the Loon Flyer Summer 2001

Published by the Squam Lakes Association

INVASIVE MILFOIL UPDATE

In the summer of 2000 representatives of the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) confirmed the presence of an exotic or non-native species of milfoil in the Squam Lakes. The purpose of this article is to inform you of the threats posed by this plant and the actions taken to manage it.

What is exotic milfoil?

In New Hampshire the most problematic milfoil species is known as variable milfoil (myriophyllum heterophyllum). This plant has infested close to 50 waterbodies in New Hampshire. This species is not native to the waters of New Hampshire and therefore our ecosystem is not adapted to its presence. When it enters a waterbody it quickly reproduces replacing native vegetation. This vegetative replacement alters the ecosystem negatively affecting water quality and threatening ecosystem biodiversity.

What does exotic milfoil look like?

Variable milfoil is a submerged aquatic plant characterized by feathery leaflets surrounding a thick, reddish main stem. The plant flowers between July and August via a stalk that emerges above the water surface and contains small green leaves. Milfoil prefers to grow in relatively calm and shallow (less than 20 feet) waters with a muddy bottom. Fragments that break off the plant and grow roots are the primary form of reproduction and spreading. Wind, current, boats and waterfowl transport these fragments. Milfoil is a hearty plant that grows up to one inch per day and even continues growing beneath the ice during winter. Unfortunately, identification of exotic (variable) milfoil versus the 5 native, noninvasive species can be difficult and must be performed by an aquatic biologist. Flowering specimens are optimal for identification.

How and when did it get in the Squam Lakes?

No one knows exactly how it got here or when it arrived. In mid-July 2000, the NHDES confirmed the presence of variable milfoil in the Squam River below the dam in Ashland. In early August, the NHDES surveyed Little Squam Lake and identified a dense infestation in the cove occupied by Kimbell Marina and under the boathouses in the channel next to the Route 113 Public Boat Ramp.
What can be done to get rid of the milfoil?

At present there is no method to completely remove or eradicate non-native variable milfoil from a waterbody. Unlike Eurasian milfoil that is a problem in any waterbody it enters in the United States, variable milfoil is actually native and adaptive to the southern United States. Invasive infestations of variable milfoil are only problematic in four northern states where it has been introduced. The current focus in New Hampshire is to encourage eradication research and to implement management techniques to minimize or control the infestation.

What are some of the management methods ?

Physical and/or mechanical harvesting techniques have had limited success since they further fragment milfoil resulting in increased reproduction. Drawdown of a waterbody with the intent of freezing the milfoil is not typically successful in New Hampshire due to the insulating effects of the snowcover we receive. In some cases drawdown coupled with a freezing of the waterbody and rapid water level increase can be used to physically de-root the plants, however this is difficult to implement on large waterbodies. Herbicide application in some cases represents the most effective method of management. In limited infestation areas bottom barriers have been used to cover the plants. Handpicking of plants is also an effective method to remove limited growth.

We recognize that variable milfoil degrades fresh water ecosystems drastically and thus believe an aggressive management program is necessary. Again, eradication is not an option, but control is. By law, any education and management program must be under NHDES supervision. Since the discovery of milfoil in the summer of 2000, the SLA has been working with the NHDES to come up with management alternatives for the infestation of the Squam Lakes. An ad hoc milfoil task force has been formed with SLA staff and members, the marina operators, and the SLA’s consulting ecologist. Thus far, we are working on several approaches, but we need more support in all of these approaches:

1. Education:
We have posted signs at all launching facilities identifying the presence of invasive milfoil to raise public awareness to minimize spreading. We also staff the public boat ramp on Route 113 and distribute literature to boaters on invasive plants. Our staff removes plant fragments from boats and trailers both launching and pulling to help minimize the spreading.

2. Prevention of fragment spread:
SLA has distributed hand nets to the marinas and is encouraging removal and desiccation (sun drying) of fragments on a daily basis. Thousands and thousands of fragments (probably hundreds of thousands) can be seen on still, hot days in the channel opening to Little Squam.

With NH-DES approval, SLA placed a second surface net at the Kimbell Marina cove entrance, creating a buffer zone to decrease the release of fragments from the cove. These require frequent milfoil removal and volunteers are needed to perform this task.

3. Identification of infested sites:
SLA has organized volunteers through the NHDES Weed Watcher program. These volunteers are trained to recognize different aquatic plants, and they survey areas of the lakes. Milfoil fragments identified are removed, and the volunteers are encouraged to pull rooted variable milfoil plants. Questionable specimens are sent to the NHDES for identification, and all other specimens are desiccated or placed in household trash. NHDES is notified of new infestation sites. At SLA’s request, NHDES will be here this month for a boat survey of the lake and for hand pulling.

4. Prevention of growth of rooted plants:
Hand pulling has been carried out by SLA and NHDES in the channel, Little Squam, and at Squam Boat Livery. SLA is pursuing further bottom barrier possibilities and future herbicide application, and discussions continue regarding other management options.

