We Need Water Quality Volunteers, New Weed Watch Lead, Phragmites, SLA Gear, and Lawn Fertilizer, April 18 |
Dear Members, Neighbors, and Friends: Happy Spring. On April 12, the boat ramp dock was installed and an SLA team conducted the first water tests of the year, Spring turnover. The 2026 season is underway. We have a lot more to report, so here goes: New Weed Watch (WW) Coordinator: It is with much gratitude and appreciation that we say goodbye to Val Starbuck as WW coordinator. She will remain as point person on loons and the annual vegetation survey. For 25+ years, Val has served the Spofford Lake Association, including as its President. She and others started the Lake Host program around 2001. About the same time, they kicked off the Weed Watch program. Those programs have worked hand-in-hand ever since. It is through her diligence and that of her team that Spofford remains invasive-free. Not many lakes in NH can make that claim, especially with the robust visitor traffic we have, many of which having motored on the invasive-infested CT River. We are very pleased that Lauren Turner has agreed to lead our Weed Watch team. Lauren and her husband relocated to Spofford a year and a half ago, coming from Cobbetts Pond in Windham NH and are delighted to join the Spofford Lake community. Lauren is well familiar with Spofford, having visited family members here for many years. She looks forward to contributing to the stewardship of Spofford Lake. We Need Water Quality Volunteers: We have had retirements and really need your assistance? No experience is necessary, just a willingness to help. Here is what is involved. You will be assigned to one of two teams each with 3-4 people. Each team needs some alternates to fill in for vacation and illness etc. The team samples 20 locations at the shoreline and tributaries in the nearby watershed. The schedule has been set for Tuesdays: May 26, July 28, August 25, and September 29. You will be home by 9:30am having contributed to Spofford’s health and ready to go on with your day. To Volunteer, please click and complete the form. We really appreciate your assistance even if you are NOT available for the all the above dates. Ice Out: From four vantage points, North and South Shore Roads, Rte 63, and Echo Cove, no ice was visible so ice out was reported to the State as April 1. For 2026, there were 93 days of ice cover versus 81 for the prior season. For more info on ice cover and its duration on Spofford Lake, visit our new Lake Ice web page. Fish Stocking, Bass Tournaments, and Lake Hosts:
This is critically important as tournament boats travel from waterbody to waterbody, many of which suffer from milfoil and fanwort, not to mention zebra mussels and other invasive species. Our team of Hosts is great at ferreting out invasives. Indeed, our team tallied 50% of the invasive ‘saves’ registered across the State in 2025! Phragmites aka Common Reed: While we are on the topic of invasives, please consider a Spring inspection of your property and be on the lookout for phragmites, also known as common reed. We suspected a patch on S. Shore Road and sent a photo to NH DES for identification. We also believe there to be patches east of the boat ramp. Here is the State’s feedback: “That is Phragmites” says Amy P. Smagula, Director, Jody Connor Limnology Center, Chief Aquatic Biologist at DES. She also added that “there are a few options for management:
Readying Your Waterfront Property for the Season: A word on lawn fertilizer… We discourage the use of lawn fertilizer. According to our WQMP team, whatever you apply to your lawn will end up in the Lake one way or the other. You choose, either a green lawn or a green lake! Here’s more on the topic from NH LAKES. “Test your soil before applying any additives. Excess fertilizer can get washed into lakes, and the nutrients in fertilizer fuel unwanted aquatic plant and potentially toxic cyanobacteria growth. Aim to minimize or eliminate their use. “If you own shoreline property, remember that specific regulations apply. You can’t use chemicals—even “organic” ones—within 25 feet of a public water source. For more guidance, consult NH DES Lawn Care within the Protected Shoreland. “For expert guidance tailored to shoreline properties, look no further than Landscaping at the Water’s Edge. This comprehensive resource from the University of NH Cooperative Extension is a must-have for shoreline property owners. Chapter 6 offers lake-friendly lawn care information, from plant selection to pest management strategies. By implementing these practices, you can play a vital role in restoring and preserving the health of our lakes.” Social Media: Thank you for being a recipient of the Lake Lover Gazette. You can also follow the activities of the SLA on Instagram, Face Book, and YouTube. Check us out. SLA Gear: New designs are being created for the Store and are coming soon. In the meantime, peruse the current classic offerings. Feathered Friends: A sure sign of Spring. Mama eagle, or is it Papa, is on the nest according to Lee Brockman. Let’s hope that this a harbinger of a chick or two this season. Two loons have been seen paddling around. Fingers crossed, they are the “Spofford loons” not just tourists resting on the way north. 🦅 Lake Water Level: The Town has initiated readings of the lake level. On Friday, April 17, it was at 13” from the drop of the abutment. These readings, reported +/- weekly, can be found on our Lake Water Level page. Annual Meeting: The Spofford Yacht Club will again provide the venue for the SLA Annual Meeting on Saturday, July 25. Mark your calendar and be on the lookout for more details in the weeks to come. Have any suggestions for us as we make preparations? If so, contact bruce@spoffordlakeassociation.org. Happy Earth Day, April 22. Help the SLA help our lake by taking your own action to protect our gem of a lake. Kind regards, The Spofford Lake Association |
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Water Quality
 | Spofford Lake Association PO Box 177 |