Winni Water Quality A Concern

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From Today's Citizen:

Lake Winnipesaukee water quality said worrisome

By RON TUNNING Special to The Citizen

Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Volunteers from and collaboration among the municipalities lining Lake Winnipesaukee are needed if the region's top natural resource is to be preserved for future generations and continue to support economic growth.

That was the consensus that emerged from a gathering of over 50 residents, municipal planners, conservationists and environmentalists in Meredith Tuesday hosted by the Lake Winnipesaukee Watershed Association and the North Country Resource Conservation & Development Area Council.

Analyzing data collected over the past 25 years, state, regional and local officials have worked together to produce models to evaluate current water conditions and quality.

"We are focusing on phosphorous," noted council member Pat Tarpey, explaining that phosphorous is a major contributor to the growth of algae and milfoil. The state of New Hampshire is currently in the process of adopting rules that would regulate the level of phosphorous to 8.0 parts per billion (ppb) in bodies of water categorized as Oligotrophic, meaning they present high quality water with few nutrients to sustain plant life.

According to new standards being adopted by the state, any body of water exhibiting more than 7.2 ppb would be considered impaired, demanding rigorous requirements for any level of development to occur in the watershed area.

For Lake Winnipesaukee, the trend that has evolved over the past 25 years does not look good, with phosphorous levels growing from 4.9 ppb to an estimated median over the past ten years of 6.0 ppb. Current models indicate that even with Best Management Practices (BMPs) implemented and enforced, the estimated 2009 phosphorous levels in Lake Waukewan were 15.9 ppb, in Meredith Bay were 8.6 ppb, in Sanders Bay 7.2 ppb, and in Paugus Bay 6.6 ppb.

The state standards, however, apply to the entire body of water, not to sub-watershed areas such as the bays, around which heavy development has occurred, contributing significantly to the problem. However, as development activity continues to expand around the lake, the overall phosphorous level is expected to increase.

Thus, in developing a watershed management plan the emphasis has been on identifying and monitoring sub-watershed areas. "The sub-watershed approach is on a smaller scale and has a better chance of success," observed Erica Anderson, senior planner with the Lakes Region Planning Commission (LRPC).

Since 2006, officials from Meredith, Gilford and Laconia have been working together to monitor their respective sub-watershed areas, but actual testing has been sporadic at best. There is no state funding available, and the testing process is heavily dependent upon volunteers, of which there is a shortage.

Anderson encouraged municipalities to solicit more volunteers, tapping into local conservation and environmental groups. Necessary equipment and the actual testing of the water samples will be conducted by the University of New Hampshire.

But testing does nothing more than provide a snapshot of the lake's condition, which as Meredith Selectman Peter Brothers conceded, "Where our visitors see the water, we have a problem."

Solutions are far more daunting given the lack of funding, continued development, and the absence of a set template for municipalities to follow in devising their own rules and regulations.

The greatest contributors of phosphorous, according to Anderson, are septic systems and lawns which are typically heavily treated with a phosphorous-based fertilizer to promote growth. Combined, they account for 60 percent of the phosphorous load entering the lake. Educating homeowners, she said, is key to reducing the flow of phosphorous into the watershed areas.

Also important is that municipalities include within their planning regulations best management practices, which include filter strips on cropland, grass swales on transportation land uses, and grass swales on commercial land uses.

For Meredith Community Development Director John Edgar, the challenge is not so much with new development projects that come before the town's planning commission, but is dealing with existing developed property and smaller projects that don't come before the planning commission. "Let's find practical ways to bring them into compliance," he suggested, recommending as well that the various state and regional agencies work with municipalities in crafting proposed rules and regulations that can serve as a blueprint for all communities to follow.

Laconia Planning Director Shanna Saunders agreed. "We need a road map to follow," she said, "to make sure we're all on the same page."

As for costs of monitoring and cleanup, no one expressed any confidence in the state providing funding, even though, as one resident put it, "the state government is supported by tourism dollars."

As the Watershed Management Plan continues to evolve, Anderson said she hoped that municipalities would set their own standards and would work together, offering the support of the Lakes Region Planning Commission. Volunteers interested in assisting with the monitoring process should contact their municipalities planning department.