Cyanobacteria Warnings in Lake Winni

[Biggd]

Very quiet up here this weekend. I wonder if the news of bad water quality kept people home?

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Biggd

Very quiet up here this weekend. I wonder if the news of bad water quality kept people home?

I think more likely the weather? And the water hasn't really been warm for a few weeks now...

Edited to add: the weekend weather turned out much better than originally forecast and the water wasn't too cold, though I did notice a lot more people just hanging on their boats rather than swimming.

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[rick35]

Originally Posted by Biggd

Very quiet up here this weekend. I wonder if the news of bad water quality kept people home?

Gov. Sununu wasn't too happy with DES. Not good timing for the holiday weekend.

https://indepthnh.org/2024/08/30/sun...t-kill-people/

[SAB1]

The closing paragraph says DES is doing as good as possible with only one person handling Cyanobacteria issue…..

Little thin on staffing if that’s the State’s staffing level …….

[longislander]

After $800,000 Treatment in Spring, Cyanobacteria Back on Lake Kanasatka, and Others
By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org August 29, 2024


Numerous articles on this

https://indepthnh.org/

https://indepthnh.org/2024/08/29/aft...ka-and-others/

https://indepthnh.org/2024/08/28/a-f...winnipesaukee/


The State owns lakes that are 10 acres or higher.

[TomC]

this study suggests a 3-4% decrease in property values can be expected due to cyanobacteria.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...21800922001434

[longislander]

And that was in 2022.

Ecological Economics Volume 199 , September 2022, 107481

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by TomC

this study suggests a 3-4% decrease in property values can be expected due to cyanobacteria.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...21800922001434

A lot more than that if you look at Lake Champlain

[ApS]

Longislander,

Paula Tracy's article's last link refers to "a Perfect Storm" which produces cyanobacteria warnings.

That was the exact term I used when the Cyanobacteria subject first came up this season.

Left out was (among others) the extended months of an overfilled lake by the dam people. The early boating season ate away so much of our shoreline that the lake bottom couldn't been seen for the dark soil eroded from a ("new", years-long-in-the-making) shoreline that has collected the necessary nutrients for a bloom to occur.

https://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums...7&postcount=59

[John Mercier]

Since the prediction is for another warm, wet winter (predictions are never perfect)... we may see that again.

The dam operator can't just simply flood the properties downstream.

[longislander]

this study suggests a 3-4% decrease in property values can be expected due to cyanobacteria.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...21800922001434

My last comment was in support of TomC 's post (property values).
Since it referred 2022, just think how bad it is now in 2024 and 2025 budgets already being discussed.

I didn't bother bringing up that property assessments are going up, and that property taxes will probably come up again, ad nauseum, on this forum. Maybe someone will ask ... what do you mean by ... property value? It won't be me.

The state owns the lakes, not the towns, and a Merrimack state rep. who owns property on Katnasatka has done and is doing a phenomenal job pursuing cyanobacteria pollution.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by longislander

My last comment was in support of TomC 's post (property values).
Since it referred 2022, just think how bad it is now in 2024 and 2025 budgets already being discussed.

I didn't bother bringing up that property assessments are going up, and that property taxes will probably come up again, ad nauseum, on this forum. Maybe someone will ask ... what do you mean by ... property value? It won't be me.

The state owns the lakes, not the towns, and a Merrimack state rep. who owns property on Katnasatka has done and is doing a phenomenal job pursuing cyanobacteria pollution.

While the attempt appears to be the right thing to do, the treatment didn't hold up.

Originally Posted by rhubarbpie

Ahh thank you, my bad. In that case it makes even less sense to me that he's out there with this.

This post and #14--above--puts this thread on thin ice (so to speak).



BTW: A neighbor was out there again wakeboarding in the dark with nav-lights on...

[longislander]

The saga continues ...

https://www.unionleader.com/news/pol...a5fa82293.html

[rhubarbpie]

We had planned to, but did not come up this weekend - I got really, really sick a few years back after swimming in what we thought was pollen, but was actually gleoetrichia. Not worth risking that with kids and also small dogs who like to drink from the lake.

Sununu should be ashamed of himself for saying it was safe. I realize he's trying to maintain tourism and get re-elected, but just absurd to try to throw DES under the bus. Does he want someone's dog or kid to die?

[John Mercier]

Sununu isn't running.

[rhubarbpie]

Ahh thank you, my bad. In that case it makes even less sense to me that he's out there with this.

[fatlazyless]

So, it's been my experience that when the yellow 8.5x11" fecal bacteria or the orange 8.5x11" Cyano bacteria warning signs get posted by the NH DES employee into the sandy beach at Weirs Beach, Laconia, close to the Lake Winnipesaukee water, the signs pretty much get ignored and people make their own choice on whether or not to go swimming or wading. It's like the signs are there for everyone to see, but many or most go enter the lake, despite the signs. The City of Laconia leaves the choice up to the individual as for what to do.

I do not know if this similar situation is the case at Ellacoya State Beach in Gilford because I have never been there when the yellow or orange DES signs have been posted into the water's beach sand edge? I wonder what does the Ellacoya State Beach do when the warning signs are posted? Do people still go into the water similar to Weirs Beach or is entering the State Beach water
closed?

To swim or not to swim when the NH DES signs are posted, that is the New Hampshire lake swimming and wading question.

What do you do?

Apparently, the NH DES tests the water and posts the warning signs but it is up to the NH town, city, or state to actually close the lake water from swimming/wading.

When people see others already in the lake, out beyond the warning signs, they usually go in the lake, too, because that's what they came to do, to go swimming or wading.

So, live free or die, go swimming in the Cyano green refreshing lake water because almost no local towns actually enforce the warning signs so the signs usually get ignored ...... no big deal ..... and so N.H. what?

If the local town doesn't take the NH DES warning signs too seriously, then what the hay ...... is time to go splash that cool water on a hot and humid day .... and besides, for Weirs Beach and Ellacoya State Beach, their swim beach helps to generate revenue for the city and the state beach so closing the water is a serious thing to do. No swimming probably means no money, or at least a big reduction in money.

You know, "If we was to enforce these no swimming warning signs, it would stop the people from paying to come here to the beach." Isn't that right?