THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Saturday, September 5, 2020 — Page 7

Biologists watch for invasive plants, animals in waterways

Variable milfoil, an invasive plant species, is found in 78 of the state’s 950 lakes and ponds. (Courtesy photo/NH DES)

By Rick Green George, New York,” Smagula said. “It’s a microscopic ibility is large,” Smagula said. “It’s the big ones like THE LACONIA DAILY SUN animal with a long glassy spine that eats native Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam, Newfound.” plankton, disrupts the food web, gets stuck in the Variable milfoil can become so thick that there he invasion force seems like something out of digestive tract of fish, causing stunted growth and have been instances in other states where people a science fiction movie: Hermaphrodite snails mortality.” have become entangled and have drowned. Tthe size of golf balls, fleas with glass-like Vegetative invaders keep her busy as well. “It can change the water chemistry and biology,” she spines, underwater weeds that choke and degrade said. “It holds a lot of heat, make the water warmer, waterways. Variable milfoil and that could make it possible for algae blooms. Also Amy Smagula, the Department New Hampshire has 78 infested lakes and 11 it has a lot of biomass. As it decomposes, it releases a of Environmental Services Exotic Species Program infested rivers, most containing variable milfoil as lot of nutrients that can change the pH of the water Coordinator, is ever vigilant for non-native plants the primary invasive plant, while others have fan- and the oxygen concentration in the water.” and animals. wort, Eurasian water milfoil and water chestnut. Biologists are getting better at detecting and man- She spoke to The Daily Sun Wednesday after sam- That represents about 7 percent of the state’s 950 aging invasive plant species, including removal by pling for the spiny water flea. lakes and ponds. divers, but animal invaders are much more diffi- “It is in Lake Champlain, Vermont, and Lake “But even though the percentage is small, the vis- See next page Page 8 — THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Saturday, September 5, 2020

from preceding page

cult to control. One example is the Chinese mystery snail, which has been spotted in Lake Wicwas and elsewhere. “That’s a tricky one,” Smagula said. “It is a hermaphrodite. In one shell it has male and female parts, so it doesn’t need to mate. Introduce one and it starts a new population.” Smagula said the snail also has a smelly funk to it. Hitching a ride Some of the invasive species of plants and animals may have originally reached the waters of New Hampshire by someone dumping an aquar- ium, but the biggest problems are those that hitch a ride on boats. “Animals are going to be very problematic,” Smagula said. “They get trapped in bait buckets and in the ballast water of boats, particularly the wakeboarding and wakesurfing boats. “They have hard and soft tanks that can be filled and drained. A lot of them don’t have the capacity to drain fully. They suck in and discharge water that can be from a number of lakes.” The state urges boaters to clean, drain and dry their vessels to prevent transporting plants and animals from lake to lake. It doesn’t take much for an invader to hitchhike on a boat.

see BIOLOGISTS page 10

The NH LAKES Lake Host Program is the first line of defense in keeping the state’s lakes free of invasive plants and animals. They teach thousands of boaters each year about clean, drain and dry method for aquatic invasive species prevention. (Courtesy photo)

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BIOLOGISTS from page 8 “For most of the plants, all it takes is a couple inches Docks, Pontoon Rafts, Custom Decks of viable stem materials,” Smagula said. “For micro- scopic animals, it could be just a drop of water.” Installations, Removals, Repairs Lake to lake Many local boaters keep their vessels in the water Variety of Aluminum Docks with all season, but visitors bring their boats in from all Several Decking Choices over the region. “This year, with the pandemic, there’s been a tre- mendous increase in the use of our surface waters,” Dock Hardware Smagula said. “Several thousand more boat registra- tions have been issued than in prior use. Aluminum Ladders “There’s been a lot of day use or week use of our sur- Float Drums face waters. People have been coming all season and Styrofoam Billets even a swim tube, a live well, a bait bucket can carry invasive species. Kayak Racks “I worry less about people fixed on a lake all season Mooring Whips than the more transient boater who is in one lake one Aluminum Stairs day and is in another the next.” Jet Ski Lifts Raising awareness Boat Lifts New Hampton boating enthusiast Dave Katz keeps Dock Bumpers his pontoon boat at dock during the season for outings & More! on . He credits the Lake Host Program with boosting Check Us Out: awareness of the problem of invasive species. Volun- 252 Daniel Webster Hwy, Belmont, NH or Call (603) 524-2000 teers in the program do boat inspections through a col- www.lakesregiondock.com laborative effort with the DES, boat ramp owners and other local partners. [email protected] Educational poster boards are placed at boat launches. “The natural resources are one of the biggest trea- sures that we have here,” said Katz, who also conducts boat tours for Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. “They do a lot of good work trying to maintain that.” The course for a state boating certificate touches on best practices to avoid spreading invasive species, but Katz said he observes boaters don’t always comply with course tenets. “In my opinion, the certificate is a one and done deal,” he said. “You get it once and don’t have to get it refreshed. “I spend a lot of time on the water,” he said. “Some- times I could sell tickets for the entertainment value of what goes on out there. People have just completely

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from preceding page Open/remove drain plugs and keep out/ open while trailering. You may need a forgotten everything they were taught.” wrench to remove plugs. DRY: Dry off everything that came DES-recommended into contact with the water. If launch- precautions before leaving ing your boat again within 5 days, thoroughly rinse with clean water any boat launch area somewhere runoff won’t flow back into CLEAN: Clean off all mud, plants, the water, and towel dry — rinsing animals, and debris from your boat, with high pressure, hot water between trailer, and equipment. Clean off waterbodies is the best practice. anchors and anchor lines, water intake grates on jet-powered craft, kayak and canoe cockpits, storage compartments, Between visiting and paddles, too. Dispose of all mate- waterbodies rial away from the waterbody where it RINSE: Rinse boat hull and trailer won’t wash back into the water. with clean water. Flush motor, bilge, DRAIN: Drain the motor, bilge, live live wells, ballast tanks, and storage wells, ballast tanks, storage compart- compartments with clean water per ments, and gear. Blow out water in boat manufacturer instructions. It is jet-powered craft and tip paddle craft best to visit a car wash before launching and motors to let out water. Drain all again, especially if the boat has been Walt Henderson, a staff biologist for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental equipment away from the water where in a waterbody containing an invasive species infestation. Services, is covered in milfoil after surfacing from a dive in Squam Lake. (Courtesy runoff won’t flow back into the water. photo/NH DES)

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