Author: Pam Kelly

On Saturday July 6th, three open water certified SCUBA divers were trained and certified in exotic milfoil weed removal. We now have FOUR Pawtuckaway divers to remove milfoil when we find it!

FINDING the new growths of variable milfoil is the hard part of this important work.  Our team of snorkelers has been working overtime in search of new plants and growths. Once plants are found and identified, they are marked with floating markers. Then the divers know where to find the plants for removal.

In addition, we trained three topside “tenders” in kayaks who assist the divers to maximize their underwater time for search and removal. We need to train more of these topside tenders to protect the divers and snorkel search teams from wayward boaters, keep them supplied with tools and materials, and cart off the removed plants.  It’s a big job! In the photo below you will note the “diver down” flags strategically placed to indicate where divers are located.

In the last week we have logged over 60 hours in volunteer time on this most important mission.

Special thanks to Ted Aldrich (weedcontroldiver@gmail.com) who made the trip from Keene to train our volunteers for an 8 hour day!

Thanks to all our members who support our Lake Host and Weed Control Programs with your higher level dues donations.  It helps our reimbursement for materials, supplies, and training.

If you are interested in these volunteer activities, please contact us at Info@PawtucawayLake.com.

Record numbers of members attended the Annual Meeting of the PLIA on June 8, 2019, at the Pawtuckaway State Park Pavilion. Following coffee and refreshments, there was time to circulate and socialize, review the reports of Program Chairs, meet new neighbors and members, and scan the recently published updated Welcome Booklet. President Tom Duffy reflected on the PLIA’s activities and accomplishments in 2018, then Membership Chair Mike Coltin presented the 2018 Local Hero Award to Dee Decker, longtime PLIA member and volunteer. Dee was honored for her tireless work as coordinator for NH LAKES’s Lake Host program at Pawtuckaway Lake. She organizes volunteers, obtains funding, does trainings, recruits Lake Hosts, schedules shifts, compiles data and reports on boat inspections, advocates for lake healthy policies and laws, and steers our program into the success it has become. Whew! Weed Watcher Co-Chair Steve Soreff introduced our speakers from the Marine Patrol. Their talk was highly informative and engaging. The audience had many questions which the Officers answered with insight and good humor. Following a light lunch, some members opted to take a pontoon boat ride with President Tom Duffy, Water Sampler Jim Kelly, and Milfoil Team Leader Neil Santos to learn more about our Water Testing and Milfoil Management Programs.  

At the PLIA Annual Meeting on June 8th at 9:30 AM– just fun, information, refreshment, games, T-shirts, conversation, enthusiasm, community spirit, celebration, exploration, education, and environmental awareness—that’s all!

First off, some games to keep the kids busy while the grownups attend to more serious business under the shelter of the State ParkPavilion. Corn hole, ladder ball, or can jam, anyone?

The weather seems to be cooperating (so far), and that means one of our Board members will be leading a guided hike after a light lunch to take advantage of the beautiful trails in Pawtuckaway State Park.

For others, we will be offering a trip to the Park Camp Store for those who want to sample its wares, then an excursion on pontoon boats to learn more about our Water Testing and Milfoil Management Programs.

We have reserved the Pavilion at the State Park for the entire day! Entry for our Annual Meeting is free! Check out this map that highlights these events near the Pavilion where our meeting is taking place:

Let’s make this a banner year for Annual Meeting attendance! You don’t need to be a member if you want to come and learn about our organization. Neighbors and friends are welcome.

The PLIA’s Annual Meeting this year is at the Pawtuckaway State Park Pavilion. Entry for this event is free of charge! Please join us, and bring the kids:

Saturday, June 8^th

9:30 AM

State Park Pavilion

As you drive up to the State Park entrance, just say to the attendant in the booth, “I’m with the PLIA” and they will wave you through. There will be a sign at the place where you turn off the main park road into the parking lot for the Pavilion, about 1.3 miles down the road to the right.

There will be coffee and refreshments, games to occupy the kids, and after the meeting, a light lunch. If you stay and the weather cooperates, there will be boat rides and hikes, too!

Every spring, the PLIA holds its Annual Meeting. Existing members, renewing members, and newcomers to the lake are all welcome to attend this event. It has many purposes:

• to vote on new Board members and conduct other business,
• to bring everyone up to date on the achievements and goals of the PLIA,
• to encourage discussion and debate about lake stewardship,
• to foster the spirit of volunteerism,
• to celebrate the benefits of membership, and
• to provide a venue for members to socialize or meet new neighbors.

This year, we are happy to announce that Pawtuckaway State Park is making its Pavilion available to us as the location for our Annual Meeting. Entry to the Park for this event is FREE OF CHARGE!

Our long-standing neighbor to the west, the State Park is also a valuable partner in one of our most important programs; namely, the prevention of the introduction of invasive aquatic species into the lake. They have trained their staff about invasive aquatic species and the mission of NH LAKES’s Lake Host Program. They have welcomed our Lake Hosts into the Park to perform courtesy watercraft inspections, take surveys of visitors to the Park, and spread the alarm about milfoil.

Now they are welcoming us all to enjoy the beauty of the State Park while we conduct the business and pleasure of our Annual Meeting. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks (Games! Demonstrations! Boat Rides! Hikes!)

And meanwhile, heartfelt thanks to the NH Division of Parks and Recreation!

The PLIA’s annual newsletter, PawPrints, is ready to read. The print version has been mailed out and many of you have already received it.  Even if you have, it’s worth taking another look at our electronic version, because it’s so much better in color! And if you haven’t, there’s a lot of important news inside that you won’t want to miss.

For example, we are excited to report that our Annual Meeting is getting a makeover, and we want to share the details with everyone. New time, new place. Hope to see you all there!

To read the PawPrints online, just click on Pawprints spring 2019 edition.

Local opportunity at Pawtuckaway Lake for high school & college students, teachers, retirees, or anyone who likes to work outside. Email Dee Decker for more information.

You may be seeing ice fisherman on parts of Pawtuckaway Lake, but there is still a lot of open water, and that could spell danger for anyone venturing out. Please never go on the ice alone, and always check the thickness before you step on it. Remember, ice thickness can vary from location to location, so always keep checking!

The graphic above has rough minimum measurements you should consult before doing so. However, the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research & Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, NH, offers a “rule of thumb” on ice thickness: “There should be a minimum of six inches of hard ice before individual foot travel, and eight to ten inches of hard ice for snow machine or All-Terrain Vehicle travel.”

Temperatures this season have varied wildly, with snow, rain, thawing and freezing weather creating dangerous conditions on the ice. Ice can be thick, but not strong, because of varying weather conditions. Weak ice is formed when warming trends break down ice, then the slushy surface re-freezes.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department has a very helpful booklet regarding ice safety and you can read it by clicking here.

To all our winter sports enthusiasts:  Safety first!