Here are some ways to get active in your community:

Volunteer! There are animal shelters, retirement homes, meals on wheels, and others that would welcome the assistance

Introduce yourself to all of your neighbors

Say “hello” to people you pass

Practice communicating to your neighbors about things that bother you

Find commonality not differences

Check out or start up local events in your neighborhood, such as music or art festivals, block parties, or BBQ’s

Donate books to the library or clothing to the thrift stores

Shop local - go to the farmer’s market or check out locally made shops

Dine at local restaurants

Join or start a class/activities group and meet new friends in the community

Participate in the community garden

Become more involved in your HOA, volunteer for a committee or run for the Board

By Larry D. Lynch

Hard to believe it’s already time for the summer newsletter articles to be submitted, seems like just a few weeks ago we had some very persistent ice still holding on in parts of the lakes and a runoff that was exceptional. The community experienced some areas of minor flooding this past early spring when we hit a few warm days and a significant amount of snow melted at once. A couple of roadways were temporarily washed out when ditches exceeded capacity, creeks and even seasonal waterways were raging. The lake inlets and outlets were functioning at high capacity for a couple of weeks which resulted in a nice deep water flush of the lakes and ensured we would be at full storage into the early summer. It also means that we should be in good shape with the higher altitude snowpack and water availability from the Four-Mile Creek, Dutton diversion pipeline this summer that feeds Hatcher and Steven reservoirs. Hopefully we will see some consistent monsoon rain activity later this summer which would make for a perfect scenario.

I want to update everyone on a couple of lake improvement projects this summer. We will be installing a new permanent, vaulted restroom building at Hatcher Lake this summer near the Piedra boat ramp area that will be replacing a portable toilet at that location. We also plan to install an identical unit at the Dam area at Lake Pagosa. These are fully concrete structures, including the roof that also include a buried concrete vault, ventilation and gravel entry. We also plan to install a new floating fishing pier/dock at the jetty area on the west side of Hatcher Lake. We do have a large floating dock at Hatcher Lake that is situated over near the dam, this second dock will accommodate summertime use at a very popular fishing location near the west boat ramp and near the PAWSD water treatment plant.

No significant changes to the fishing and boating programs this year, prices for annual, weekly, and daily permits remain the same. We are however seeing a significant increase in fish costs over the past two to three years, we are paying close to $6 per pound for rainbow trout for example. In fact, fish prices have increased nearly 30% since 2019 which has resulted in fewer fish being able to be stocked in the lakes. We want to encourage everyone to be aware of the costs in the fishing resource, encourage anglers to practice safe catch and release ethics when you do not plan on taking the fish home for dinner. We highly recommend barbless hooks for this practice, do not remove the fish from the water if possible and gently remove the hook with needle nose pliers or similar tool. We may have to consider reductions in the daily bag limits in the future to help conserve our recreational fish resources.

Brush Collection Area

The Association is continuing to offer a free brush collection site and chipping operation for owners who are doing wildfire defensible space projects or spring cleanup where we can accept brush and limbs up to 8inches in diameter. This facility is located at our maintenance building site at 360 Sam Houston Blvd. and is open Wednesday through Friday 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. till noon. We did implement some load limits last year where we can only accept a maximum of 3 truck loads of brush or 2 truck-trailer combinations from each owner or property. We are operating a 12-year-old horizontal drum grinder that is prone to mechanical issues and we just have to set some limits on this free service. There are other options available to owners who are doing larger thinning projects on their property including a fully funded Chipper rebate program through Wildfire Adapted

Partnership, some cost share grant opportunities as well. The Association has a list of WAP approved tree removal and wildfire mitigation contactors listed on the website. As a result of our chipping operations we have loads of excellent wood chip mulch material available for free to owners and you are welcome to come anytime and help yourself. We have also scheduled an hour every Thursday morning at 8 a.m. where we will have our tractor available at the site to load trucks and trailers with free wood chip mulch. This is great material for use in landscaping beds, low areas on your property or even for creating meandering walking paths.

Spring Lawns and Weeds

Spring and early summer are excellent times to get your lawn and property looking good for the season. Many owners have various areas of turf lawn on their property and applying a spring and summer fertilizer formula can help develop strong root systems and actually help you save water, a healthy deep rooted grass requires less water. Make sure to apply according to label directions, over applying or underapplying can lead to wasted efforts and even side effects such as nitrogen and nutrient runoff into adjacent waterways and lakes. For those owners living on the lakes or near the lakes the Association carries a special reduced nutrient, slow-release spring and summer fertilizer available in 50 pound bags.

Weeds can be a big problem especially in wet years like what we experienced this past spring. No doubt that common weeds are a problem for most owners. There are many ways to control weeds without the use of pesticides, a strong deeply rooted grass cover can often outcompete weeds if cared for. Mowing at certain times by keeping annual weeds from flowering and seeding is another strategy along with hand pulling. If you have an area on the property where you want to install some xeriscape or rock work, you can cover the ground for a few weeks with black plastic which will in essence bake those weed seeds and root systems to give you a weed free zone to landscape after a couple of months. This can be effective over a garden area too, if you have a site on the property where you envision a garden you might consider this method.

Noxious weeds can be another issue. Noxious weeds are non-native invasive species listed by the State of Colorado as a serious concern and can displace native plants and reduce property values. These include species such as Musk thistle, Canada Thistle, Leafy Spurge, White Top and Yellow Toadflax to name a few. The Association does have a new publication/brochure available on the website that was developed specifically for Archuleta County. There are some great identification pictures as well as life cycle information and control methods for each of these species of weeds. Control methods can include cultural and mechanical options, or even biological control methods. Sometimes, however, an herbicide may be indicated to help you get these weeds under control and the publication does go into detail on which herbicide options are effective for each specific noxious weed. Always apply herbicides only according to label directions and mornings work best for application before any breezes start up.

The Association does offer a program where we can assist with heavy or persistent noxious weed infestations on a property, and typically for a small fee we can come out to the property and help to get these weed problems under control.

If you knew you could have this for as little as 68 cents a week, we know you’d say, “why didn’t I sign up sooner?” It’s the best decision you’ll make this week.

To pay with credit or debit card, please call (970) 264-2100 or visit publisher.etype.services/Pagosa-Springs-Sun/