New Milfoil Team Equipment

Thanks to all our generous membership donations, the PLIA’s Milfoil Management Team has been able to acquire new gear to expand and improve their search and removal operations!

While the Milfoil Team has had a hookah rig since 2018 as well as having numerous milfoil markers, collection bags, and safety gear, the goal is to continue to make the team activities more comprehensive and efficient to contain the milfoil threat.

This year, the PLIA used dedicated membership donations to purchase a second hookah rig and related equipment. This second unit will enable our milfoil team to add two more divers in our ongoing search for milfoil. With another hookah we can cover more areas in a dive session and search heavily infested areas more often in the summer season.

In addition, with dedicated funds we paid for the Weed Control Diver certification of three PADI divers, allowing us to remove milfoil quickly and without dependence on outside organizations to do it for us.

 

Invasive Species Prevention and Mitigation is the centerpiece of our mission to keep Pawtuckaway Lake clean and healthy. Those efforts include prevention, detection, and removal of non-native milfoil and other invasive species like water chestnut, phragmites, and purple loosestrife. We do this work through three equally important programs: the Lake Host Program, Weed Watchers, and Milfoil Management:

  • Lake Hosts inspect boats BEFORE their entry, preventing infestations and saving hours of searching and extraction; they also educate boaters about the dangers of aquatic invasive species;

 

 

 

  • Weed Watchers cruise the lake to find suspicious or infected locations of all kinds of invasive plants, and once detected, remove all but milfoil, which can only be extracted by certified divers;

 

 

 

 

  • Milfoil Management team members search for and extract milfoil infestations with the assistance of kayak support to ensure safety.

 

 

 

We think of our invasive species plan as a three-legged stool that supports our mission to protect property and recreational values for everyone who uses the lake:

With this multi-pronged effort, the PLIA Board of Directors has decided that all donations received in the future should be maintained in the general fund so that we can properly allocate them to a specific effort where needed. Over 75% of our annual revenue is expended on invasive species prevention and mitigation each year, so your generous membership donations are always both appreciated and well-spent.

We thank our members and donors for their continued support of PLIA activities as we look forward to a productive 2021 season. We couldn’t do what we do without you!

PLIA’S LAMPREY RIVER ADVISORY COMMITTEE GRANT

Last year, the PLIA applied for and received a grant from the Lamprey River Advisory Committee to purchase a side scan sonar device. We hope to use this equipment in our Milfoil Management Program for searching large areas of the lake by boat to locate possible new areas of milfoil. Last fall, Neil Santos, our Milfoil Team Chair, tested the equipment and wrote a report about its potential use and efficacy. It is one more tool in our arsenal to fight milfoil in Pawtuckaway. We thank the Lamprey River Advisory Committee for their generous support and for giving us this opportunity to explore new avenues to respond to the threat of invasive aquatic species in NH lakes. Pawtuckaway Lake is part of the Lamprey River Watershed and keeping it clean benefits the entire system. You can read Neil’s report here

Is the Ice on the Lake Safe Yet?

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 some very helpful tips regarding ice safety and you can read them and watch their vieo by clicking here.

To all our winter sports enthusiasts:  Safety first!

New Photo Gallery: 1985 Lake Drawdown

Dollof Dam during the 1985 drawdownBackground:  Dolloff Dam is at least 182 years old as of 2024, according to a survey conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1978. Over the years it has seen many improvements and repairs. The stoplog section was added to the dam in 1956 in place of a gated outlet at the same time the spillway was enlarged. In 1964, its upstream side was resurfaced with concrete and in 1970 a concrete walkway was built. In 1974, the dam was again rehabilitated and the stoplog section was reconstructed.

Forward to more recent times:  By 1985, further repairs had become necessary. In order to conduct the repairs, the level of  water in Pawtuckaway Lake had to be dropped drastically so that work could be accomplished on dry land. In the fall of that year, therefore, the usual drawdown of the lake continued until most of the water was drained off by October. This left an eerie landscape that was captured in photographs by former Pawtuckaway resident George Robinson, among others. George offered his photos to the Nottingham Historical Society and member John Bartsch transferred the images from slides to digital pictures. Courtesy of George, John, and the Nottingham Historical Society, we are pleased to be able to share this wonderful view into the past with the visitors to our website.

We have created a new Photo Gallery here, devoted to these pictures to add to our permanent collection of photographs of Pawtuckaway Lake on this website. For those of you who may have your own memories of this historic event, we would love to hear from you. Needless to say, if you have photos of the lake during or after it was drained that you would be willing to share as well, we will be delighted to post them on the website. Just send us an email at: Info@PawtuckawayLake.com and if applicable, attach your pictures.   Enjoy! And thanks!

PLIA now has an Instagram account!

