FROM THE ARCHIVES · LAKE HOST
2004 Lake Host Program
A historical look at SLAM’s Lake Host program, as reported by The Mountain Ear on September 30, 2004.
The cover of The Mountain Ear weekly newspaper. Select the image to view it full size.
HISTORICAL ARTICLE
Fighting Milfoil Article from The Mountain Ear, September 30, 2004
SLAM has long been committed to protecting our lake from the threat of exotic aquatic plants. This 2004 article highlights a key moment in our ongoing work—showcasing early efforts to raise awareness, engage the community, and implement effective prevention strategies. Building on a foundation laid years earlier, SLAM’s continued dedication has helped curb the spread of invasive species and preserve the health and beauty of our lake for generations to come.
A note on this page: this is a historical article from 2004. Its figures, costs, schedules and program details describe SLAM and the Lake Host program at that time, not today. Each page of the article is shown below as a scan, with a copy of the text alongside, since the scans may be difficult to read.
THE MOUNTAIN EAR · SEPTEMBER 30, 2004
Lake Association seeks expansion of lake host program
Lake Hosts protect Madison's Silver Lake
By Tom Eastman
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2004 SLAM members Ted Kramer (left) and Bruce Gordon (right)
Silver Lake Association of Madison ( "SLAM") board members Ted Kramer (left) and Bruce Gordon (right) are shown at the town's boat landing, located at the southern end of Silver Lake. SLAM members have worked with the state Department of Environmental Services on a lake host program for the past three years to combat the spread of exotic aquatic plants, such as milfoil. SLAM is seeking support through a town warrant article this year to expand the program by increasing coverage and by erecting a washing station at the boat landing.
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EXOTIC AQUATIC PLANTS, such as milfoil and fanwort, have been a problem in New Hampshire lakes and ponds since the mid-1960s.
According to the state Department of Environmental Services, variable milfoil, by far the most wide-spread exotic aquatic plant in New Hampshire, was first found in Moultonborough Bay in Lake Winnipesaukee. From there it has-spread to infest 38 of the state’s water-bodies. Fanwort, water chestnut, Eurasian milfoil, purple loosestrife, and common reed are also problematic species in this state.
So far, thanks to the efforts of the Silver Lake Association, Madison’s pristine jewel of a lake has not been one of the lakes to be invaded by milfoil and that’s how members want to keep it, working with the DES and town
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A typical clear-skied scene on Silver Lake. SLAM hopes to maintain the lake's quality by increasing the lake host program.
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government.
On a recent crystal clear fall day, Silver Lake Association of Madison (“SLAM”) board members Ted Kramer and Bruce Gordon met at the newly reopened Silver Lake Landing General Store at the north end of the lake to
So far, thanks to the efforts of the Silver Lake Association, Madison 's pristine jewel of a lake has not been invaded by milfoil and that's how members want to keep it.
outline the pro-active steps that their organization has undertaken over the past three years through a lake volunteer host program in conjunction with the DES, as well as their hopes for a new boat-washing pumping station which they hope that townspeople will support through a warrant article to be placed before voters at 2005 town meeting.
Both retired General Electric executives who live on the lake, they explained that SLAM’s board of directors recently increased annual dues for its members from $10 to $20 in an effort to fund an expansion of the successful lake host program, which was initiated through a state DES grant three years ago and has been sustained through additional grant money, as well as through member dues from the 200-plus member SLAM
Expanded program sought
The state’s lake host program is funded by the DES through grants, with the Legislature passing a bill a few years ago to invest $2 per every boat registration for the program.
They assert that more is needed, however, and that is why SLAM has contacted the Municipal Budget Committee and selectmen to see their support for the warrant article they are seeing from townspeople.
The $8000 article would expand the lake host effort, and also help pay for a boat and trailer washing station at the southern end of the lake.
Currently, the town’s landing on the southern end of the lake is manned by a poll of three lake hosts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends, as well as Fridays and Mondays, and from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, with hosts paid $11 and hour.
