Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We have launched a program to monitor the boat launches at both Lost Lake/Knops Pond and Baddacook Pond. We need volunteers to be at the boat launches to hand out literature to boaters, explain what the program is all about, and in conjunction with the boater fill out a survey form and in conjunction with the boater inspect the boat and trailer and remove all weeds that might be present. This MUST be done according to a new Massachusetts law  before the boat can be launched, and again once the boat comes out of the water.

We have enlisted a few people vis-à-vis the Groton Senior Program where Groton Resident Seniors can qualify for up to $500 property tax abatements (note that if you had not signed up for this for 2013 you must wait until October to sign up for next year). However we need volunteers to help fill out a schedule so that we can properly monitor the boats coming and going from the lakes/ponds.

We have put a lot of time, effort and money into killing the weeds and the last thing we need is to have weeds reintroduced to the lakes and ponds on boats and trailers.

We all need to participate in this effort. We need folks to step up and offer to spend a few hours a week to monitor the boat launches.

Erich Garger’s daughter Brooke is coordinating this program on behalf of the Town of Groton and the Groton Lakes Association. Please contact her at (603) 809-8194 or at bny22@unh.edu to volunteer your time.

I attached a picture that Jim Luening took of a weed covered trailer that was parked at Baddacook Pond last week. The boater was somewhere out on Baddacook Pond and the boater owner probably left with the weeds still attached to contaminate another lake. Can you imagine if that boat & trailer got back into Lost Lake/Knops Pond what might happen?

Art