A picture is worth a thousand words. Our members have a history of taking great pictures of wildlife, scenery and lake activities which can be seen in our Photo Gallery.   Instagram is another great platform which allows us to easily capture images, videos, and stories to share Pawtuckaway Lake with the world.  Please follow our new Instagram account to stay in touch with PLIA activities and to see beautiful images of the lake from our members and fellow lake lovers.

You can now follow the PLIA on Instagram @Pawtuckawaylake_PLIA

Please feel free to tag @pawtuckawaylake_plia in your lake pictures or share them via a direct message if you would like them to be featured on the PLIA page.

The PLIA Team Declares Victory Over Route 156 Trash

The turnout of volunteers to pick up trash along a stretch of Route 156 on Sunday morning was the best ever! Because so many folks showed up to help, mountains of refuse were collected in record time. The sun was shining, a breeze kept the air fresh, and one or two passing drivers even slowed down to yell their thanks to those toiling by the roadside.
The PLIA has participated in NH’s Clean and Scenic roadside trash removal program for many years. Not just content to keep the waters of Pawtuckaway Lake clean, our volunteers bring their talents to dry land to remove the bottles, bags, cups, wrappers, containers, and other litter that accumulates over the months from motorists tossing these items out their windows. This summer one volunteer even found a discarded artificial Christmas tree!
Heartfelt thanks to all who came out at 9:00 AM on a beautiful Sunday morning to dedicate themselves to this civic effort! It was a show of love for this Town and appreciation for the entire community.
THANK YOU, ALL!

2020 Annual Meeting Recap

For those of you who missed the 2020 Annual Meeting held live via Zoom on July 25th, 2020 or attended but were not able to re-join after the “technical difficulties”, the recordings of the presentation are available for your viewing below.

Introduction

Election of the PLIA Board

Membership

Treasurer’s Report

Water Testing

Lake Hosting

Weed Watchers

Milfoil Management

Fundraising and Grants

Government Relations

Lake Hero Award

Fourth of July Boat Parade

Questions and Closing

PLIA Annual Meeting Coming Soon

July 25, 2020 9:30 AM
ZOOM WITH THE PLIA!
Wondering what the Pawtuckaway Lake Improvement Association does for Pawtuckaway Lake?
Join us for our Annual Meeting and find out!
 We care about the health and safety of our members as much as we care about the health and safety of Pawtuckaway Lake. So In recognition of the restrictions imposed on all of us by the coronavirus epidemic, we have planned our Annual Meeting to be enjoyed from the comfort and safety of your homes, or wherever you have access to a computer, smart phone, or tablet.
We will be offering video clips and presentations about our work. There’s a lot to share about what we are doing and what we have planned for the coming year, so PLEASE JOIN US!
Date:  July 25, 2020
Time:  9:30 AM
Where:  The comfort of your home
How: By clicking on this link
Agenda
 
                                                                 1. Election of PLIA Board
                                                                 2. Committee Reports
                                                                         a. Membership
                                                                                b. Treasurer
                                                                                c. Water Testing
                                                                                d. Lake Hosts
                                                                                e. Weed Watchers
                                                                                f. Milfoil Management
                                                                               g. Fund Raising/Grants
                                                                               h. Government Relations
                                                               3. Local Hero Award
                                                               4. Fourth of July Boat Parade
                                                               5. Questions & Answers
                                                               6. Closing

THE FOURTH OF JULY BOAT PARADE IS ON!

The PLIA is planning this year’s annual Independence Day Boat Parade with some precautions to accommodate distancing protocols and out of courtesy to others. Below are guidelines that will ensure the safety of all participants during coronavirus conditions, from the New Hampshire Fire Academy & Emergency Medical Services:


The date for the event is July 4, 2020; rain date July 5, 2020. Starting at 10:00 AM, all boats gather at the northern end of the lake by Twin Islands. At 10:30 AM, John Decker’s boat will lead the parade in its clockwise progress around the lake ending at the State Park beach.
Decorate your boat—and yourselves!—however your fancy takes you.
PLEASE, NO WATER BALLOONS!
So, what’s wrong with water balloons?
1. Water balloons can cause injuries and they hurt
2. Water balloons are harmful to wildlife
3. And there is the danger of potential virus contamination
For these reasons, even if you personally love a good water balloon fight, please resist the temptation at least until after the boat parade, and keep it on land. Super soakers are the perfect alternative, but only with others similarly equipped. Not everyone welcomes the spray!

2020 Pawprints is out!

Every Spring, we mail out printed versions of our newsletter, the PawPrints. This year, we have focused on the topic of invasive aquatic species because Variable Milfoil continues to threaten our lake.
There is information about our Annual Meeting this year as well, and we promise more details as the time nears.
Meanwhile, you can read the color version of PawPrints by clicking  here.
Stay safe, keep social distancing and, See You on the Lake!