Milfoil Forces Closure of Naticook Boat Launches

The public boat launches have been closed at Naticook Lake after it was confirmed that milfoil has been spreading in the public water body.

The public boat launch in Veteran’s Park and on Camp Sargent Road have been closed until further notice. 

According to a press release sent by Merrimack Parks and Recreation Director Sherry Kalish, a major factor in the spread of an invasive variable like milfoil occurs when propellers and other activities chop up the existing plants and the fragments drift and re-root in new areas.

The Department of Environmental Services has been monitoring Naticook Lake since July when they first confirmed the presence of milfoil near the Veteran's Park Boat Launch.

"DES documented significant spreading of milfoil in the lake during the summer months," Kalish said. "They have had divers perform hand removal and diver-assisted suction harvesting  work on the areas of growth three times in August and September."

DES is seeking bids for both herbicide treatment and diver-assisted suction harvesting activities to be done in 2013. They will train interested parties in the spring of 2013 on Weed Watcher Programs, which use volunteers to keep an eye on the lake or the boats coming in and out of the water to make sure they aren't spreading foreign plant matter – referred to in July as "acquatic hitchhikers" – into the water.

Naticook Lake currently has no sort of program in place for prevention and early detection, which allows a growth of milfoil to spread until large areas become overrun with it, making erradication much more difficult.

At the time the milfoil was discovered in Naticook in July, DES said the infestation was well-established and appears to have been present for at least two to three years before being reported.

At this time only non-motorized boats, such as canoes and kayaks that can be carried in, are permitted entry into Lake Naticook via the town owned boat launches. Call the Merrimack Parks and Recreation Department at 882-1046 or check the town website at www.merrimacknh.gov for updates. Use of the boat launch will be re-evaluated after milfoil management operations are done in the early summer of 2013.

Follow these tips from Fish and Game to help prevent the spread of these invasive species:

• LOOK for "Warning Signs" for aquatic nuisance species near boat launch sites.
• HAND-REMOVE all materials (plant or animal) from equipment. Don't throw the material back into the water! Dispose of it far away from the water. Pay special attention to the bunks or rollers where the boat is seated on the trailer.
• WASH AND DRY all equipment before reuse. Hose off the boat, diving gear or trailer.
• DRAIN AND FLUSH the engine cooling system and live wells of your boat, your bait buckets and the buoyancy control device from diving equipment that's been in contact with an infested waterbody (to protect against the spread of zebra mussels).

For a list of exotic aquatic plants that are prohibited within New Hampshire, visit the N.H. Department of Environmental Services Exotic Species website. To find out more about the Weed Watcher Program and how you can get involved, visit the DES website.