2023 Update Spring
04/23/2023
On behalf of the PLRA Board, we extend our warmest welcome and wish you all an enjoyable and pleasant spring and summer at Percy Lake with friends and family.
As you are no doubt aware, the weather this winter and the onset of spring, along with recent storms, has been erratic, and unpredictable. Winter activities, ice-fishing, trails, etc., were severely curtailed, given the lack of ice or unpredictability of safe ice conditions. While this photo of our bay shows some ice on the lake in early April, it is receding.
Rain, Snow or lack of?
As weather is the dominant theme of our area, the following is providing some background and history to tracking weather. First, some background, followed by some graphs of the current picture. Because the public weather station is in/near Haliburton Village], Haliburton historically get about 250 mm of precipitation each quarter:
- Q1: 250
- Q2: 250
- Q3: 270
- Q4: 300
Over the winter months [Nov. to April], this traditionally arrives as snow. However, lately that precipitation has been mixed. As a measure of this impact, the weather stations report snow on the ground. There needs to be lots of it to be useful [skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling], probably more than 6” [15cm].
The number of days we had more than 6” of snow on the ground were:
- 2023: 59
- 2022: 69
- 2021:121
- 2020: 85
Is the lack of snow just the consequence of low precipitation? Not necessarily. While we received less than normal rain in Q4 of 2022, the precipitation since January has been about normal.
The following graphs provide more specific information.
The daily precipitation is the tiny vertical bars; the quarterly sum is the jagged diagonal lines. The historic expectation is the straight diagonal lines. The dominant purple line is the Gull River outflow [measured only at Norland]. Almost hidden, is the dark blue line of Percy Lake’s levels. (The yellow line is [was] snow on the ground.)
What does this really signify? The winter was brief because we had a lot of rain as the dominate form of precipitation, particularly on the edges of ‘winter’. Consequently, the warmer temperatures and rain produced a high Gull River outflow in January that was greater than the typical Spring Freshet [run-off]! Presently, the lake is at a normal level for this time of year; the peak has passed and is not likely to flood as we are tracking fairly normal rainfall this quarter. But none of the above will limit the blackflies.
Cell Towers – EORN (Eastern Ontario Regional Network) CELL GAP PROJECT
Since December 2022, three new ‘local’ cell towers have been through Dysart Council. Percy Lake has a site at the south end of the lake C8609 which should provide coverage to most of the lake. The other towers are near Ross Lake [C8611) and Elephant Lake to the south-east (C8604). The pictures are “Before & After” discussions. I am sure more updated news will follow.
UPCOMING EVENTS –SUMMER 2023
1) PLRA AGM
This year, unlike the past few years, we are planning to hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM) live in August! This will be quite a change from the last few years in which we followed the protocol of maintaining distance for health and safety reasons.
The AGM is a time where questions can be raised for our elected officials, who are our invited guests, information is exchanged, and is a great social opportunity for you to get to know your neighbours and renew your annual membership!
While no specific date has yet been set, we will keep you informed of further details as we get closer to the date.
2) ANGLING ACTIVITIES
A – FULL SEASON YOUTH ANGLING CONTEST – 16 Years and Younger
This contest is open to Percy Lake Ratepayers’ members and their families. Trophies will be presented at the following year’s AGM. Tight lines usually means “fish on”, so young anglers, let’s see your photos and hear your fish stories. This contest is open for the entire legal fishing season for both lake trout and bass. (Youth can enter both contests.)
B – FISHING TOURNAMENT– TBD
Typically, PLRA’s Catch and Release Fishing Tournament are typically held in mid-August (from 8:00 AM to noon that day). The tournament is open to members (and family) of the PLRA. We anticipate that the tournament would take place at around that same period. The rules for both the Youth Angling Contest and the one-day fishing tournament can be found at: http://www.plra.net/index.cfm?page=fishing_derby.
3) SOCIAL EVENT – DATE TBD
We are planning on holding an annual social event in mid-August, if all goes well. Stay tuned for further details on this active day. Suggestions and volunteers are most welcome.
PLRA MEMBERSHIP
The annual PLRA membership fee is a modest $30 per family. These fees pay our major expenses, including membership in organizations including Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Association (CHA), the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA), and the Coalition for Equitable Water Flow (CEWF) and for expenses incurred by PLRA’s annual obligations and events. We encourage you to renew or if not a member, to join the PLRA. The membership form is included for your convenience.
For a wealth of information about the history and activities at Percy Lake, check out the website: HTTPS://PLRA.CA/
CURRENT PLRA BOARD DIRECTORS
Anna Tilman: President
Brian Edey: Secretary
Koko Yamamoto: Treasurer
Lou Kiriakou: Fishing Tournaments – Member at large Peter Mills: Member-at-Large
Bob Wong: Member-at-Large
Jim Richert: Full season Fishing Contest and Lake Development
Have a great time this summer, and I look forward to meeting you on the lake or thereabouts, and at our AGM and any other activities that may be planned.
Best regards,
Anna Tilman
annatilman@sympatico.ca
