In March and April, Virginia Tech students conducted a study of the Wyatt Farm pond. Their conclusions include:
- The pond supports a healthy largemouth bass population.
- The population of small prey fish has declined and could benefit from minor structure enhancements.
- The algae in the pond is typical and can be easily controlled.
Here is their complete final report. The Wyatt Farm HOA Board has discussed the report and will take immediate action to address the algae problem. We appreciate the professional effort put into this study.
This is a message from Blacksburg Alert, a public notification service of the Town of Blacksburg.
Sanitary Sewer Line Replacement on N. Main Street from Wyatt Farms to Mt. Tabor Road
The eastbound lane of North Main Street between Wyatt Farms to Mt. Tabor Road will be intermittently closed 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. beginning Monday, August 17 and continuing for five weeks.
The closure is to allow the replacement of an 8-inch force main along the shoulder.
Traffic will be routed and flagged to one operational lane during lane closures.
For more information, call Johnny Beane, Utility Superintendant, at 540-961-1144.
Skunk traps were set this morning at seven locations around the neighborhood, mostly in green space areas. They will be in place for the next two weeks. The traps are small metal cages that are spring-loaded so that when the skunk enters the trap, the cage door closes, locking them inside. Each morning (skunks are active at night) we will check the traps and call the owners to remove the animal and reset the trap.
Please do not approach or disturb these traps. Generally, a skunk will not spray once in the trap, but it might.
If you have questions, please call John Lewis at 951-0119 or contact another member of the HOA Board.
We will break in the new Wyatt Farm Commons area in September with a neighborhood picnic. Save the date: Friday, September 18th.
As you have seen, the initial pavilion and picnic tables have been completed. A charcoal grill will be installed within a couple weeks. And plans are in place to continue to grow the Commons into a wonderful resource for everyone.
Details to follow. Looking forward to it!
As many of you know, skunks have been a problem this summer nationwide, and we have our share. Several dogs have been sprayed in our neighborhood, and they are a general nuisance.
The Wyatt Farm HOA has contracted with Blue Ridge Wildlife Management to address this situation. Six or seven skunk traps will be set throughout the neighborhood on Friday, August 7th. More details to follow.
Update: setting the traps has been delayed until Monday, August 10th.
A Wyatt Farm resident has reported that she and her Doberman were accosted by another dog on the walking paths near Birchleaf as it goes into the Woodbine neighborhood. The Doberman was bitten, breaking the skin. Any information you may have about this would be helpful.
The attacking dog was midsize with short, rusty light brown hair. It had gotten away from a young girl (slender, early teens, with shoulder length dark hair) who was walking it. The leash she was using was red and black, possibly braided.
If you have any information that might help, please contact Pat Eng at 953-2559 or pateng@vt.edu.
Some reminders as we head into spring:
- Please watch your speed in the neighborhood, especially on Vinyard (it’s a 25 MPH zone). As the weather turns nice, we have lots of kids playing outside.
- If you plan to be away from you house overnight or more, please let your neighbors know so we can look out for each other. If you let the Blacksburg police know when you’ll be away on vacation, they will make a point to keep an eye out.
- Remember that any significant external home project should be approved by the Architectural Review Committee. This includes landscaping efforts. See the FAQ and the neighborhood covenants for more details.
- Thanks for helping keep the neighborhood clean and beautiful. Picking up blown trash and cleaning up after your dog is greatly appreciated.
Wyatt Farm is teaming up with Woodbine this year for a Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt! It will be held this Saturday, April 4th, at 2:00 pm at the large Woodbine park off of Birchleaf Lane. Hope to see you there!
If you have any questions, feel free to email Kristine Lattimer at bklattimer@verizon.net.
Students from Virginia Tech, under the direction of Dr. Brian Murphy, will be conducting Wyatt Farm pond sampling on March 26, April 2, and/or April 9, depending on the weather. They will compare the results to those from a similar study conducted a few years ago and will recommend possible management actions. The students will have the necessary permits.
Update: here is their final report.
Just a quick reminder that Wyatt Farm homeowners are responsible for clearing snow off of sidewalks that adjoin their property. Thanks for helping keep the neighborhood safe and useful!