Dear Members, Neighbors, and Lake Lovers:

SLA Annual Meeting:  SAVE THE DATE—August 4 @ 7:00 pm.  As previously announced, the Board of Directors decided that this year’s meeting will be held via Zoom on August 4.  Several important agenda items must be voted on, so please log in, listen, learn, and vote.  Agenda items will include: changes to the By-Laws, election of new directors and next year’s officers, and a report on SLA finances.   

Our special guest speaker, Dr. Lisa Doner, who led the Core Sediment Analysis, will discuss what her team learned that can help us help Spofford Lake.  For details, including the Zoom link, go to the Annual Meeting  page on the SLA website.

Pierce Island Cleanup (Part 1):  On July 28-30, a team, led be Art Huggins, will gather to begin the tagging and removal of small trees and debris from unsafe paths.  Are you willing to help for 1 or even all 3 days?  No experience is necessary, just a willingness to help and some sturdy shoes.  Certified chain saw operators will be on site.  If you can spare a few hours to help improve Pierce Island, please, send an email and we’ll provide you more details.   Part 2 of the cleanup is envisaged for the winter when snowmobiles and their sleds will remove wood and other debris from the island.

Lake Hosts:  Happy Anniversary!  🎈 Did you know that the Lake Host program is celebrating 20 years?  Spofford Lake joined the program in its first year of operation.  Jozefa Johnson and Val Starbuck, aided by Fred Newton (and others) blazed the trail for what has become a robust and well-run program that has kept Spofford Lake milfoil-free.  Starbuck recalls that “… it was difficult back then because people didn't really want to waste any time to comply with checking their boats. It was a battle for a few years until education became more widespread and then boat owners got on the bandwagon.”  Jozefa adds that “once the State provided pamphlets and other educational materials” boaters started to take the program seriously.”  We should all be grateful to Jozefa, Val, Fred and the others for being so forward thinking!  We all have benefitted from their early efforts. 

NH LAKES, the sponsor of the program, reports a record-breaking 130,000 boat and trailer inspections were completed in 2020, nearly 30,000 more than 2019.  

Frank Turner and Art Huggins, who manage the Spofford Lake Host team of 8, tell us they expect another record in 2021.  In the first 8 weeks of the season, May-October, Lake Hosts have already inspected more than 2,200 boats.  

According to NH LAKES, here is how the program has evolved from 2002 to 2020.

• Participating boat ramps:  45 -->94
• Lake Host inspectors:  161 --> 598
• Boat/trailer inspections:  <25,000 --> 130,000
• Invasive species ‘saves’:  1,635 from 55 water bodies.  Fanwort and variable milfoil are the top two offenders.  
• Spofford Lake Hosts:  In 5 different years, our Lake Hosts have intercepted invasive species from boats before entering the Lake.  2013 was the last year of a recorded ‘save.’  Great job Lake Hosts!  Spofford lake is all the better because of your efforts.  

For details on the Spofford Lake Host program and to see our team, visit Lake Host. 

Now that the rain has finally stopped, go out and enjoy the Lake.  

Sincerely, The Spofford Lake Association