Whats up with the big boats.....

[madrasahs]

Some may have read your most recent ad-hominem Christmas Day post before it was removed.

Normally, it would have been ignored by me; however, it arrived coincidentally the same day that some long-awaited digital photos arrived.

These are photos of tree roots of a maple at my shore front. The trunk does not appear in the pictures. The tree itself still stands, but presently has only one living branch. It’s about the same diameter as others I have cut for firewood on my lot -- and counted the rings -- so it‘s a ~50-year-old tree. Most sprang up opportunistically when the builder accidentally cut down every marketable tree 50 years ago in a "landscape adjustment".

The black shoes in the lower part of the photo are mine, and rest about a foot above the June Winnipesaukee-level waters.

What those shoes should have been standing on is soil. The tree parts you see are three-foot-long roots from which the soil has been washed away into the lake. I’d estimate that there’s more than four feet of shoreline missing.

Some quiet days, a rock will sploosh into the lake. The sound has always puzzled me, as I previously thought it was only ice that caused shoreline destruction. Big Boat wakes washing mud into Winnipesaukee is a good thing?

Now this formerly-mute maple tree can illustrate what happens when Big Boats are introduced to a lake.

Since about 1985, the lake, its structures, its woods, its water, its shoreline, its decibels, has changed -- as we have long discussed -- and the changes coincide with the arrival of the “Me” Generation.

[SIKSUKR]

Hey Mad. this might actually be a good thing for you. The cycle of lakes in this part of the world is just the opposite of what's happened to you. Most have started out as nice clear water ponds/lakes and eventually fill in with organic matter to become bogs and finally firm soil. Have you ever thought that this is prolonging the life of winni? Something to think about. SS

[PROPELLER]

Mad, boats in general big & small can cause wakes damaging to the shoreline. Just because you don't like big boats does not give you the right to blame all that you think is bad for Winni on the big boats. We are all to blame for problems with the lake. Big boats, small boats, marinas, shorefront property owners et al.

[madrasahs]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

Hey Mad. this might actually be a good thing for you. The cycle of lakes in this part of the world is just the opposite of what's happened to you. Most have started out as nice clear water ponds/lakes and eventually fill in with organic matter to become bogs and finally firm soil. Have you ever thought that this is prolonging the life of winni? Something to think about. SS

Winnipesaukee is fortunate to be an oligotrophic lake. (It could "stay good" for years).

But abuses can "force" a good lake into a eutrophic lake -- a dying lake.

Here's what nhlakes.org says:

There is no “Fountain of Youth” for our lakes. To help keep your lake from aging before its time, lower cultural impacts by:

Keeping shore areas naturally vegetated and shaded
Assuring that all soils are covered with growth such as groundcovers, shrubs and trees
Using proper fertilization near shore areas or better yet, no fertilizer. http://www.nhlakes.org/edbrochures/a...oryoflakes.htm

Here's another picture of that 50-year-old tree now that I've managed to turn the photo "upright". The roots have been exposed by giant wakes since 1985. It is not a mangrove tree, which holds its trunk above the water by growing atop "aerial" support roots.

Soil supported the tree for decades, but the soil is gone now and "eutrophying" the lake. (And making a very leaf-free maple in the process).

Originally Posted by Cal

Gee Mad , in my book , I see it as the Lake is 4 feet bigger. The ol' glass is half full/half empty theory

It's also less transparent, shallower, sunnier, muddier, and more silted -- all the better to support milfoil.

"Half-full"?

Whatever floats your boat?

[Tyler]

I think you are exaggerating a bit Mad. We have a place not far from you and have owned it for over 60 years. I can honestly say we have not lost an inch of shoreline due to boat wakes of any type. As a matter of fact we have not lost a single inch of shoreline in 60 years, PERIOD!

From your photo's our shorelines look similar and we experience much more boat/wake traffic than you do at your property.

[Cal]

Could it be that this tree simply grew there from day one and this is the way the roots came to be

[madrasahs]

Originally Posted by Tyler

I think you are exaggerating a bit Mad. We have a place not far from you and have owned it for over 60 years...we experience much more boat/wake traffic than you do at your property....we have not lost a single inch of shoreline in 60 years, PERIOD!

Exaggerating...from a photograph?

You have me at a disadvantage since I don't know of where you speak. The only shoreline that has more boat/wake traffic near me is a lee shore, with lots of sandy shoreline. I may have your shore in the background of some of my early photographs. Maybe they could "refresh your recollection" of your shoreline.

Originally Posted by Tyler

From your photo's our shorelines look similar...

You have a maple tree too?

Originally Posted by Cal

Could it be that this tree simply grew there from day one and this is the way the roots came to be?

It was really tricky holding that seed over the lake while it sent out roots and branches; however, I had lots of lumber and -- as a kid -- lots of time.

[HUH]

Our shoreline has not changed an inch ..been the same since 53

[Cal]

Originally Posted by madrasahs

. I’d estimate that there’s more than four feet of shoreline missing.

Gee Mad , in my book , I see it as the Lake is 4 feet bigger

The ol' glass is half full/half empty theory

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by madrasahs

Since about 1985, the lake, its structures, its woods, its water, its shoreline, its decibels, has changed -- as we have long discussed -- and the changes coincide with the arrival of the “Me” Generation.

MAD. Maybe you should see what your neighbors are doing to the shoreline. Some big shot state contractor that lives next door, convince the state that he needs a 'land grant' to build a berm out so that he can have a 'regulation size' dock put in. What it did was allow the sand to build up on our shoreline so that eventually our dock was dry. We had a hard time trying to convince the Gilford Wet lands committee what was happenning so that we can get an extension to extend our dock. When that fails, my Dad took it to court. The head of the Wet Lands committee quit after the pre-trial and the Governor can't believe it came back to haunt him. We couldn't afford to bring it to justice so now we have a beautiful beach with a dry dock.

[Will]

Well as I look at it, its called erosion. Its part of life, even the wind can stur up the water to do this so I think its not a big worry. It cant be stopped!

****

Will