If you do any web seaching for Winnipesaukee or Winnisquam water quality data, you will find the quality is always reported as "pristine" and the trend for the last twenty years is towards cleaner water. I can't reconcile this with the divers observations that the water is getting less clean and less clear.
While vigilence is always proper, there are no measureable facts to back up the belief that Winnipesaukee and it's neighbors are degrading.
If you think about it, you can see why. When my parents weekended on their boat, many of their slip neighbors dumped gray water (shower water) into the lake, now that's illegal and new boats in NH pump graywater into holding tanks. Few boaters violate the dumping rules.
There always finger pointing at the McMansions for their lawns. I can't argue that some lawn chemiclas must be getting the lake. But on the good side all these properties are being built with modern septic systems, all sized for full time occupancy. Many of the camps that were replaced had marginal septic systems.
Can anyone show me one report showing a decline in water quality?
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