Lake View - Photo courtesy of Don Yurewicz
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Our awesome CLCA Lake Hosts - Judy Capreralla, Wendy Pope and Sheri Whittaker
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Nearby Lakes with Infestations - Click the sign above for a full page version that you can print and post in your home.
Lake Host Program at Conway Lake
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The Lake Host™ Program is a boat inspection and public education program sponsored by NH LAKES whose goal is to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species. Invasive aquatic species like variable milfoil and zebra mussels cling to boats and trailers and are often spread unknowingly from lake to lake. Please follow NH Lakes guidelines to Clean Drain & Dry your watercraft between lake visits - its the law!
Our Lake Hosts inspect boats entering Conway Lake at the public boat ramp to identify and remove foreign “hitchhikers” from boats and trailers before they enter the lake and spread. They are stationed at the town beach boat ramp daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day from 6am – 7pm and on weekend through Columbus Day.
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In 2019, for example, our Hosts identified and turned away two boaters whose boats and trailers had suspicious hitch-hikers on board. NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) confirmed that the plant samples turned in were Eurasion Milfoil, a dangerous invasive and while not as prevalent as Variable Milfoil, could have been overlooked by less expert inspections.
In addition to guarding our Lake from infestations, our Hosts go beyond their job descriptions and help our visitors in a number of ways. Examples from past summers include: rescuing swimmers trapped by the open dam current, stopping an unwitting oil spill before it spread widely, and calming “lake rage” at the ramp that avoided possible weapons use.
Boat Tagging Program
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Conway Lake Conservation Association introduced a new boat launch voluntary tagging program in May of 2018. The program was designed for all repeat users of Conway Lake. It is called the “Conway Cares” In & Out Boat Inspection Program.
This unique, first in New Hampshire pilot program, was designed to improve the Lake Host efficiency at the Conway Lake boat RAMP located on Mill Street. It was also introduced to help with the ongoing education of the public about the dangers of “Aquatic Hitchhikers” like Milfoil and other invasive species.
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Here is an overview of how this new voluntary pilot program works: After a normal Lake Host inspection prior to launching, boaters with trailered boats were asked if they want to register and join the new “Conway Cares” In & Out boat inspection program.
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If they want to participate, they receive a “Conway Cares” decal to go on their boat and when they pull their boat out of the Lake with the decal on their boat, the Lake Host then attaches a secure wire seal from the boat to the trailer.
When the boat returns to Conway Lake in the future, with the secure wire seal in place, it indicates that the boat has not been in any other Lake. The wire seal is then cut, removed and the boat goes right into Conway Lake with no additional Lake Host inspection required.
The program applies to trailered boats only and does not apply to canoes and kayaks which still have to undergo normal Lake Host Inspection every time they launch on Conway Lake.
