If you are out there kayaking or canoeing, enjoying New Hampshire's beautiful lakes and ponds, you can take an important step to help protect our waterways. Last month, as we finished our paddle at Thorndike Pond in Jaffrey, a young man approached us and asked where we had last kayaked. He wasn't being nosy; he was a volunteer (or paid employee?) for the New Hampshire Lakes Association who was there to educate boaters about the need to wash their boats after each outing.
The reason? To prevent the spread of aquatic plants, like variable milfoil, from lake to lake. According to the NH Lakes Association web site, "Exotic aquatic plant infestations in lakes and ponds are undesirable because they make recreation in and on the water dangerous and unpleasant, disrupt the ecological balance of these water bodies, reduce shoreline property values, and are difficult and expensive to control."
It's simple. If you want to continue to enjoy the water, please take a few minutes to hose down your canoe or kayak after each outing!
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