Earlier this summer, the PLIA initiated a letter writing campaign to let our State officials know that we had grave concerns about plans to expand the campgrounds at Pawtuckaway State Park to add 35 waterfront RV sites with water and electric hookups.
Issues were also raised about the inadequate condition of existing toilet and septic facilities at the Park.
In addition, problems of erosion at waterfront campsites have increased since the Park stopped enforcing its rule requiring campers to swim only at the Park beach.
We are pleased to announce that the NH Division of State Parks has listened to stakeholders and responded accordingly. There will be NO NEW campsites constructed at Pawtuckaway State Park.
Instead, the Division will use ARPA funds to reconstruct existing toilet buildings and create a dumping station.
Finally, they are going to review their administrative rules to examine the rules around swimming. They will also be taking an inventory of all the waterfront sites to prioritize work on the most eroded ones. There are steps that can be taken to decrease the amount of erosion occurring.
Thank you to all who answered the call and sent in emails and letters as part of our letter writing campaign! You did it!
And thank you to the Division of State Parks for being responsive to citizen concerns.
Jamie Burleigh, Weed Control Diver for the PLIA Milfoil Team, is pleased to announce that the Scouts of BSA Troop 167 are on a mission to help with Pawtuckaway Lake’s milfoil problem. With the help of Scout Master Dan DeButts and Jamie, a dive club has been formed within the troop.
to be trained in SCUBA diving. This will be considered community service for their requirements for advancement and a Merit badge, because the Scouts who are getting SCUBA qualified will be part of the troop’s dive club.
Jamie reports that the Scouts have now all completed the class and pool requirements. Unfortunately the weather in July has not allowed for their two open water dives to complete the training. Their plan is to get it completed the first week of August if the weather cooperates.
Weed Control Divers. He will train them how to identify milfoil and how to work near it so they don’t accidentally spread it.
Stalwart celebrants of the July Fourth Annual Boat Parade around Pawtuckaway Lake were not deterred by the threat of rain. They decorated their boats and watercraft – and themselves – to share their festive spirit with everyone who came out.
brought out the super soakers and blasted each other from boat to boat or defended themselves from eager participants on docks waiting in ambush!
On Saturday morning, June 3, 2023, despite the cold and rain, 200 people assembled at the State Park Pavilion to hear our guest speaker make her presentation. For many years, Amy Smagula, Chief Limnologist at NH DES, has developed long-term milfoil management plans for Pawtuckaway Lake. Consistently she has recommended that the PLIA continue its program of hand-pulling milfoil plants, coupled with a robust Lake Host program for prevention of new incoming infestations.
For the first time this year, Amy is recommending that carefully tailored herbicide treatment could be part of our milfoil plan, because of the alarming spread
and density of new milfoil growths. Her most recent Long Term Milfoil Management Plan can be found
Amy helped many of the attendees better understand her plan for the lake and how NH DES will be assisting our Milfoil Team with other endeavors, such as a Diver Assisted Suction Harvester (DASH) boat.
members were retiring and four new members had volunteered to join the Board. Leaving were Dee Decker, Mike Coltin, Mike Hyer, and Les Thompson. The four members elected unanimously were: Troy Brown, Dawn Fernald, Shelly Heit, and Neil Santos. Steve then introduced Program Chairs who gave their reports, starting with Bruce Henden, new Lake Host Manager. Milfoil Team Captain Neil Santos vividly described how difficult it is in Pawtuckaway’s conditions of low visibility to locate milfoil plants to begin with. He further emphasized how carefully removing entire milfoil root systems stirs up the lake’s silty bottom to create almost no visibility at all. Plant fragments and stalks can easily be lost in the murk. He also invited people to watch the 
Communications Chair Pam Kelly announced a letter writing campaign sponsored by the PLIA to encourage stakeholders to send their comments about the Pawtuckaway State Park expansion plan to state and local officials. She explained that the PLIA does not oppose the expansion in its entirety, but only wants the design of the new RV campsites, as proposed, to be modified. There are many reasons, she added, why those campsites should be away from the waterfront where they pose environmental and aesthetic threats. She has publicized this campaign to all PLIA members and friends so they can participate if they wish. You can read the article 
State Park who now works as a Supervisor for the NH Parks and Recreation Division. She spoke about the initiatives the park system is taking to assist our Lake Host and Milfoil Programs with their work, educating park visitors and assisting them to learn about keeping watercraft clean, drained, and dry. She explained when the next public information session about the park expansion can take place. She also noted that the State Park system now has 
Following all this sobering talk, attendees were invited to visit member Sonoma Potavin’s display about her Chinese Mystery Snail project and take home with them a complimentary snail collection bucket that Sonoma had created to help people find, remove, and safely dispose of these pests in the lake. Sonoma’s initiative was praised by Amy, who intends to publicize her wonderful effort.
