| Q: |
Do the
lakes in Lochmere have names? |
| A: |
Yes.
·
Loch Lomond is the lake surrounded by the trail
near the main entrance of Lochmere off Kildaire Farm Road (adjacent
to Fonville-Morrisey).
·
Lochmere Lake is the “big lake” that has the boat
ramp and dock, but is otherwise surrounded by private property
·
Highlands Lake is on Loch Highlands Drive, at
the main entrance to the Highlands off Kildaire Farm Road
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| Q: |
Who owns
the lakes in Lochmere and surrounding property? |
| A: |
The
Lochmere HOA owns and is responsible for the upkeep of the lakes.
The trails and adjacent area for Loch Lomond is owned by
the HOA. Most of
the property surrounding Lochmere Lake is privately owned other
than the dock and boat ramp area.
In Highlands Lake,
the area on the south side of the lake is privately owned
to waters edge by Lochmere Highlands homeowners.
Trespassing on this private land is prohibited. |
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| Q: |
Can we
swim in any of the lakes? |
| A: |
No,
swimming is prohibited in all of the lakes. |
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| Q: |
Can we
fish in any of the lakes? |
| A: |
Yes,
but please respect private property on Lochmere Lake and Highlands
Lake. |
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| Q: |
Can we
keep fish we catch? |
| A: |
Panfish may be kept
for the table but bass are "catch and release" only. |
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| Q: |
Who is
allowed to use the trail surrounding Lake Lomond? |
| A: |
The lake,
trail and adjacent land is the private property of the Lochmere
HOA. Trespassing
by non-residents is not permitted.
The exception to the non-resident rule is that residents
of the Park Apartments (adjacent to Loch Lomond) are permitted
to use Loch Lomond trails. |
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| Q: |
Can we
ride bikes, scooters or use in-line skates on the Lake Lomond
trail? |
| A: |
No, the
trail use is limited to walkers, joggers and baby carriages. |
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| Q: |
Are dogs
permitted on the Loch Lomond trail? |
| A: |
Yes,
if properly leased in accordance with the Town of Cary regulations.
Owners are responsible for the removal of pet waste. |
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| Q: |
Can we
feed the Canadian Geese? |
| A: |
No, we
would like to discourage the geese from remaining on the Lochmere
lakes. Canadian Geese
are an endangered migrant bird, and annually return to where they
were either born or fed during the prior season.
The geese are “messy”, and can leave considerable droppings
interfering with the beauty of the area, potentially transmit
disease, and can cause environmental
damage to the lakes. The
swans have been located on the lakes to discourage the geese,
who are natural enemies of swans. |
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| Q: |
Can we
feed the swans and ducks? |
| A: |
Yes.
Swans especially enjoy cracked corn and fresh lettuce.
However, other food can be dangerous to their health (especially
swans). |
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| Q: |
Who do
I call if I find an injured or dead swan/duck/goose? |
| A: |
Please
contact the respective lake committee chairperson listed on the
Contact List, or if unavailable, contact HRW.
The HOA has an arrangement with a local veterinarian to
care for injured swans. |
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| Q: |
Are the
swans, geese or ducks dangerous? |
| A: |
Yes,
the swans can potential cause harm if threatened, especially during
nesting season (April to June).
Warning signs are typically posted near the nests on Lake
Lomond, and “nudging” sticks supplied to allow for “gentle backing-off”
of any aggressive swan. |
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| Q: |
Why do
the lakes require dredging? |
| A: |
Our lakes
have been significantly impacted by construction run-off and natural
erosion/drainage. Lakes
similar to those in Lochmere typically have a 20-year life span
as a lake, which is the approximate age of our lakes.
Lakes can start to “die” (also impacting the fish) when
the depth starts to reach depths of less than 3 feet. “De-silting”
is the process by which the lake level is lowered, and the silt
is moved or removed. To
constrain costs of this maintenance (which can be significant),
we typically will move the dredged material to build up the shore
or to other parts of the lake that have adequate depth. |
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| Q: |
How do I get
a permit to use a boat on Lake Lochmere? How much does it cost? |
| A: |
Contact HRW,
469-8661, for the permit. It will cost $5.00. That is it
for now. I will contact you next week with some additional
items. |