Sylvia Lake, NY
Gouverneur In-Person Boating Safety Class is May 27-28
Attention all recreational boat operators. As of January 1, 2025, all boat operators regardless of your age, are required by New York State to complete a boater safety course before operating their vessel. “Boat America” fulfills this requirement and will be presented by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, in Gouverneur May 27-28, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Gouverneur Community Center, 4673 NY-58, Gouverneur, NY 13642.
Tuition is $35.00 per person with family rates and youth scholarships available. Preregistration is required. To register send your name, email address and phone number to cgauxogdensburg@gmail.com
For information about additional in person and online classes, call 315-605-8041. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the U. S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org. (Article from the Gouverneur Tribune Press May 16, 2025)
The Town of Fowler will be paving the Sylvia Lake Road May 29 and June 2, weather dependent. This is a two-day job with no work on Friday or the weekend. We are paving from the mines to California Road. Be aware there will be long periods of waiting and high traffic in the area. Please plan accordingly. Thank You,
Randy Durham, Fowler Highway Superintendent, 315-222-6797
Sylvia Lake Summer Activities
All activities are organized by volunteers. Consider being one!
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June 29 - Spring Social, Gouverneur Country Club, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
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July 4 & 5 - 43rd Annual Ferguson Memorial Fishing Derby, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. , Hayden's dock on the West Shore.
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July 26 - Boat Parade - 1:00 meet at Indian Head. Theme TBD.
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August 3 - Nori Grout Sailboat Regatta - 1:00 meet at Indian Head.
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August 16 - Paddlepalooza 10:00 - noon - Lake center.
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August 16 - Summer Picnic & Annual Meeting - Fowler Town Hall Pavilion.
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August 30 - Light up the Lake (light up your boats & docks)
Don't forget to pay your ASSOCIATION & ROAD DUES!
Have you paid your Lake Association dues?
Your dues provide funds for lake management projects, support for community social activities, this website, an online store, newsletter mailings, contests, & and awards.
This is an all-volunteer organization.
Please donate $25.00 dues to support our community activities.
Sylvia Lake Association Mission: Preserving, Protecting & Promoting the Health of Sylvia Lake since 1968
Since 2003, the website has collected stories and documented summer events. "More Stories" is a collection of many of these stories, organized into years. Select a year to see the stories from that year.
Fishing at Sylvia Lake
Most people fishing in New York need a New York State Fishing License. There are three ways to get a fishing license in New York. You need a fishing license if you are 16 years and older.
2025
Since 2003, the website has collected stories and documented summer events. "More Stories" is a collection of many of these stories, organized into years. Select a year to see the stories from that year.
Trilliums at Sylvia!
If you've been to Sylvia Lake in May, you will remember seeing the carpets of white flowers on the forest floor. Those flowers were trilliums, and they were probably white, but if you look closer, you might find a red trillium.
2025
Sylvia Lake History
& Current Events
The website has published Sylvia Lake stories and documented summer events since 2003.
You can select a year and see the stories from that year... or use the search tool for an event or person. Many entries, but not all, have video.
Browse past boat parades, fishing derbies and all the events that make Sylvia so special to so many.
Click the button to browse them all.
In 2024, all operators of motorized vessels born on or after January 1, 1978 need to carry a safe boating certificate while operating. Now, starting January 1, 2025, a safety certificate will be required of all operators, regardless of age. Get your safe boater certificate online:
Click to view
With the recent change by New York State to require all motorboat operators in the state to have a license/safety certificate, I have been asked if I would be teaching the boating course again. Because I haven't taught a course in a few years, my certification as an instructor expired. I contacted the state to see if there was an expedited process to get re-certified but there is not. The bottom line is if I wanted to teach the boating course again, because of the steps I would have to follow and the time it would take the earliest I could teach the class would be mid-August. That means anyone passing the course wouldn't get their license/safety certificates until mid-September. So it just doesn't work for this year.
I would suggest taking the course online as soon as possible (or the in person class at The Gouverneur Community Center on May 27-28) and you should have the required paperwork about 2-3 weeks later. The information included in the course is practical, helpful information that makes the lake a safer place for everyone to enjoy. Please consider taking the online course as soon as possible. I hope everyone has a safe summer on the water.
Thank you
Ralph Undefrcoffler
Sylvia Lake Community Health & Safety Tips
EMERGENCY?
Call 911. Don’t forget to post your 911 address in a prominent location on your property and camp. Be sure you are registered... call the 911 operator from your camp phone to verify the directions to your place. Tell them “This is not an emergency...” then give them your location information.
NEW YORK STATE BOATING RULES OF THE ROAD
DEC officials and the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Dept. regularly patrol Sylvia Lake. Some general rules of the water are:
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All boat operators regardless of your age, are required by New York State to complete a boater safety course before operating their vessel.
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You may not ride within 500 feet of a marked swim area except when going directly to or from a launch site. Speed is restricted to 10 MPH.