5. Legislative Efforts:
In cooperation with the New Hampshire Lakes Association, the SLA has been working this legislative session on HB592 that would increase milfoil funding. Currently the state funds exotic aquatic plant programs by allocating $1.50 from every boat registration fee which equates to $150,000 annually. The lake associations in New Hampshire believe this program needs to be funded on the order of $1,000,000 annually to be effective and that more of these funds need to be directed toward research. HB592 passed a full House vote and is currently in the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration of the funding mechanism.

What can I do to help with the milfoil infestation?
• Familiarize yourself with what invasive milfoil looks like.
• If you see any fragments on the water surface, collect them, or, if you see plants rooting, pull them.
• Notify SLA and NHDES (Amy Smagula, at 271 — 2248, fax 271 — 2867) of any suspected new infestation sites. Send Amy a specimen by wrapping it in a wet paper towel, placing in a labeled Ziploc bag, and mailing to :
Amy Smagula, Exotic Species Coordinator
NHDES — Water Division
P.O. Box 95, 6 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03302
• Frequently inspect your boat by tipping up your engine or outdrive and remove any fragments. Please inspect after passing through an area with infestation, such as the channel. Don’t prop wash fragments off — you’ll create many new plants!
• Dispose of any fragments or plants in your household trash.
• Write to your local state representative and/or senator and express your support for HB592.
• Volunteer to be a weed watcher or net cleaner - call Maggie Mumford at (603) 536-6375.

Governor Dedicates Squam Lakes Public Boat Access Ramp

Governor Jeanne Shaheen helped dedicate the new Squam Lakes public boat access ramp on Friday, August 10th. The project was completed cooperatively with support from: the Governor’s Office, NH Office of State Planning, NH Department of Transportation, NH Fish & Game, NH Department of Environmental Services, NH Division of Historical Resources, Squam Lakes Association, Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, the Town of Holderness, Fred Preston, and the Abanaki Indian Tribe.

“Thank you to the Squam Lakes Association and everyone involved. It’s a day to celebrate for many years to come, the opportunities that are created for members of the public by this unique access to Squam Lakes. We are able to bring together different parties with different concerns and reach an agreement that resulted in a new boat launch that benefits everyone, especially the citizens and visitors to the state,” said Gov. Shaheen.

The new boat access ramp has two cement ramps, a dock, parking for 25 vehicles, and two toilet facilities. It greatly improves safety for boaters, by providing off street launching and a parking lot with designated spaces.

“This is the result of a very successful private and public collaboration. It is very rare to see this many groups work effectively and cooperatively for the public benefit,” said Tim Fisher, SLA President.

For years the Crane family allowed the public free use of the Route 113 boat ramp. In 1997, when Doc. Crane died, his family decided to close the ramp.

“The Squam Lakes Association recognized this action would deprive the public of the access to Squam Lakes that they were accustomed to. We negotiated an agreement with the Crane family to purchase the ramp. We approached the SLA membership to raise the capital and over 400 members donated $80,000 within a matter of weeks which financed the purchase of the ramp. We operated it and kept it open for two years while we worked with the Fish and Game Department and others to develope a plan that was satisfactory to all parties. Once the plan was finalized, we transferred ownership to the State of New Hampshire,” said Tim Fisher.

Tim Fisher presented a plaque to Governor Shaheen, which will be cemented to a boulder adjacent to the ramp. The plaque reads, “Squam Lakes Public Access. A gift for the public benefit from the Squam Lakes Association to the State of New Hampshire. Squam: New Hampshire’s Quiet Lakes.”

Wayne Vetter, Executive Director of Fish and Game described the process to provide public access to the Squam Lakes. “We sat down with the Town of Holderness, The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, and the people who really led the charge were the Squam Lakes Association and a whole raft of other people and we worked this out. It was one of the best things we could do for the people of New Hampshire,” said Director Vetter.

The boat access ramp is the first state owned boat ramp on the Squam Lakes and is part of the state’s ongoing effort to increase public access to New Hampshire’s Lakes.

“Our abundance of beautiful lakes is part of what makes living in and visiting New Hampshire so special. They contribute to our quality of life and our economy. Every New Hampshire citizen deserves the opportunity to enjoy this resource, and this is why we are working hard to increase public access to our lakes. Today, we are celebrating an important success in that effort,” Gov. Shaheen said.

Looking Back

In 1940, The Buoys & Channels Committee reported the change over to the new buoy system (one result was that people got mixed up and ran onto rocks till they got used to the differences). They also recommended installing reflectors on the buoys to help with night navigation.

ASK THE WATER QUALITY EXPERT

Jeff Schloss, Coordinator of the New Hampshire Lay Lakes Monitoring Program and Water Resource Specialist for the University of New Hampshire answers your Squam water quality questions in each issue of the Loon Flyer.

