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Believe it or not, fall is here - another great season!
While Sunday, September 22, officially kicks off the first day of autumn, there's still plenty of time before ice-in to explore our lakes and ponds. And, we know that many of you have been out on the lake this past month as we continue to get reports of mysterious lake sightings.
We invite you to read this issue of Shorelines. You'll learn what NH LAKES has been up to and what has recently been discovered in our lakes!
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Freshwater sponge. Photo from Hubbard Brook, Mirror Lake, NH.
Carol from Little Lake Sunapee was recently surprised - and a bit alarmed - to find a bright green and spongy looking organism on the bottom of the lake.
As a long-time Weed Watcher and Lake Host, knowing that finding something unfamiliar in the lake can signal trouble, she did some quick detective work.
With the help of the Lake Sunapee Protective Association, Carol was relieved to learn that the mysterious organism was a freshwater sponge!
Thankfully, there was nothing to be concerned about. The presence of freshwater sponges typically indicates that a waterbody is healthy - both clear and well-oxygenated.
To learn about freshwater sponges (and other interesting aquatic phenomena), click here.
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A Goridian worm. (©Lynn Roebuck.)
A few weeks ago, a group of children and father were surprised - and quite nervous - to find a long, horse hair thin, worm-like creature wriggling around in Lake Wentworth.
But, they knew just what to do - they caught it in a jar and ran the specimen over their neighbor who just happens to be Susan Goodwin, the Chair of NH LAKES.
Susan, not having laid eyes on such a creature before, got on the internet and searched for "freshwater worm". Just seconds later she knew what they had found - a Gordian worm.
Despite the Gordian worm being a parasite, there wasn't any cause for concern for the folks at Lake Wentworth. Gordian worms are parasitic to insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles, and not humans. They occur naturally and do not indicate either good or bad water quality conditions. The waterbody that the end up in is simply by chance, and depends on when their host dies.
To learn more about the Gordian Worm, click here.
To see a video of a Gordian Worm in action, click here.
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What in the world is this?
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Photo by Ivan Briggs & plane piloted by Izzy Briggs
This is what the waters off of Weirs Beach on Lake Winnipesaukee looked like from overhead on the morning of Saturday, September 7th.
While NH LAKES didn't break the Guinness World Record for the largest floating raft of canoes and kayaks at LakeFest this year, the event was a success!
We helped teach canoeists and kayakers how to help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance plants and animals, and, as one LakeFest participant explained, "It was a day out on the lake with family and friends - what's better than that?"
Check out more LakeFest photos at www.nhlakefest.org.
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View from inside the raft at LakeFest provided by participant April Elliot Fitzgerald. (Check out the team from Silver Lake Association in Madison wearing the bright green hats!)
| | We hope you have enjoyed this issue of Shorelines and we hope that you will forward it to your friends and family. NH LAKES needs more members - people like you who love our lakes. Check out toe offer for new members in the column to the right!
As always, feel free to contact us with your mysterious lake sightings and any lake management and protection concerns.
Sincerely,
The NH LAKES Staff
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Tom O'Brien, President & Advocacy
Andrea LaMoreaux, Vice President & Education
Martha Lovejoy, Member Services & Fiscal Administration
Katie Seraikas, Lake Host Program & Office Administration
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This issue is sponsored
by:
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©2013 Maureen Bieniarz-Pond
Irwin Marine
New Hampshire's most respected name in boating since 1919
and
key sponsor of
LakeFest 2013!
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Join Us and Win a Week's Stay at
a Beautiful
NH Lake!
We are 1/3 of the way to recruiting 100 new/renewing members by September 30th.
Don't delay - only the first 100 new/renewing members will be entered into the drawing!
To learn more about the week getaway and about the benefits of being a NH LAKES member CLICK HERE.
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Want to get rid of an old boat, car or
other vehicle?
NH LAKES can help!
You can doe your unwanted boat, car, jet ski, and, yes, even an airplane, to NH LAKES!
Clean out your garage or storage area and support NH LAKES at the same time!
It's easy to donate!
To learn more, CLICK HERE.
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Lake Host "saves" update!
Lake Hosts inspected all canoes
and kayaks that participated in LakeFest.
Since Memorial Day weekend, NH LAKES Lake Hosts have inspected more than 60,000 boats and trailers while teaching boaters how to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species through the "Clean, Drain, and Dry" approach.
As of early September, Lake Hosts had captured 153 pieces of hitchhiking aquatic nuisance species.
To see when and where these "saves" were made, CLICK HERE.
Many Lake Hosts will be working until Columbus Day weekend - stay tuned for more updates!
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Dedicated to protecting
New Hampshire's lakes and
their watersheds.
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