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Written by Peter Goodwin
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Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Comprehensive Shoreline Protection Act (CSPA) works to protect our lakes and, in some ways, is less restrictive than it was before recent revisions were made. Jay Aube of NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) made a presentation on June 11th at the NH Boat Museum and started by saying that the act does not prevent people from building sand castles and it allows for the removal of poison ivy. While there are some restrictions on landowners, the act is designed to prevent degradation of New Hampshire lakes and streams. Silt can clog our lakes and phosphates encourage algae blooms, neither of which is good for water quality. A complete discussion of the act can be found at the DES web site if you want more information that this brief article gives. Look for water and wetlands and cspa or use the link given below.
http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wetlands/cspa/index.htm
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Contributed by Peter Goodwin
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Sunday, March 29, 2009
Many people who only see Lake Wentworth during the Summer months hear about a "draw-down" year but never actually see what happens. Draw-down years that have generally occurred every five years and the water level is lowered 3.5 feet. It is quite dramatic! The water level is lowered so that people can work on their docks and shore frontage with as little an impact on the water quality as is possible. The disadvantage of the draw-down is that it makes it hard for people to use their motor boats around the lake and to get to their island houses. The advantage is that it's fun to explore. When the water is lowered this much, you see lots of rocks that you normally don't see. The shorelines are also quite interesting. What does Governor's Rock look like? Those rocks that just break the surface at normal water levels are quite impressive........
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Contributed by Peter Goodwin
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Friday, March 27, 2009
We all know that we don't want Milfoil invading our lakes but we also must try to prevent exotic insects from arriving in our woods. As with invasive plants, knowing what the issues are and knowing what the insects look like can help prevent their spread. The first thing you should realize is that you should not bring firewood from outside the area. People coming to their summer homes often do this but the insects are in the wood and escape into our woods. Most of these exotic insects came to the United States in the wood that was used for packing crates for machines and the like made in Europe or Asia. They survived inside the wood for the trip across the ocean and then found lots of new things to eat when they arrived.
Below is an Asian Long-horned Beetle with its exit hole from the tree. They stay inside the tree or log until it is time to come out and mate.
We must avoid importing invasive insects to New Hampshire although the trip might be in the trunk of a car or the back of a pickup truck that comes from some other state. The dead tree cut for the firewood (or even a live one that was cut for some other reason) may have insects in it that either killed it or were starting to kill it. To repeat: DO NOT BRING FIREWOOD TO YOUR SUMMER HOME FROM OUT OF STATE
OR A LONG WAY AWAY. YOU MIGHT BE BRINGING UNWANTED TREE MUNCHERS.
Also, don't bring nursery stock from far away. Nursery stock can also
harbor unwanted insects.
There are three main threats at the present time: the Asian Long-Horned Beetle, the Emerald Ash Borer and the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.
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Written by Peter Goodwin
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
If we are not careful, invasive plants can destroy our lake. Lake Wentworth is fortunate to have a wonderful group of volunteers who dive most weekends in the summer to pull milfoil in areas around our lake. In addition, there have been chemical treatments for several years to kill the invasive milfoil. However, the more people who know how to identify exotic plants and the more people who are aware of how dangerous they can be for a lake, the better it will be for Lake Wentworth and other New Hampshire lakes. We also need to keep supporting the LAKE HOST Program run by the New Hampshire Lakes Association that provides courtesy checks for boats entering our lake to see if they have invasive weeds attached to them.
Without the labels, could you have identified which of these plants was a native and OK and which was an exotic? Knowing the difference can make a difference to the well-being of our lake.
This article is an introduction to invasive plants but much more information can be found at the Department of Environmental Services web site, www.des.nh.gov . People at DES can answer questions about the invasive species and should be informed if they are found in Lake Wentworth because then they can help eliminate them and prevent them from moving to other lakes.
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Contributed by Rich Masse
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Thursday, October 30, 2008
Ever wonder what those plants growing at the end of the dock are? Could you identify variable milfoil if it took root along your shoreline? How about those shrubs growing along the property line -- are they native to New Hampshire or alien species transplanted here from abroad? The answer to these and many other questions about the plants that grow in and around our waters are found in a new -- and free -- publication put together by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Titled "A Field Guide To Common Riparian Plants of New Hampshire," the full-color document is available online from the DES site.
More than 70 plant species are described in the text, with additional live specimen scans and habitat photos.
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