Dear Jeff,

What is the relationship between acid rain and eutrophication? Does acid rain temporarily offset the affects of eutrophication?

Great question Maggie! Before we get into the answer lets review a few basic concepts. Eutrophication is the natural process in which lakes “age” or become more productive with weeds and algae, and lose oxygen in the bottom waters. This process is supposed to take place on a time scale of thousands of years (i.e. in geological time). Cultural eutrophication describes the augmentation of this process by development and activities in the watershed changing the time scale into hundreds or even decades of years.

Acid precipitation (we actually get higher levels of acid deposition in the winter months through snow and dryfall so we do not use the term “rain” that much anymore) is a problem in Northern New England and the Canadian Shield regions as our bedrock of granite contains very limited quantities of neutralizing minerals to buffer the acid deposition that occurs. We generally refer to the acid neutralizing capacity of lake water as alkalinity and soft waters (low mineral content) such as ours typically have low levels of alkalinity.

Now back to the question. In actuality, eutrophication can temporarily offset the effects of acid rain. In the long-term it is the minerals in the waters like carbonates (found in limestone) that buffer acid conditions effectively neutralizing waters. However, through the process of photosynthesis rooted plants and algae will remove carbon dioxide from the water and produce oxygen. As carbon dioxide contributes to the acidity of water its removal will make the waters less acidic so we have a kind of biological alkalinity taking place.

Even in relatively pristine Squam Lake it is not uncommon to have a slightly less acidic surface water pH reading during a sunny day at noon time compared to an early morning reading and it is caused by this biological alkalinity from the planktonic algae. This phenomenon mostly occurs at an intermediate stage of eutrophication as dense weed beds or algal blooms will eventually cause an increase of carbon dioxide as they use up more oxygen at night than created during the day and produce carbon dioxide through this respiration and when the dead plant material is eventually broken down.

That said, acid precipitation could also increase the apparent productivity of a lake as it tends to favor the more nuisance green filamentous algae and it can disrupt the small microscopic animals, zooplankton, that graze on the phytoplankton resulting in more visible algae scums and blooms. Eventually, however, if acid input is excessive very few plants or algae can grow and the lake will become a virtual dessert, no longer able to support any animal life.

Along the way to this final (and depressing!) state there may be cycles of high or low productivity depending on how each level of the food web is affected- phytoplankton, phytoplankton grazers (zooplankton and small fish), fish that eat zooplankton (zooplanktivores), fish that eat the plankton eating fish (piscivores), etc. For example- if sunfish are the dominant zooplanktivore in a lake and the lake starts becoming acidic and they decline (sunfish are very acid sensitive) this might allow the zooplankton to grow in greater numbers which would graze more algae and cause clearer waters to prevail.

Please send your water quality questions to the SLA by e-mail: info@squamlakes.org, fax (603) 968-7444 or mail: SLA, PO Box 204, Holderness, NH 03245.

Hike For The Trails

Saturday July 28th was a perfect day for the 3rd Annual Hike For The Trails. Nineteen hikers participated in the fund-raiser which raised over $4,500 for trail maintenance.

Amy and Barb Laverack, Peter Kampf, Peter Wood, Eric Morse, Sam Foster and Ruaraidh Campbell completed the ten mile advanced hike, which passed through the Sandwich Range Wilderness. The group climbed the steep ledges up Algonquin Trail and down the ledges on Black Mountain Pond Trail, passing Black Mountain Pond, then up Mead Trail to Mt. Isreal and down Wentworth Trail to Mead Base Camp. Anne Laverack Gallivan, Mary Pierce and Rachelle McKight hiked eight miles on the Algonquin Trail to Black Mountain pond Trail to Guinea Pond Trail to Sandwich Notch.

Kathie Stehle, Bill Tracket, Heidi Casey and eighty-five year old Hal Kellogg completed the 5.4 mile intermediate hike up the Guinea Pond Trail to Mead Trail to Mt. Isreal and down the Wentworth Trail to Mead Base. Margerite Piret, Rebecca Bennett and Richard Rosan hiked up the Guinea Pond Trail to Mead Trail and back.

Thanks to all the hikers and their sponsors for making the hike a success! Eric Morse raised $1,765, Peter Kampf $1,500 and Kathie Strehle $225. The funds raised will support the SLA’s Trail Crew as they reconstruct Old Bridle Path, Crawford-Ridgepole Trail and Teedie Trail in the fall of 2001.

The trail crew of Student Conservation Association (SCA) Resource Assistants will live at Mead Base from August 20th through November 9th. SLA is looking into obtaining a Special Use Permit with the U.S. Forest Service to establish the Mead Base Conservation Center. The farmhouse, cabins and shelters would be used to house trail crews in the Squam and Sandwich Ranges, offer educational workshops and volunteer trail work programs. Please contact Eric Morse if you are interested in helping to establish the Conservation Center.