Spofford Lake is changing.  That seems to be the consensus whether you have had the good fortune to be acquainted with our lake for 20 years, just couple, or a lifetime. Anecdotally, lake lovers recount the days when there were more and bigger fish and a broader variety of them, when there was little or no muck, when there were fewer weeds, when the water was clearer, when there were no E.coli or cyanobacteria alerts, when there were fewer people, and when it was quieter.

What is the way forward?  We all value Spofford Lake and we understand that its good health is dependent on a web of factors.  We also know that while not in dire straits it does struggle with oxygen impairment, the persistent threat of invasive species and possibly cyanobacteria, and that declining precipitation, both rain and snow are real.  That ambient and lake temperatures are creeping upward hastening aquatic plant growth.   And that development in the surrounding watershed, whether lakeside or up in the hills, and the resulting runoff adds yet another layer of stress to be managed.

Our challenge, collectively, is to protect and sustain the Lake's health notwithstanding the man-made and natural changes to it over the past century.  Our individual challenge is to act in ways that help the Lake today and tomorrow. All of us, in even very small ways, can make a difference.

Page Updated March 14, 2023