Pawtuckaway Lake Association

Wouldn't you like to be able to say "I saved Pawtuckaway Lake"? Well, now you have your chance. The spread of exotic species of lake weeds is ruining lakes all over New Hampshire. Over 50 Lakes in New Hampshire have already been infested. In shallow, nutrient rich lakes like Pawtuckaway Lake these weeds can spread in as little as one year. These weeds can grow up to 20 feet in length and mulitply until they fill the lake.

In one to two years the water can become so congested with weeds that it becomes dangerous to swim, difficult to boat, and the oxygen level in the lake drops off to the point it will kill the fish. A shallow lake can be turned into a swamp in just a few years. And, there is no known way to get rid of them. Communities have tried draining their lakes, appying herbicide, using weed harvesters, hand pulling by divers, and nothing has worked. Some communities spend between $5,000 to $40,000 a year to make sections of their lakes safe for swimming or to slow the progress of the infestation.

What is the PLIA doing about it? The State of NH Dept of Environmental Services, the NH Lakes Association, and the PLIA have teamed up to combat exotic weeds through the Lake Host Program. This program provides funding, training, and laboratory services for exotic weed detection and prevention. The PLIA must find a combination of paid and volunteer help to do boat inspections at Pawtuckaway's two public boat ramps. These trained personnel examine boats and trailors before they launch to check if they are carrying one of the 14 dangerous species of exotic weeds. If a weed is found, it is removed, bottled, and sent to the DES lab for analysis. Last year, there were 54 samples positively identified as exotic species on 12 different lakes in NH. If those boats had launched, by this summer the infestation would have begun.

So, what can you do to help? The PLIA is actively looking for volunteers to help join the Lake Host Program. For the last 5 years a small group of volunteers have put in ALOT of hours of service monitoring our boat ramps. This year we are looking for ALOT of volunteers to put in a small amount of hours of service. 

Even if you only have a few hours available, whether morning or afternoon, weekdays, or weekends, you can make a big difference in our lake's future. Bring your kids, bring your grandchildren, bring a picnic. Enjoy meeting some of the wonderful people who visit our lake and help educate them on the dangers these exotic species pose to everyone's enjoyment of our lake.

ACT NOW!  Help save Pawtuckaway Lake from exotic infestations. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have an hour or two or three to help out!