The PLIA Annual Meeting held at the Pawtuckaway State Park Pavilion on June 11 
attracted a crowd of over 80 people. The weather was fine, spirits were high, and attention was focused on issues of importance to wildlife and recreation on the lake.
The featured speaker, Krystal Costa Balanoff of NH LAKES, addressed the gathering on the topic of making shoreline properties lake friendly. She stressed the harm caused by runoff of polluted water into the lake and ways to mitigate such damage through landscaping and other practices. NH LAKES offers a program called LakeSmart designed to help property owners assess conditions on their property, suggesting methods to improve their land and its impact on the health of adjacent water. The program is free of charge and completely confidential. To learn more, click here.
Reports on the PLIA’s programs were given, 
updating members on the status of various issues related to the lake and its community.
A fundraising effort initiated by one of our youngest members was also introduced.
The annual Local Hero award was presented to Jamie Burleigh
for his tireless work and countless volunteer hours extracting milfoil from the lake 
with his diving partner Sarah Patey. Neil detailed the efforts of this exceptional team of volunteer divers over the past several years, starting as early as April with ice still on the lake until October amid the lake drawdown. Because she could not be present at the meeting, Sarah was presented with her award at the home of Milfoil Team Chair Neil Santos. Thank you, Sarah and Jamie!
Folks who attended the Annual Meeting came away with a fresh sense of enthusiasm for the work of the PLIA and their part in that work as supporters and volunteers. Below are photos of this wonderful crowd! See you on the lake!
project for Nottingham Clean Up Day. They brought their tools, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work on reversing the neglect of five years without maintenance. From 8:00 – 11:30 AM on April 16th, volunteers wielded picks, hoes, rakes, saws, loppers, and wheelbarrows in an effort to reclaim the sand that had been taken over by grass and bushes.
were holding together a lot of soil on top of the underlying sand. The bushes had roots that were long and tough and resistant to being pulled up.
One observant worker noticed the layering of soil and sand under the grass. The top part was darker brown and clearly the product of decomposing plant matter over a number of years, while the sand beneath remained a lighter inorganic shade. Very dramatic! However, it made the group’s job clearer – remove as much organic matter as possible and expose the sand to the surface rays of the sun. Backbreaking but rewarding work.
a lopper to tame their roots. Thank goodness for the wheelbarrow to transport the discarded plant matter into the woods where its decomposition would benefit the trees and wildlife.
All in all, a successful morning amidst beautiful scenery. Fresh air, a breeze to blow away the bugs, good company, plenty of exercise. And Pawtuckaway Lake looks good from every angle! 
On April 3, 2022, at the Town of Nottingham Community Center, the PLIA held 
an Aquatic Invasive Species Training. They called in experts and tapped their Program Chairs to offer free Community Workshops to anyone in Nottingham interested in protecting a local water body from invasive species. For those who were unable to attend or attendees who wish to review some of the materials presented, there are links in the article below to each Power Point presentation.
First: Member Therese Thompson provided instruction on identifying aquatic invasive species in or around a lake or pond. Her lecture was very comprehensive, covering both native and non-native plants. It included pointers on how to recognize and distinguish between both, which can sometime be a difficult challenge. She highlighted the invasive plants that have been found in and around Pawtuckaway. In particular, she urges everyone to pay special attention to the last slide in her show, that has links to resources to help with identifications: 
Lake Host Coordinator Dee Decker 
explained NH LAKES’ Lake Host Program and the PLIA’s participation in it. Her presentation included instruction on inspecting boats and trailers to detect invasive “hitchhikers” before they enter a water body, plus how to clean, drain, and dry watercraft to avoid the spread of these invaders. When the gathering moved outside, Lake Host Manager Mary
Hervey assisted Dee to demonstrate actual boat and trailer inspection protocols. They also offered advice about courtesy, efficiency, and education when talking to boaters about these inspections: 
Milfoil Team Chair Neil Santos demonstrated how milfoil has spread in
Pawtuckaway Lake since 2015. He explained why a milfoil infestation is harmful and how his team searches for and removes this weed, one of the most pervasive of the invasives. He reminded people to contact him, Dee Decker, or Steve Soreff if they saw a suspicious growth so it could be located and identified. There are two Power Point presentations that illustrate his talk: 
Last but not Least: Attendees enjoyed a complimentary pizza lunch and a selection of free T-shirts to take home.
On Sunday, September 26, the PLIA celebrated the accomplishments of its
volunteers at a cookout held at the Pawtuckaway State Park Pavilion. We are grateful to Park officials for making the Pavilion available for this event – a beautiful setting, a beautiful day, with beautiful people! Last year, COVID concerns prevented us from holding this annual celebration. That made us doubly lucky that we could gather once again in person to thank the folks who actually bring the PLIA’s mission to life.
As the saying goes, volunteers are unpaid not because they are worthless, but 
because they are priceless! For the PLIA, the important job of keeping the lake healthy and safe would be impossible without our tireless, and yes – enthusiastic – volunteers. Below are some of the things they do:
perform courtesy 
boat and trailer inspections
Pick up trash along a local roadside strip three times a year
Anyone can be a volunteer, in whatever capacity and however your schedule 
permits! If you would like to join this merry band, please contact our President Steve Soreff at 
that will take you to our payment site. You can choose the “friends and family” option with your PayPal account or use a credit card if you prefer.
Boating season always seems too short, but it is time to start thinking about the lowering of the lake this fall!
Fundraiser for the 
Perks for participants include:
At 2:00 pm paddlers start arriving at any of the five card-pickup stations on Pawtuckaway Lake. Over the next two hours, paddlers make their way to all five stations, picking up a playing card at each station. Refreshments will be served at each station.
Paddlers using any type of human-propelled boat are eligible.
Raffle Prizes 
Thanks to our sponsor: 
Route map for 2021 Pawtuckaway Paddle Poker
FOR THE PAWTUCKAWAY LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION (PLIA)
