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THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Saturday, September 5, 2020 — Page 7
The invasion force seems like something out of a science fiction movie: Hermaphrodite snails the size of golf balls, fleas with glass-like
spines, underwater weeds that choke and degrade waterways.
Amy Smagula, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Exotic Species Program Coordinator, is ever vigilant for non-native plants and animals.
She spoke to The Daily Sun Wednesday after sam-pling Lake Winnipesaukee for the spiny water flea.
“It is in Lake Champlain, Vermont, and Lake
George, New York,” Smagula said. “It’s a microscopic animal with a long glassy spine that eats native plankton, disrupts the food web, gets stuck in the digestive tract of fish, causing stunted growth and mortality.”
Vegetative invaders keep her busy as well.
Variable milfoilNew Hampshire has 78 infested lakes and 11
infested rivers, most containing variable milfoil as the primary invasive plant, while others have fan-wort, Eurasian water milfoil and water chestnut.
That represents about 7 percent of the state’s 950 lakes and ponds.
“But even though the percentage is small, the vis-
ibility is large,” Smagula said. “It’s the big ones like Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam, Newfound.”
Variable milfoil can become so thick that there have been instances in other states where people have become entangled and have drowned.
“It can change the water chemistry and biology,” she said. “It holds a lot of heat, make the water warmer, and that could make it possible for algae blooms. Also it has a lot of biomass. As it decomposes, it releases a lot of nutrients that can change the pH of the water and the oxygen concentration in the water.”
Biologists are getting better at detecting and man-aging invasive plant species, including removal by divers, but animal invaders are much more diffi-
See next page
Biologists watch for invasive plants,
animals in waterways
By Rick GReenTHE LACONIA DAILY SUN
Variable milfoil, an invasive
plant species, is found in 78 of the state’s 950 lakes and
ponds. (Courtesy photo/NH DES)
Page 8 — THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Saturday, September 5, 2020
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The NH LAKES Lake Host Program is the first line of defense in keeping the state’s lakes free of invasive plants and animals. They teach thousands of boaters each year about clean, drain and dry method for aquatic invasive species prevention. (Courtesy photo)
from preceding page
see BIOLOGISTS page 10
cult to control.One example is the Chinese mystery snail, which has been spotted in
Lake Wicwas and elsewhere.“That’s a tricky one,” Smagula said. “It is a hermaphrodite. In one shell
it has male and female parts, so it doesn’t need to mate. Introduce one and it starts a new population.”
Smagula said the snail also has a smelly funk to it.
Hitching a rideSome of the invasive species of plants and animals may have originally
reached the waters of New Hampshire by someone dumping an aquar-ium, but the biggest problems are those that hitch a ride on boats.
“Animals are going to be very problematic,” Smagula said. “They get trapped in bait buckets and in the ballast water of boats, particularly the wakeboarding and wakesurfing boats.
“They have hard and soft tanks that can be filled and drained. A lot of them don’t have the capacity to drain fully. They suck in and discharge water that can be from a number of lakes.”
The state urges boaters to clean, drain and dry their vessels to prevent transporting plants and animals from lake to lake.
It doesn’t take much for an invader to hitchhike on a boat.
THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Saturday, September 5, 2020 — Page 9
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CONCORD (AP) — New Hampshire State Police and the Marine Patrol plan to be out with extra crews during the Labor Day holiday weekend.
“We will be focusing our enforcement efforts on distracted driving, excessive speed, impaired driving, as well as concerted efforts on rafting violations and impaired boating,” police said in a news release Thursday.
Police said travelers should keep their speeds reduced and maintain safe distances to reduce collisions.
Extra state police, marine patrols
out for Labor Day weekend
Page 10 — THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Saturday, September 5, 2020
“For most of the plants, all it takes is a couple inches of viable stem materials,” Smagula said. “For micro-scopic animals, it could be just a drop of water.”
Lake to lakeMany local boaters keep their vessels in the water
all season, but visitors bring their boats in from all over the region.
“This year, with the pandemic, there’s been a tre-mendous increase in the use of our surface waters,” Smagula said. “Several thousand more boat registra-tions have been issued than in prior use.
“There’s been a lot of day use or week use of our sur-face waters. People have been coming all season and even a swim tube, a live well, a bait bucket can carry invasive species.
“I worry less about people fixed on a lake all season than the more transient boater who is in one lake one day and is in another the next.”
Raising awarenessNew Hampton boating enthusiast Dave Katz keeps
his pontoon boat at dock during the season for outings on Squam Lake.