SLAM is proposing to increase that coverage to 6 a.m., daily, June through Labor Day.
The wash station, they said, would house a washer with 1200 to 1530 pressure. A gravel bed holding bay for water and plants washed off a trailer or boat would be required as part of the design to keep milfoil and unwanted harmful aquatic plants from spreading into the lake.
Selectmen have given their OK pending the approval of voters to have the Madison Highway Department.
LAKE HOSTS continued on page 10
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According to the state Department of Environmental Services, variable milfoil, by far the most wide-spread exotic aquatic plant in New Hampshire, was first found in Moultonborough Bay in Lake Winnipesaukee. From there it has spread to infest 38 of the state's waterbodies.
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Continued from Page 9
work with SLAM to dig the bed while leaving it up to SLAM to build the facility.
The cost breakdown is $4500 for the bed, and $5800 for the equipment.
The state's lake host program is funded by the DES through grants, with the Legislature passing a bill a few years ago to invest $2 per every boat registration for the program.
“It’s a big investment” said Kramer, “and at $20 annual dues, that’s a lot of money. But we think the spending $8000 now could save $20,00 in the long run. The lake is vital to the town, and so far, both the board of selectmen and the budget committee have supported us, and we hope townspeople will too”.
Successful interventions
Kramer and Gordan said the lake host program has resulted in greater public awareness through educational efforts at put-ins.
They said it has also prevented milfoil infiltration on at least two occasions.
“We’ve had two ‘saves’ over the past two years – one two years ago, and another this year, where green milfoil material was removed from two boat trailers from Lake Winnipesaukee that were at our town landing at the southern end of the lake,” said Kramer, a member of SLAM’s executive committee. “It’s really primarily the trailers.
“Our concern” said Gordon, “is that we don’t have 100 percent coverage on the boat ramp at the southern end of the lake.”
Fed by springs and one of the largest aquifers in the state, Silver Lake has a high quality ranting from the University of New Hampshire aquatic lab, with a clarity rating last month of 7.5, considered to be outstanding, Kramer said. The town owns five beaches on the lake, while the state owns the water. With greater coverage by the lake hosts and construction of the wash station, Kramer and Gordon are confident that Silver Lake can continue to be a great lake for boating and fishing.
Milfoil threat
They have seen milfoil spread in other lakes in the state, and are understandably alarmed.
“Milfoil can grow as much as an inch a day. It infests water in depths less than 20 feet, and it just chokes the life out of the water, making it impossible for fish
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Variable milfoil (above) clogs waterbodies in depths of 20 feet, depleting oxygen and choking passageways for watercaraft.
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to live and clogging up the water so a boat can’t pass through it. (Eurasian milfoil) first came here from China. People had put it in fish tanks as and aquatic plant, because it grew so easily. Well, you know what happened after that – someone dumped it into a lake, and it just took off” said Kramer, during a tour of the boat landing at the southern end of the lake.
As sign put there by the state outlines the steps for boaters to follow to insure continued good water quality.
Because exotic plants are introduced from outside of the state, they have on established relationships with native fauna that would keep their growth in check.
When these exotic plants grow without natural controls they encroach on and replace native plants, disrupting the food chain, stunting fish growth and degrading the wildlife habitat.
Once in a waterbody, continuous management and control practices are the only tools to control the nuisance plant growth- which is what SLAM is trying to achieve.
The DES web site succinctly summarized the battle
“It … becomes increasingly more important to prevent infestations, and to identify new infestations early. DES biologists conduce numerous field investigations each summer, but with over 800 lakes and ponds in the state, the efforts of volunteers in monitoring waterbodies for new infestations become critical. Through materials and training session by the DES, numerous lakes and ponds have initiated their own Volunteer Weed Watching programs.
Source: The Mountain Ear, September 30, 2004. Article by Tom Eastman. The text above is a copy of the original article; please refer to the scans for the original printed version.