of Calamine lotion.
David Blackwell
Leaves of three, beware of me.
With the days getting longer and cabin fever setting in due to the Corona virus, who wouldn't want to get out for a walk around a beautiful lake. While this is one of the best times of the year to enjoy our lake please be aware of the poison ivy. Although it's not everywhere, it is abundant in some spots around the lake. Did you know that dogs can also get poison ivy? Although it's not as common due to their long, protective hair coat. Unfortunately, the oils can be spread from their fur to you. Thanks Fido. Be aware as you enjoy your stroll and remember the words from the hit by The Coasters:
"Measles' make you mumpy and mumps' will make you lumpy,
And Chicken pox will make you jump and twitch.
The common cold will fool you,
And whooping cough will cool you.
But Poison Ivy Lord will make you itch!"
Valley Lake Update and Election
Our Spring meeting will be Saturday, June 19 FROM 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET Join us on the point for drinks, desert, and a nice evening by the water. Instead of our usual dinner, we'll start a bit later and keep it simple. Social distancing will be observed. Bring the kids! We will provide beer and wine, as well as non-alcoholic drinks Please bring a chair, and maybe a simple dessert Please RSVP so we can plan Rain Date: Sunday, June 20 Valley Lake - Pouncey Point Access ---> 6818 Valley Lake Dr
After years of working with and negotiating with the city of Raleigh, the much needed repairs to our lake dam have started. The projected timeline for the project from beginning to end is 60 days. Thanks to Harris Wells for lobbying the city for the past several years on behalf of Valley Lake to get this done.
Sadly we will be unable to hold our annual Spring Cookout on the point this year due to the current status of the virus. While it may be upsetting not to have this opportunity to catch up with folks, the health and safety of our friends and neighbors is the most important thing. While we can still continue to enjoy the lake while practicing social distancing, we simply can't host a gathering of that size right now.
Each year in early spring fisherman start getting excited about fishing for crappie. Not only are crappie great sport and fun to catch but also make excellent table fare. So why are we against this fish and why would we encourage our members to remove them when caught? It all comes down to managing a pond of our size versus a reservoir such as Falls or Jordan. Crappie are voracious feeders. When you combine that with their spawning numbers it's easy for them to outcompete other species for food and take over a pond. The Wildlife Resources Commission advises against stocking crappie in smaller lakes and ponds like ours. Crappie have never been stocked in our lake. Their presence is most likely the result of an angler with the best intentions wanting to increase his chances when fishing. I like to refer to them as "bucket biologists", carrying fish from one pond to another in buckets. The result of these fish being added to our lake shows in low catch numbers of desirable fish such as Largemouth Bass and Bluegills. It is for these reasons that we ask all members not to release any crappie caught back into the lake. The images below will help you to identify the species.