GREATER FIRST COLONY

Lake Pasbehegh

Lake Pasbehegh (pass-buh-hay) is a beautiful, treasured asset that benefits our entire neighborhood.  The private 40 acre fresh water lake with about 90 homes adjacent, is owned by the GFCACA and is not open to the public. All members in good standing are allowed to use the lake, small park, and boat access area. James City County owns a portion of the dam where it operates a sewer lift system.

• History - The 40 acre lake was formed in the early 1960's by damming a tidal stream that ran from the James up into the woods. When the lots were cleared to build homes, the trees were thrown into the stream gulch. This means there are hundreds of trees and other organic material in the bottom of the lake which gives life to an algal mat that floats up in the summer and then dies off and floats down in the winter.
  
  
• Park - We have a small lake park adjacent to The Maine with limited boat storage. See the boat rules below. There is a fee for storing boats.
  
  
• Drainage, Dam and Spillway - Water management is the top priority for maintaining the lake. Other neighborhoods had their lake's drain to empty and we strive to prevent that and many other major challenges. The main Dam was constructed with stumps and fill dirt and has sunk several feet over the years.  The Spillway is a critical safety feature that is a pair of tubes that runs under The Maine, just before you get to Powie Circle.  We completed a repair on the lakeside of the Spillway to address an erosion issue though drainage requires ongoing maintenance. 
  
  
• Carp - We purchased a couple of hundred sterile grass carp many years ago, which have grown to impressive size. The carp only eat the milfoil, duckweed, and hydrofoil.  Neither the carp nor any other animal that we are aware of will eat the fibrous algae that floats up from the murky depths.
  
  
• Water Quality - We have the water tested periodically by an outside contractor or scientists at W&M (see below) and the tests generally show the same results:  the water is safe, with no E-Coli, but suffers from nitrogen run-off in the Spring and excessive algae growth which can lead to 'dead zones' of low oxygen toward the bottom in the summer. The lake is about 10' deep in the middle.  In the summer the water 'turns over', which changes the color of the water.
  
  
• Water Plants & Algae - We contract with a 3rd party vendor to apply an environmentally safe herbicide to control algal growth. We know that nitrogen fertilizer run-off contributes to excessive algae growth, as does pet waste run-off and leaf litter that settles to the bottom of the lake. Some neighbors manually harvest the algae using a rake and a Jon boat. 
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• Silt - Lake Pasbehegh serves as a storm water collection basin for hundreds of homes, including those not in the Greater First Colony like Berkeley's Green and Fernbrook. The Lake is slowly filling in with silt and this means that the fingers of the lake can turn to mud when the water level drops making it more difficult to boat on. The only long term solution to this is to dredge the lake, which is beyond our capabilities as a volunteer homeowners association. We have ongoing discussions with James City County to address this issue.
  
  
• Water Level - There is very little we can do to raise the water level of the lake within our budget. We are studying the possibility of installing a dam by the Spillway to control the water level, preserve our aging drainage tubes in the spillway and facilitate the removal of debris which becomes critical (and dangerous) when there is a hurricane or tropical storm.
  
  
• Pump Station - James City County owns a pump 'lift' station on the dam and a small bit of land around it. 
  
  
• Dues - There are no additional dues for those living on the lake so all previous projects have been funded through the normal Association budget process. Property owners work together to keep leaves out of the lake, not use fertilizer and other measures to help make the lake as pristine as possible. Members are encouraged to donate money into the Fast Forward donations for upcoming large capital projects that must be done. 

• Working Together - The lake is made up of many complex and critical systems to keep the water level and quality high so that is can be admired and safely used. Since the entire Greater First Colony area's overflow water ends up in the lake, we must all take it upon ourselves to help maintain the lake health. From finding alternatives to nitrogen fertilizer on our yards, keeping leaves out of the lake and observing the rules of the lake, every effort helps and can't be accomplished with only a few people.
  
  
• Access and Park - The lake is only accessible to all GFCACA members in good standing and is not open to the public. For those who don’t live on the lake, Pasbehegh Park at 219 The Maine is a great access point with a fishing pier, sitting area and boat put-in. 
  
  
• Boats - No gas operated boats are allowed on the lake. Jon boats, canoes, and kayaks can enjoy paddling and good fishing throughout the lake. All boats should have a current association boat sticker on them indicating the member has current paid dues. 
  
  
• Fishing - The lake has great fishing and we encourage catch and release. You will find shad, sunfish, bass, pickerel, crappie, huge carp, catfish, perch and other species. All fishermen must be licensed.
  
  
• Fertilize Smart - Since water runoff in the lake comes from so many homes in multiple communities, every bit of over fertilizing flows into the lake. First, please learn more about how we can more responsibly fertilize our lawns and gardens, including information on how to receive an inexpensive soil test. Although there are many factors that affect algal and plant blooms on the lake, none impacts the water more than runoff from lawns and gardens.
  
  
• Trees - If a tree on your property falls into the lake, please arrange for it to be removed. The GFCACA does not have the budget or the manpower to remove trees that fall in the lake.
  
  
• Leaves - Please blow leaves away from the lake. Leaves blown into the lake settle on the bottom and highly encourage the growth of the algal mat.
  
  
• Pet Waste - Please clean up after your pets every time. Nearby pet waste quickly pollutes the lake and encourages algae growth every time it rains.

Periodically the neighborhood engages with the biology department at William & Mary to collect water samples (and soon depth readings) from the lake. In return, we make a small donation to the department. 

Please see the latest sample results: Bathymetry of Lake Pasbehegh