For over 50 years, a small group of Ridgefield Town residents have cared for a 95-acre lake called Lake Mamanasco in the pre-colonial town of Ridgefield Ct.   Lake Mamanasco is a spring-fed, public-use lake which, in addition to recharging the Ridgefield local aquifer, drains into the Croton Reservoir in Westchester County…a source of NYC drinking water.   We view our lake as a “living entity” that requires stewardship to support a healthy, thriving environment for animal and aquatic life. (The wildlife of Lake Mamanasco includes Bald Eagles, bobcats, Large and Small Mouth Bass, Grey Herons, muskrats, Yellow Perch, Painted Turtle, Pumpkin Seed Sunfish, otters, migratory birds and Mute Swans.)   The many tasks of MLIF members include fund-raising and grant seeking; public education on smart-lake living; working with government bodies and the scientists of Pond & Lake Connection to eliminate and prevent invasive plants and species; coordination and fund raising for a state-mandated dam restoration to protect against a 100-yr flood event; and, finally, planting and maintaining buffer zones, shorelines, and drain basins.