Dear Members, Neighbors, and Lake Lovers:

We hope that 2026 finds you and your family well.  Here are a few items to consider during this winter season.  

Reduce YOUR Impact this Winter.  Be lake friendly!

• shovel & scrape—to minimize the need for salt, don’t let snow build 
• apply sand and ashes if needed for traction—these materials can be swept up and reused later
• apply ice melting products sparingly.  A little goes a long way and you do not need to feel the CRUNCH for it to be working. Most products contain chloride, which is: 
• • • toxic to aquatic life,
    • damaging to plants,
    • corrosive to vehicles, and
    • harmful to pets.
• use chloride free alternatives, such as Branch Creek Entry Ice Melt as chloride is not good for landscaping plants, grass and finds its way into streams, the watershed, and the lake.  Spofford has some areas of marginally high chloride levels and we don’t want them to worsen.

• And be aware, “pet safe” does not mean the product is lake friendly.

• use a snowplow service?  Support those who are certified by the State in the Green SnowPro program.  Scroll down for the section entitled “Looking for a Certified Commercial Applicator” for listings in West Chesterfield and Walpole.  

• Ice In:  This winter has been a cold one with ice in being called on December 29, earlier than prior years.  2025 saw ice in on January 12 and ice out on April 3.  As always, ice in and out are reported to the State as data points to create an overall picture of the Lake.  Let’s hope that ice out too arrives later and along more traditional timelines, perhaps mid-April.

• Ice and Lake Health:  Ice is very important to a lake’s health.  According to the Society for the Protection of NH Forests, “Ice acts as an insulator, reflecting sunlight so water at the bottom stays dark and cold. As lakes warm, we can expect more aquatic plants growing for longer periods of time.  A longer growing season? That means more algae. And warmer water favors more invasive plants, like milfoil as well as cyanobacteria …” For the complete article, click here.
  
• Ice Safety:  While Spofford is well frozen now, eventually it will thaw.  Use this handy diagram to determine when it’s safe to play on the ice and when it is not.  FYI, our Home page will display this diagram until ice out is called. 

Rehabilitating Partridge Lake:  As the SLA continues to refine its plan for managing and/or reversing the low dissolved oxygen in our lake, it is worth understanding the experiences of other lakes as they too attempt to deal with declining water quality, low dissolved oxygen, and cyanobacteria blooms.  Case in point, Partridge Lake, 101-acres within an 882-acre watershed near Littleton.  For comparison Spofford Lake is over 700 acres and sits within a watershed of 2,500+ acres.  NH DES has produced a short article on the steps taken and decades long activity that led up to an alum treatment at Partridge Lake in 2025.  Total cost so far, $1 million dollars. And the work may not be complete.

As lakes compete for scare resources, e.g., limited Federal, State, and local funds and grants and few consulting firms with solid experience in the field, it is even more important for communities and homeowners to do what is within their power to slow the build-up of phosphorous.  According to DES, while lake associations and townships can take actions to protect the watershed, so too can individual homeowners.  Here are a few actions YOU can take: 

• Work hard to protect natural resources and limit negative impacts and degradation – be a watershed watch dog and take care of your own piece of the watershed. (Everyone is in a watershed, no matter how far you think you are from the water.) 
• Keep mixed vegetative buffers on the shore – ground covers, shrubs/bushes and trees work together to stabilize, take up nutrients, and shade and protect our shorelines and our aquatic resources. 
• Follow low impact practices for snow and ice removal, above.
• Be LakeSmart.  We’ll do a deeper dive into NH LAKES LakeSmart program in an upcoming edition of the Lake Lover Gazette. 

Lakes & Legislation:  Learn about the likely legislative issues to be discussed in 2026 by the NH legislature.  Click here for the YouTube recoding of the webinar.  

To receive updates on proposed legislation, sign up for NH LAKES Advocacy Alerts.

Night Sky:  As many folks are not year-round residents of Spofford, we thought you would enjoy some beautiful local views of the aurora borealis.  Stunning!

Stay warm, 

The Spofford Lake Association

New Invasive Species, Spiny Water Flea:  This new invasive has already been found in Lakes Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam.  While small, it poses harm in many ways