Motorboat misuse can reduce water quality and disturb aquatic life. Boat owners should:

• Avoid propeller disturbance of the lake bottom. Churned nutrient-laden bottom sediments support increased algae growth and cause excess murkiness
• Keep boat and skiers 150 feet from shore when operating above wake speed; large wakes cause wave action that contribute to shoreline erosion and stir up bottom sediments
• Steer clear of exposed, steep or sloping banks
• Observe state and federal laws governing the use of approved Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs)
• Use special care when fueling your boat
• Use petroleum-absorbing pads to avoid accidental fuel and oil spills when performing engine repairs and maintenance
• Select and use environmentally responsible cleaning products and marine paint
• Dispose of fish parts properly when cleaning fish. Parts should not be thrown into the lake

Information for this section was taken from “New Hampshire Boater’s Guide – A Digest of Boating Laws,” a publication of the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Marine Patrol, 1997.

For a complete list of New Hampshire boating laws, please visit http://www.boat-ed.com/nh/handbook