Lets Fill The Lagoon!

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View the Latest plans for the Catoctin Pond Water Quality Improvement Project Below

Dear Friends,

You may have heard that the pond at Catoctin was not available for swimming last summer. Last spring the county health department was not willing to accept our application for a natural bathing beach permit due to some concerns about the quality of water in the stream that feeds our pond. This winter we have worked with local water quality laboratories, Professors in the biology department at Hood College, County and State Health officials and made many calls to the MD Department of Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment. We have also received proposals from three environmental engineering firms and on January 29th a group of biologists, environmental engineers and others, all camp parents and concerned Friends, met to evaluate the proposals.

One proposal stood head and shoulders above the rest. It was prepared by Friends from two different engineering firms who are long-time camp parents and attend Goose Creek Monthly Meeting. It blends careful evaluation, monitoring, and environmentally sensitive technologies in a holistic long term solution to the problem. The proposal can be viewed at DS-ET Lagoon Water Quality Proposal.

Sounds fantastic doesn't it! It is a long term solution that can have our campers swimming in crystal clear, clean, safe water this summer. However (you knew there would be a "however" didn't you), the plan necessitates that we raise the money for the project. Our goal for this effort is $73,000. Our goal is to raise that amount before the year 2005 becomes 2006. Baltimore Yearly Meeting has been providing affordable camping experiences for children for nearly 50 years. It is our intention to continue to do so. Because of that intention, we do not want to pass the full burden of this project on to our children through camper fees. At Catoctin, children learn that when we care for each other, and work together, all things are possible. Can we demonstrate our love for Catoctin and our belief in the values we learned at Camp?

Of course we can!