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Notes from the 2024 Roundup Meeting

Writer's picture: Don YurewiczDon Yurewicz

Updated: Oct 13, 2024

 

Put this on your calendar for 2025: The 2025 KICKOFF meeting will be in person on JULY 12TH @ 9:00 at Maria’s home.

 

Attendees: Maria Gross, Tim Keith, Bill Petry, Steve Kafka, Bette Jacques, Gitch Whalen, Rose Hache, Dean Malouta, Don Yurewicz

 

1.  Patrol Zones & Challenges:

  • Seventeen zones require coverage, but there are currently only 15 active patrollers. Health issues of some long-time volunteers have reduced their availability this year.

  • Volunteers were encouraged to extend patrols to under-covered areas, especially the West Side and Thorne Islands, where increased fishing activity is a concern.

  • New Patrollers – We recently welcomed three new patrollers:

-   Liz Beaulieu: Recently retired teacher from Massachusetts who now lives full time on the lake. She is highly motivated and has already participated in patrols, discovering new plants. She will patrol Zone 4

-   Paul Nuccio & Cindy Hall: Eaton residents eager to assist in coverage of the South Cove area. Paul is also the new chair of the Eaton Conservation Commission and a water quality scientist.

  • Possible Additional Volunteers for 2025:

-   Names mentioned for recruitment for next summer include Sharon and Mitch Bolotin, John Chisholm, John Schmerfeld, and Thea Seigel.

-   Dudley Hall expressed interest in the past but has not been active. Follow-up needed to gauge his willingness for regular patrols.

  • It was noted that Maria’s presentation at Dolloff Cove’s July meeting had an important impact as she informed the members about new concerns and discoveries from the recent NH Lakes Congress session and how it affects the important work by AIS patrollers on the lake. She was encouraged to return every year.


2.  Patrol Equipment & Updates:

  • There was a discussion on improving tools used for patrols, such as flotation devices for small tools like magnifying glasses and scissors.

  • Members are encouraged to wear their patrol vests as it often sparks educational conversations with passersby, raising awareness about lake health and invasive species like cyanobacteria.

  • A suggestion was made to make patrol vests more versatile, possibly turning them into flags for easier identification.

 

3.  Kiosk & Donation Opportunities:

  • The kiosk at the boat launch was updated and includes:

-   A new poster recreating the LPC brochure on “Learn to read the signs” that loons make, and a large metal sign with a map of neighboring lakes with invasives.

-   A brochure box offering educational materials from NH DES and NHLakes.

  • In light of how Conway Lake might have 150 property owners around it there were also about 4,200 boats launched into Conway Lake just this season alone. A suggestion was made to add a QR code at the kiosk for donations, allowing visitors to contribute to lake maintenance, particularly to support the Lake Host program, which costs thousands of dollars annually.

 

4.  Notes from Cliff Cabral:

  • No invasives were found in Conway Lake during season 2024.

  • Final survey will be during October at all the hotspots.

  • Every time Cliff launches at the public beach (which is at least once a week during the summer) he snorkels both directions on the channel, especially around the moorings.

  • Cliff will also snorkel other areas around islands and coves where many boats linger.

  • South Cove is considered a hot spot and Cliff surveys it frequently during the season from his boat as the cove is too shallow to swim.

  • Note that after heavy storms he has found the amount of silt that flows from Snow Brook into South Cove and right up through Greely Cove can make it difficult to distinguish one plant from another on the lake’s floor.

  • Cliff welcomes anyone to join him next season to view what some invasives look like in a waterbody nearby he is working on.

 

5.  New Plant Observations in 2024 – Several new plants were identified in the lake this year and extended ranges were noted for several known species.

  • Water starwort – 1st noted occurrence in Conway Lake. Can be confused with Duck

Weed which also occurs in the lake. Found near Wiley Brook (Zone 7) by Maria.

  • Round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), a carnivorous flowering plant with tiny white flowers – found on tree stump in Turtle Cove (Zone 1) by Don.

  • A new variety of aquatic moss (Fontinalis) with softer, finer leaves was found at the inlet of Wiley Brook in Zone 7 by Maria.

  • Floating bladderwort was found in the northern part of the lake for the first time. It was seen in the channel leading into Dolloff Cove by Don and in Paige Brook by Tim Keith. We all need to be able to distinguish it from the invasive Swollen (aka Bloated) bladderwort which is more robust. Swollen bladderwort can also be distinguished from native Floating bladderwort by its radiating spokes which narrow toward the central stem in the invasive form.

  • Flat-leaf bladderwort was found for the first time in the northern half of the lake in Paige Brook by Tim Keith.

  • The second occurrence of Nitella (a type of algae with fine translucent branches) was found in Conway Lake in Zone 4 by Liz Beaulieu.

  • A new occurrence of freshwater bryozoans was noted on a submerged tree branch along the channel leading into Dolloff Cove by Don.

  • Nontoxic form of Rivularia was found as tiny spheres attached to a number of native Elodea and pondweed at the beach of the former Cove Campgrounds, found by Maria in Zone 14, grid 469

  • An unknown plant found by Cindy Hall in Zone 9 (grid 244) was studied by Amy Smagula and staff and believed to be the “base” to a Floating heart.

 

6.  Lake Smart Program:

  • Several members passed the LakeSmart program, and there was a strong support to continue the effort to increase participation, potentially reaching 100% property owner involvement. Kezar Lake in Lovell, ME was mentioned as a prime example of how the LakeSmart program was so effective.

  • Lake Smart Awards were given to Rose Hache & Dean Malouta, Gitch Whalen, Julie Bosak & Lawton Harper, and Maria & Tom Gross. Two other properties in Dolloff Cove also had visits by the Lake Smart representatives: Ken and Carol Rock, and Deidre & Ben Soraci.

  • There was positive feedback about the LakeSmart inspection process, which provided useful information on maintaining the lake’s health.

 

7.  South End Boat Traffic & Legal Matters (Steve Kafka):

  • The South End of the lake has seen increased boat traffic this year. While most activity is consistent with the area’s legal use (paddle craft), Efforts are underway to clarify parking rules and control boat traffic at the South End.

  • There is also ongoing work to address legal questions around the “grandfathered” use of the area.

  • An incident involving Great Glen Trails bringing a trailer of kayaks was handled diplomatically, reinforcing the need for careful monitoring of the South End's use.

 

8.  Lake Surveys & Invasive Species Monitoring:

  • Cliff Cabral, who surveys the lake for invasive species, reported no findings of invasives but noted increased native plant growth (Native milfoil and Elodea) in certain areas.

  • Concerns about Spiny water fleas were discussed, with members encouraged to continue promoting the Clean, Drain, and Dry protocol for all watercraft to prevent the spread of invasive species.

  • The beginnings of a collaboration between Conway Lake Conservation and Eaton Conservation Commission regarding shared lake management responsibilities was highlighted.

 

9.  Mapping Patrol Coverage & Zones:

  • A suggestion was made to increase visibility of what zones are covered during the season and potentially adding them to the blog. A Conway Lake map showing coverage gaps can help prioritize areas for future patrols.

  • Don will continue updating the map to track areas covered and display it monthly.

 

10.  Future Plans & Action Items:

  • Recruitment of additional patrollers remains a priority, with specific requests for potential recruits to focus on under-patrolled zones.

  • Patrollers should continue educating lake users about invasive species and encourage compliance with cleaning practices.

  • Efforts to enhance the kiosk by adding donation options and educational resources will continue.

  • A potential intern program to study aquatic invasive species is being explored by the Eaton Conservation Commission.

 


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