He credits the Lake Host Program with boosting awareness of the problem of invasive species. Volun-teers in the program do boat inspections through a col-laborative effort with the DES, boat ramp owners and other local partners.
Educational poster boards are placed at boat launches.
“The natural resources are one of the biggest trea-sures that we have here,” said Katz, who also conducts boat tours for Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. “They do a lot of good work trying to maintain that.”
The course for a state boating certificate touches on best practices to avoid spreading invasive species, but Katz said he observes boaters don’t always comply with course tenets.
“In my opinion, the certificate is a one and done deal,” he said. “You get it once and don’t have to get it refreshed.
“I spend a lot of time on the water,” he said. “Some-times I could sell tickets for the entertainment value of what goes on out there. People have just completely
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BIOLOGISTS from page 8
See next page
Send letters to: [email protected]
THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Saturday, September 5, 2020 — Page 11
forgotten everything they were taught.”
DES-recommended precautions before leaving any boat launch area
CLEAN: Clean off all mud, plants, animals, and debris from your boat, trailer, and equipment. Clean off anchors and anchor lines, water intake grates on jet-powered craft, kayak and canoe cockpits, storage compartments, and paddles, too. Dispose of all mate-rial away from the waterbody where it won’t wash back into the water.
DRAIN: Drain the motor, bilge, live wells, ballast tanks, storage compart-ments, and gear. Blow out water in jet-powered craft and tip paddle craft and motors to let out water. Drain all equipment away from the water where runoff won’t flow back into the water.
Open/remove drain plugs and keep out/open while trailering. You may need a wrench to remove plugs.
DRY: Dry off everything that came into contact with the water. If launch-ing your boat again within 5 days, thoroughly rinse with clean water somewhere runoff won’t flow back into the water, and towel dry — rinsing with high pressure, hot water between waterbodies is the best practice.
Between visiting waterbodies
RINSE: Rinse boat hull and trailer with clean water. Flush motor, bilge, live wells, ballast tanks, and storage compartments with clean water per boat manufacturer instructions. It is best to visit a car wash before launching again, especially if the boat has been in a waterbody containing an invasive species infestation.
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Walt Henderson, a staff biologist for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, is covered in milfoil after surfacing from a dive in Squam Lake. (Courtesy photo/NH DES)
from preceding page
Page 12 — THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Saturday, September 5, 2020
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Kayaking is a wildly popular paddle-sport. Paddlesports offer people unique ways to enjoy nature while getting up close and personal with expansive waterways. Kayaking is remarkably accessible for people of all skill levels and interests.
According to the Outdoor Founda-tion’s 2019 Special Report on Paddle-
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Kayaking with the right gear
See next page
THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Saturday, September 5, 2020 — Page 13
among men and women (51 percent and 49 percent, respectively).
Many kayakers can enter the water with relatively no instruction in kayaking and take to the sport like a duck to water. Of course, the right gear can make all the difference for both experienced and novice kayakers. Anyone who plans to be a consistent kay-aker should probably invest in a kayak of his or her own. The right kayak depends on where kayakers plan to use it. Sea kayaks can sail easily through choppy conditions. Tandem kayaks carry two or more people and have more storage space. Touring kayaks are designed for long distance kayakers. Sit-on-top kayaks are ideal for beginners and casual paddlers.
Some additional supplies also can help kayakers get the most out of this rewarding activity.
• Paddle: Many kayaks are sold with compatible paddles. However, it is always a good idea to have a spare. Be sure to choose one made from sturdy materials, especially if it will be used in saltwater or brackish water.
• Life jacket: A life jacket is a must when on the water. While kayaks are relatively stable, should a tip-over occur a life jacket can keep you afloat and safe until you are able to reboard the kayak.
• Kayak racks and carriers: Kayaks can be transported to the water on roof racks that strap on to SUVs and cars. Kayak carts and trailers can help you comfortably move the kayak to the water’s edge or dock, as kayaks can be heavy and cumbersome to move on your own.
• Spray skirt: A kayak spray skirt keeps water from splashing up and onto your lap/legs while in the kayak. Staying dry can make kayaking more
comfortable in all seasons.• Dry storage: Dry bags and containers keep
items like a phone, camera and GPS devices dry and secure. These containers are designed to be water-tight when splashed or submerged.
Other kayaking supplies include dry shirts, special shoes, hats, and gloves. Coordinated fishing gear can even be purchased for those who want to catch some fish while kayaking.
Kayaking makes for a great day on the water. The right gear helps enthusiasts sail with ease.
— Metro
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from preceding page