The Paddle Poker table did a brisk 
business in raffle tickets, PLIA T-shirts were sold, refreshments were enjoyed, and many took a stab at playing the “Name that Scat” game invented by Susan Medeiros. What fun!
as Water Testing Chair. Wags manages a team of dedicated
members and provides them with collection bottles to take water samples, which he delivers to the State labs in Concord every month for testing. As “Commodore” of the good ship Water Testing, he and his crew are out on the lake in all kinds of weather taking samples and measuring various qualities of our lake water. He is truly an unsung hero who deserves all our thanks!
NH Parks and Recreation has plans to add 35 RV campsites at Pawtuckaway State Park. The current design to the right shows them all grouped on or near the waterfront along the North Channel.
These photos show the stretch along the North Channel that would be affected. For these reasons, the PLIA opposes the existing design of the expansion, as proposed. The State has told us that the design is “conceptual” and can be modified. Based on that understanding, we want those campsites to be relocated away from the water, where they will not threaten the delicate balance of our lake. If you would like to weigh in on this project, we urge you to send a letter or email to our state officials voicing your opinion. We have drafted a 
Saturday, June 3, 2023
Amy has been providing expert assistance for our Milfoil Team, helping us train Weed Watchers and Lake Hosts, providing expert assistance for our Milfoil Team, doing surveys of Pawtuckaway’s plants and lake health, and monitoring our milfoil infestations.
Please come to learn more about the history of milfoil and its management on Pawtuckaway Lake-it is now getting out of hand – and bring your questions!
to share about our organization and the lake, much to celebrate, and future activities to discuss. Your presence makes our meeting more productive and more fun!
The PLIA has mailed out its annual PawPrints newsletter and it is now available online as well, 
On April 15, 2023, Nottingham held a town wide clean up day. Volunteers from the PLIA pledged to return to the scene of their campaign last year at the Town beach. 
This year there was a surprise awaiting them – Autumn Ricker had brought his loader and rake to do the groundwork (so to speak) for their project to remove grasses and rocks and roots from the beach sand. While he was operating his heavy 
equipment, the crew got busy hauling fallen branches and debris from the area under the trees next to the beach. Then they removed more rocks and roots from the sand
excavated by Autumn, resulting in a pristine area for summer visitors to enjoy. 
The PLIA would like to 
make Autumn Ricker an honorary member of their organization! Thanks to all for showing up and pitching in! Check out the before and after photos below. We are happy to help make Nottingham a Town to be proud of!
On April 1, 2023, three dozen people filled a room at the Nottingham Town Offices for a training conducted by the Pawtuckaway Lake Improvement Association (PLIA). The topic was about spotting and preventing invasive species from entering a lake or pond. 
PLIA Lake Host Coordinator Dee Decker and Weed Watcher Co-Chair Steve Soreff made presentations about courtesy inspections of boats and trailers, and how to recognize aquatic pests like milfoil, phragmites, purple loosestrife, and water chestnuts.
When the rain abated, the crowd moved outdoors for more instruction on ways to inspect boats for the presence of invasive “hitchhikers.”