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In New York State, speed is limited to 5 MPH when within 100 feet of the shore, a dock, pier, raft, float,or an anchored or moored boat.
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A PWC (jet ski) is subject to all the laws that motorboat operators must follow.
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You may not ride between sunset and sunrise and times of restricted visibility.
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Weaving in and out of traffic, jumping boat wakes, splashing others is dangerous and illegal.
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You must have and carry your boating safety certificate on board.
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One life saving device for each person aboard.
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Use lights after dusk.
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Be smart and carry an extra line, paddle and anchor.
SWIMMING
Swim with a buddy, have a boat with you when swimming long distance. Look before leaping.
Do not wash your hair/body/clothing in the lake unless you use environmentally neutral soap.
SUBMERGED ROCKS AND DEBRIS
Be aware of their locations. Water level changes, storms and ice break-up create new hazards every year. Some hazards may not be marked.
AVOID GAS AND OIL SPILLAGE
Check your motor for leaks. Fill up the tank away from the water.
CAMP ROADS
Use slow speed (15 mph is recommended) Please be courteous, ATV riders please use good judgement and avoid roads where you may be considered a nuisance. If you think violations have occurred, identify the violator and call the sheriff or state troopers. Call parents when appropriate. Please remind family and guests to not use the woods to discard bottles, cans and garbage. Be a good neighbor and keep the woods beautiful.
OUR PETS & OWNERS
The Town of Fowler has a Leash and Nuisance Law. Dogs may not run at large, bark habitually, or chase or intimidate any person. Complaints may be filed with a peace officer, Town Justice or Fowler Dog Warden, Dan Moyer at (315)528-7988
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
Watch for suspicious activity, trees falling, evidence of broken pipes or anything unusual. Be aware that smoky campfires can drift through neighbor's windows. Be considerate, noise carries over water ... so remind your guests or renters of the "quiet time." We share this beautiful space and each of us enjoys different ways to recreate. Have a great season!
Suggested “quiet time” around the lake is from 10:00 PM until 10:00 AM.
PROBLEMS WITH BEAVERS?
There are three different Nuisance Beaver permit types a landowner or organization can apply for.
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Beaver Removal permit allows for the lethal removal of beaver on the permittee’s property outside of the regulated trapping season.
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A Dam Removal permit also allows for lethal removal of beavers, plus the breaching or removal of a beaver dam no more than 2 years old.
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A Culvert Maintenance permit is a type of blanket permit that allows the permittee to address flooding concerns by removing dams and other beaver-related materials that are immediately adjacent to culverts and bridges. This permit type is only available to certain organizations and allows for work to be done on any property the permittee owns or maintains a right-of-way on.
All nuisance beaver permit types are valid for the calendar year in which they are issued. If a permit is needed for multiple years, the permittee must reapply annually. Visit our online permitting system to apply for a Nuisance Beaver Permit.
Beaver Damage Control Techniques Manual
Region 6 - information
Region 6 - Information
(315) 265-3090 Potsdam
Frequently referred to as ‘ecosystem engineers’, beavers create quality wetland habitats for various species of birds, mammals, fish, invertebrates, and more. However, occasionally beaver activity can lead to conflicts with humans by causing flooding and damaging trees.
Beavers and beaver dams are protected under the Environmental Conservation Law. Section 11-0505 states that “no person is allowed at any time to disturb a beaver dam, house, or den without obtaining a permit from DEC”. This permit provides options for landowners experiencing damage related to beavers and beaver activity.
The Gouverneur Country Club offers a 60 day unlimited golf pass for seasonal local residents.
Recycling with the
Town of Fowler Supports:
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Playground & Community Facilities
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The Town's SOS Food Program
(Support Our Seniors)
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And the Town's HAP Food Program
Find drop-off bins at the Town Highway building. Call the Town Offices for more information.
New York Septic System Replacement Fund
The State of New York still has allocated money to replace deficient septic tanks on specific bodies of water in the County of Saint Lawrence.
If you own a house within 250 feet of Cranberry Lake, Star Lake, Sylvia Lake, or almost any river in the Adirondacks and your septic tank is too small, breaking down, or otherwise deficient, you may be eligible for funds through the New York Septic System Replacement Fund.
View/download the letter from Bradley Johnson, St. Lawrence County Public Health Sanitarian.
If you believe you are eligible, please call or email Bradley Johnson, and his office will send you the appropriate paperwork. Their goal is to protect the waterways of Saint Lawrence County.
TESTIMONIAL FROM RALPH UNDERCOFFLER:
St. Lawrence County still has grant money available for residents of Sylvia Lake to upgrade their septic systems (information is posted above.) Grants can be as much as $10,000. Our family applied for the grant last summer to replace the septic system at our camp on the North Shore Road and we received approval within 3 days. The process is easy and the benefit is great! Please consider taking advantage of this rare opportunity to help keep Sylvia Lake cleaner and safer for generations to come. 5/22/25
