A Success Story:

Curly-leaf Pondweed Removed from Lake Sunapee!

However, we all need to remain vigilant in the coming

weeks and months!

On Wednesday, June 5, two divers hand-pulled all curly-leaf pondweed plants found by the boat ramp in Georges Mills. They extracted about 15 plants total and feel confident that they got it all. LSPA staff and Invasive Watch volunteers will continue to monitor the lake for any signs of curly-leaf pondweed or other aquatic invasive species.

This successful response relied on many amazing partnerships. It began when a piece of curly-leaf pondweed was found by a Lake Host inspecting the trailer of a departing boat. LSPA partners with NH LAKES to bring the Lake Host program to Lake Sunapee. This statewide program is crucial in reducing the spread of aquatic invasives. The Lake Hosts at the five ramps on Lake Sunapee are hired and managed by LSPA staff and are paid with funds from several different sources including: donations from LSPA members, funds contributed by the three waterfront towns (Sunapee, Newbury and New London) and a grant from NH LAKES.

As soon as the Lake Host reported the discovery of curly-leaf pondweed, we quickly alerted Amy Smagula at NHDES who recommended a trained dive team that LSPA hired to hand-pull the plants. The Town of Sunapee and the Sunapee Police Department provided important assistance by closing the boat ramp to allow the divers to work safely.

A close-up view of curly-leaf pondweed. Note the wavy pattern on the edge of the leaves. This is a good way to distinguish it from other plants.

The leaves also have small teeth.

We do not have any reason to believe that this infestation is widespread in the lake but we will be checking over the next few weeks and throughout the summer. We can never have too many eyes on the water, so if you are interested in becoming an Invasive Watch volunteer, please send an email to Susie at susieb@lakesunapee.org.

Early detection is so critical! Some people wonder why Lake Hosts inspect departing boats & trailers but this is a prime example of why they do it. To alert us to a potential problem that we didn't know about! Please always remember to "Clean, Drain & Dry" your boat, trailer and equipment between waterbodies to help prevent the spread.

Here is a link to our previous eblast with more details.

Lake Sunapee Protective Association

Center for Lake Studies

Physical Address:

63 Main Street

Sunapee, NH 03782

Mailing Address:

PO Box 683, Sunapee, NH 03782

www.lakesunapee.org