From the Eagle Tribune;
Big Island Pond group is winning battle against milfoil Lake group tackles invasive milfoil
By Eric Parry
eparry@eagletribune.com
Scuba diving for milfoil in Big Island Pond is a dirty job. At the end of a day of hunting the exotic species, Bob Patterson has to clean the mud out of his ears with Q-tips.
But once you can see the natural grass grow back and fish swimming around an area that was once infested, Patterson said it makes the whole job worth the effort.
"Now it hasn't taken over our lake, we're taking over the milfoil," Patterson said while touring the lake by boat yesterday, searching for the invasive weed.
Last month, the Big Island Pond Corp. decided against a chemical treatment this summer and instead is using a weed harvester to see how well it works.
This spring, Patterson, who manages a team of 15 divers, and a group of residents around the lake purchased a 30-foot pontoon boat, named The Milfoiler. They equipped it with a pump, hoses and perforated deck to collect the plant.
The harvester already has helped the group clean 40 infected acres around the pond, far more than they had originally thought they would be able to do this year.
Patterson and the state Department of Environmental Services created a five-year plan earlier this year and is already close to exceeding the goals for the first two years.
"We decided to tackle where it was heaviest first to see if it could be done," Patterson said.
For the last month, scuba divers have been on the lake four days a week. After pulling the weed from the bottom, a long, 4-inch-diameter hose sucks it onto the boat's perforated deck and dumps it into a plastic box. The weed is then bagged and brought ashore. A detailed report of the collection is sent to DES.
A typical dive lasts about an hour. Divers wear a compass to keep track of their location in the murky water, Patterson said. In nice weather, divers will spend as much as six hours collecting weeds.
"A lot of it is like feeling in the blind," Patterson said after cleaning some of the weed from Hemlock Heights Cove yesterday morning.
While the divers are removing the weed underwater, a team of kayakers searches for milfoil using an underwater viewscope and collects pieces of the weed floating on the surface.
Divers tried collecting the weed last summer without the harvester, but the process was much slower, Patterson said.
Within 20 minutes of diving yesterday, Patterson collected half a barrel of the weed and said that amount would have taken him an entire day without the boat.
The Milfoiler isn't working alone.
AB Aquatics, a company Patterson started earlier this year, donated a smaller harvester, The Eco-Dash, to work on Big Island Pond this summer. Unlike the larger boat, the Eco-Dash specializes in shallow areas. That harvester requires only a two-man team and is pulled across the water by the diver.
"In some areas, the Eco-Dash can cover up to an acre an hour," Patterson said.
The group's progress led DES to install two plastic nets in the lake to contain the milfoil from the already cleaned areas around Governor's Island and Hemlock Heights.
Yesterday, Patterson and diver Chris Knoeting were cleaning the weeds from the net.
At the beginning of the season, a day's work would result in the collection of about 200 gallons of milfoil, but that would be more total plants than recent collections.
Last week, a team of divers collected more than 1,000 gallons of milfoil from the northeast side of the lake, but those plants were much longer.
"That's where it had been growing for many years," Patterson said.
Milfoil grows in water as deep as 15 feet and can grow to about 10 feet in length.
After the milfoil is bagged, volunteers like Skip Lanouette dry the weed and use it as a garden fertilizer.
"It's full of phosphates and it's great stuff," Lanouette said.
But even with the success so far this season, Patterson knows the lake will never be completely free of the nuisance plant. Milfoil is present in the majority of lakes and ponds in New Hampshire and he's happy to have some younger volunteers like Matt Roberts, 16, to help.
"We're already passing the stewardship of the lake on to the younger generation," Patterson said.
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16 comments:
Milfoil in Big Island Pond? Chief's fault.
Wouldn't doubt it, his hands are in everything.
Actually, the chief has said he doesn't consider the area north of 111 as part of "real" Atkinson; ask the people that live there how often they get a patrol, even though they pay the same (or higher) taxed than anyone else.
Funny how your little joke prompted a factual criticism, eg Zombie?
Have you noticed it's just the two of us? Keep it up pal. You're part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Whatever. Honestly I couldn't care less what you think about my credibility as you completely fail to understand the discussion.
I know the truth...as does Mark. Who continues to say nothing when questioned and that speaks VOLUMES.
Now THERE is a real credibility problem!
And I have the screenshots to prove it.
So you think it's just the two of us huh? Keep thinking that PAL, because that is only one of your problems. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM PAL.
Still no proof. It's just your words.........BLA, BLA, BLA.
Typical town official trying to take the spotlight off their illegal behavior by attempting to divert attention to a taxpayer with their slanderous statements.
1. You going to arrange sending him another threat on police stationary?
2. You going to arrange to have his car keyed again?
3. You going to arrange to have his house vandalized again?
4. You going to arrange to have a Policeman follow those that disagree with you around town giving them trumped up tickets?
It’s just FOUR of hundreds of reasons the hornet nest you live in needs to be eradicated, so good honest people can raise their kids in a wholesome environment, without the fear of official retaliation.
Why don’t you
MOVE……..LEAVE MARK ALONE……..MOVE!
Sound familiar PAL?
To July 15 10:21 pm:
That is false, the police patrol Hemlock Heights each and every shift. They have to...its a directed patrol...it means they are directed to patrol there.
Have you noticed it's just the two of us? Keep it up pal. You're part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Whatever. Honestly I couldn't care less what you think about my credibility as you completely fail to understand the discussion.
I know the truth...as does Mark. Who continues to say nothing when questioned and that speaks VOLUMES.
Now THERE is a real credibility problem!
And I have the screenshots to prove it.
So you think it's just the two of us huh? Keep thinking that PAL, because that is only one of your problems. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM PAL.
