Potomac Bay Estates

After our beach project was completed, we observed that water flow in the Potomac was washing sand into and out of the beach area.  After studying the matter, we decided to close up the gap on the west end of the beach area by installing a “gabion basket” filled with rocks in the gap between the western spur and the old breakwater.

A gabion basket is a basket made of steel wire — here’s a photo of a wall made of gabion baskets.

We had a gabion basket approximately 16 feet long X 4 feet wide X 5 feet deep.  On June a5 and 18 we installed the basket into the gap and filled it with boulders.

First, we had to pick up the boulders, supplied by Vance Headley in Heathsville.

We used two methods to get the stones from the trucks out to the basket, a distance of about 150 feet into the river. All work was manual labor using hand tools, no power equipment was used.

One method of transporting the stones from the shore out to the gabion basket was to slide the stones down planks into a garden cart, submerged in the river.  When the cart was filled with stones, pull the cart out to the basket and move the stones into the basket.

The other method was to use a pulley system.  We embedded a post into the river bank beside the gabion basket.  From that post we ran a steel cable to the bank where we tied it onto Frank’s truck.  We then suspended a 5-gallon bucket from a pulley on the steel cable.  We used ropes tied to the bucket to pull it back and forth.  Joe would lift rocks into the bucket, Frank would pull the bucket out to the basket and dump the rocks, then Joe would pull the empty bucket back to the shore and repeat.

Here’s the finished product.  The gabion basket, filled with stones, can be seen just protruding above the surface of the water at the left of the old breakwater.

The minutes of the June 2018 PBE POA annual meeting are now online, with supporting documents.

Go to this link for the minutes and documents.

Thanks to everyone who attended the annual meeting last Saturday, June 2.  Twenty-nine of us were present; twenty-two lots were represented in person (19) or by proxy (3).  We are preparing the final minutes and will post the minutes and supporting documents soon.

Meanwhile:  It’s mosquito season!!

The heavy rain last week left our soil waterlogged with standing water in a few places until things dry out.

Some property owners have discovered puddles on their property filled with mosquito larvae.  The larvae look like tiny ants swarming around in the puddles.  In most cases, there will be so many larvae the water will seem to be moving.

One of our neighbors sprayed a heavy coat of roach and ant spray on his puddles and after 2-3 minutes all the larvae were dead, floating on the surface.

You may want to check your property for standing water.  Mosquitoes don’t need a lake on which to breed —  they will breed in very small collections of standing water; they’ll even breed in the water in a bucket.

Farmer’s Service in Burgess has insecticide made specifically for mosquito larvae called “Mosquito Dunks;”  these are small disks that float on top of the water and dispense insecticide.   Ace Hardware in Lottsburg probably has the same or similar product.  Most any insecticide sprayed into the water should kill the larvae if you can’t find an insecticide made especially for mosquitoes.

Here’s a photo of mosquito larvae in a bucket.

After our annual meeting today, some folks suggested we add a section to our website for neighborhood recipes.

Done!!

Check out our Neighborhood Recipes page.  This page will have links to recipes submitted by Potomac Bay Estates neighbors.

If you want to submit one of your recipes, please email it to us at potomacbaypoa@hotmail.com

 

Reminder:  PBE POA Annual Meeting

• Saturday, June 2

• 1:00 PM

• Potluck lunch at 12 noon; bring a side dish and/or dessert to share

• 4142 Newman’s Neck Road (Willams’ home)

• The Association will furnish hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, condiments, sodas, water, tea.  BYOB wine, beer.

Here is the agenda for the annual meeting (PDF):   Agenda PBE POA-Annual 0602_2018_0518_v3_

If you are not able to attend, please download this proxy form, complete and return it per the instructions on the form.  2018 ann meeting proxy form

Beginning Spring 2018, our neighborhood grass cutting is being done by two local lawn services:  Thomas Brothers, and, James Robinson.

The Thomases cut the ditches, the well house lot, the picnic area and an area around the neighborhood entrance.  They cut these areas every other week during the spring, summer and fall grass-growing season.

Jim Robinson cuts the big common area — the 13-acre area that contains our septic drain fields.  He cuts this area four times a year:  Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and a final cut before winter.  Grass in this area has a growth spurt in late September-October.  We evaluate the grass height in this area in October and decide when to do the fourth cut in the late fall-early winter.

Here is a map showing the grass-cutting schedule as of June 2018.  PBE_Grass Graphic-text_June 2 2018

The Potomac Bay Estates Property Owner’s Association 2018 annual meeting will be held:

• Saturday, June 2
• 1:00 PM
• Williams home, 4142 Newman’s Neck Road

Potluck lunch at 12:00 noon.  The Association provides hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, condiments, tea, water, soda.  Please bring a side dish and/or dessert to share.  BYOB wine and beer.

If you cannot attend, please download the proxy form, fill it out and mail to the POA Secretary at 196 Potomac Drive, Heathsville VA 22473.  The proxy form is at this link:  2018 ann meeting proxy form