Another shorefront question - shore things?
 

I would like to know if the following situation is covered under the Shoreland Protection rules:

I live on Loon Cove (Winnipesaukee) in Alton Bay. There is a large drainage outlet that runs into Loon Cove that starts as run off from the mountains off of Jesus Road. The run off collects in a ponding area and then runs under RT 11 before it discharges into the lake. Every time we get a big rain (like last Saturday night) what gets discharged into the lake colors the water to a dark, dark brown. It is so thick that you can't see the bottom in 2 feet of water. It also discharges algae, lillypads and soil that settles on the bottom. Loon Cove was once a totally sandy bottom that many would come to anchor at and enjoy. Now it is a mucky, algae invested mess. I don't know the cause of this discharge but I am worried that part of the problem is there is a horse farm that abutes the ponding area. Horses are allowed to drink at the water's edge and walk through a stream that runs down from the mountain into the pond. Obviously their "discharges" get discharged into the water. Also there is lots of beaver activity in the pond with their mud huts washing out that could be causing the soil discharge. I don't know if others that have discharge outlets near their homes get the same conditions.

Anyway, my question is - Does the Shoreland Protection rules take in effect for areas like this? And what can be done about it?


Thank you very much for any help.

My grandparents had a place in Loon Cove when I was growing up so I'm very familiar with what the conditions used to be both in the cove and going through the culverts to the other side of Rte 11. There was beaver activity beyond the Rte 11 culvert back in the late 70's and in the 80's but it didn't discharge what you are describng so I would tend to think it is something else and not the beaver. Based on the rate of flow through those cuverts I'm fairly certain that the area upstream of Rte 11 is not going to fall under the jurisdiction of the CSPA. I will check with the guys in water quality and find out if there are any agricultural or other water quality rules that may come into play.

Ponding area
 

FWIW I believe the ponding area in question can be seen here...

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...l&limit=last14

Yup, that is it. The horses are at the far end, can't be seen in the picture.

Comparing aerial photos of the area from 1998 and 2007 really doesn't show any change in land cover or use upstream. The sediment deposition pattern in the Cove doesn't appear to have changed either. Does the stream run turbid after every storm?

Only after heavy rain fall, say an 1" or more

Is it possible that some of the soil conditions between the pond and the lake have changed because the flood conditions that have occured in the last 3 years?

Slow the Flow...
 

It is said that beavers "hate" the sound of rushing water; if anything, it's more beaver dams that are needed!

IMHO.

What I was told was that the beavers build their dams with mud and then they get washed out into the water. They just keep building and washing out. There has been a lot of beaver activity over the last 3 years. Nearly every tree under 4 inches has been hit. They even try for bigger ones - amazing!

They'll use trees and branches for the structure and push mud and small rocks against the upstream side. Try pulling a dam apart some time and you'll be amazed at the durabilty of what they build... as well as how fast they can rebuild it.