Still no proof. It's just your words.........BLA, BLA, BLA.
Typical town official trying to take the spotlight off their illegal behavior by attempting to divert attention to a taxpayer with their slanderous statements.
1. You going to arrange sending him another threat on police stationary?
2. You going to arrange to have his car keyed again?
3. You going to arrange to have his house vandalized again?
4. You going to arrange to have a Policeman follow those that disagree with you around town giving them trumped up tickets?
It’s just FOUR of hundreds of reasons the hornet nest you live in needs to be eradicated, so good honest people can raise their kids in a wholesome environment, without the fear of official retaliation.
Why don’t you
MOVE……..LEAVE MARK ALONE……..MOVE!
Sound familiar PAL?
Can you say Good Night Phil?
Isn't it refreshing that a few volunteers can fight the majority that wanted to put poison into Big Island Pond, and got the job done through hard work and creative non-expensive ideas?
Our hats are off the Bob Patterson and his crew of people for doing an excellent job on a tough problem.
Now if we could get our Selectmen to learn from Mr. Paterson's example.
Bob Patterson has done a wonderful job dealing with the politics of Big Island Pond milfoil problemS. I hear that some people, who wanted chemicals dumped into the lake and gave generous amounts of money for chemicals, now want their money back.
Why would they want their money back when Mr. Patterson's approach has worked so well? The problem is being solved without chemicals, and disruption to campers, camp owners, and campgrounds. Could it be these people have stock in the chemical company and would get dividends back?
I understand that Mr. Patterson has been voted as a Director of Chase Island Pond Association. Perhaps when he is finished that position, we could get him to run for selectman. His approach to solving problems without the need to form a committee is far superior to what we have in office now.
Congratulations to Mr. Peterson for his outstanding efforts. Perhaps this year, he should be nominated for Atkinson MAN OF THE YEAR. Let’s watch to see if that happens.
If your referring to the Atkinson Citizen of the Year from the Lions Club fuggetaboutit.
Take ONE guess who leads the committee that gives those political favors. I mean awards.
Anyone we know? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, anyone who has his hands into everything, hmmmmmmmmm? Let me get back to you on that, but it's probably an EMPTY SUIT.
Hi chum. "THEY are useless clutter."
You're part of the problem, not part of the solution
According to who is it a "directed patrol
Hemlock Heights is only one of at least 3 roads in Atkinson; are you saying they patrol all 3 roads?
Directed patrol?
Who says? All of Atkinson, or only certain neighborhoods?
Please consider this a submission article
This investigation started three years ago stimulated by a Taxpayer's Advocacy Group similar to the Atkinson Taxpayers Association, Atkinson, Taxpayers for Fair Evaluations Committee, Atkinson Taxpayers Committee, Coalition of New Hampshires Taxpayers (on the state level) and many others interested in correcting the illegal practices of their Town officials. The details and documents supplied to the State, came from the taxpayers, not Town officials. Can anyone guess why? It is proceeding from an investigation into a criminal case, where surely certain someone(s) will be going to jail. Even though Town officials denied it, there was a smoking gun.
The taxpayers of Windsor that have filed suit against their Town officials have been subjected to the very same types of harassment and intimidation as those that have filed suit against Atkinson officials. This harassment is no accident. There are a lot of questions why State officials didn’t get involved sooner so stay tuned to see how far up the ladder this case will lead.
As you read and follow this case through the courts, please remember abuses can only thrive if we do nothing to stop the few that do so much harm. It is your tax dollars that they are using against you, not for you.
Isn’t it time to get involved with your favorite local taxpayer group(s) and help put a stop to the abuses in your town? Without them there will be no accountability, or transparency in your government. Without them the abuses will continue. Please don’t become a victim of their abuse. Join today.
Reported tonight on WMUR TV
WINDSOR, N.H. -- The town of Windsor is under intense scrutiny amid accusations of corruption by the town's former tax collector.
PDF: Report On Windsor Taxes
Many residents are calling for an investigation, saying that while they were being taxed, their some of their neighbors were not. The town records were recently the subject of a state audit, and the audit's report indicates there may be problems with the town's books.
Irene Palmer has called Windsor home since 1974, but she said what has happened in recent years tears at the foundation of the town she loves.
"It's been very difficult," she said. "It's divided the town."
Last month, Palmer and several other Windsor residents filed a lawsuit against the town. It claims that for years, former tax collector Beverly Hines allowed her friends and family to avoid paying taxes, failing to collect as much as $300,000 in town of less than 250 people.
"If I have to pay my taxes -- and I have to scrape to do it, my wife and I are retired -- then I expect everybody in town has to pay their fair share," said Don Palmer. "That's not what's been happening."
That accusation prompted the state to get involved. The Department of Revenue ordered an independent audit of Windsor's books for the calendar year 2007.
Among the findings:
Several tax payments based on the tax collector's records could not be verified to bank deposits.
A few individual payments were applied to multiple property tax accounts.
Property tax amounts assessed were sometimes manually adjusted in the tax collector's books.
The audit goes on to say the tax collector's office lacked "fiscal integrity" and "recommends that the board of selectmen turn the audit findings over to appropriate law enforcement agencies."
Board of selectmen chairwoman Darlene Cuddy refused to stop for an interview. News 9 also was turned away at Hines' home.
Department of Revenue Commissioner Kevin Clougherty expressed vindication in forcing Windsor audit.
"I think what we are going to have to do is get the message out to other cities and towns that this isn't going to be tolerated," Clougherty said.
Later Friday, Windsor selectmen said they would sit down and answer questions once the legal proceedings are complete. The town attorney didn't return calls.
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