Volume LXXXIII ~ March 2025

A Flash Of The Beacon

Welcome to A Flash of the Beacon! A quick look at what's happening at the Center for Lake Studies, highlights of current news and events, plus what's going on outside in nature.

Join in the fun! One entry per person, please. Entries must be submitted by 5:00 PM on March 14!

When do you think Ice Out is going to occur on Lake Sunapee this year? Submit your guess here.

Harbor Happenings

March is a dynamic period of renewal and change. The forests in our watershed start to come alive as the days grow longer and warmer. The sap will soon be flowing, bringing energy from the roots of trees upwards in preparation for leaf out. Snowmelt will soon increase the flow of water into streams, rivers and lakes, carrying nutrients and sediment downstream. Lake ice will melt and aquatic life will become more active, with trout and bass preparing to spawn. Loons may return from the coast by the end of the month (if we have open water). We hope you are finding time to venture outdoors and enjoy our beautiful surroundings.

Septic System Regulations in Watershed Towns

The Newbury Selectboard adopted a new septic ordinance on February 18th to safeguard public health and preserve Lake Sunapee’s water quality. As the fourth town in the Lake Sunapee Watershed to implement such regulations, Newbury joins Sunapee, Springfield, and New London in requiring septic system inspections and pumping every three years. These ordinances help ensure proper system maintenance and reduce the risk of failures that can harm our local water resources.

Map created by Alyssa Spencer with data from NHDES.

The Newbury Selectboard’s decision follows a process that began in 2023, when the proposal was first introduced at a Town Meeting but was not passed. A Septic Committee was later appointed to refine the proposal, gathering community input at public meetings and working closely with LSPA, who voiced strong support for these regulations.

Learn more about septic system maintenance and regulations here.

Watershed Strategic Planning Session

In February we held a very engaging strategic planning session focused on our Watershed Management Plan. This gathering brought together key partners and stakeholders, including volunteers from our Watershed Committee, Don Kretchmer of DK Water Resources Consulting, Hans Carlson and Andy Deegan from the Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust, Kak Weathers from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and LSPA’s volunteer Research Director, past LSPA presidents, current Board members, members of local town boards, and LSPA staff.

We are at the halfway mark in executing our 10-year Watershed Management Plan and have already completed the majority of the action items in the plan. This strategy session was a crucial step in planning and prioritizing our efforts for the next five years, ensuring continued progress and success in implementing our plan to improve water quality and reduce the risks of cyanobacteria blooms in our watershed. Thank you to everyone involved for your dedication and hard work!

And many thanks to those who contributed to the Watershed Challenge Grant which provided additional funding that will allow us to hit the ground running with our revised plan starting this spring.

Upcoming Events

Septic Regulations in the Lake Sunapee Watershed

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Zoom Presentation

Executive Director Elizabeth Harper will give an overview of the septic regulations passed in towns throughout the Lake Sunapee Watershed. The presentation will explain why regulations were needed, how different towns approached the issue, questions and concerns raised by the public, how education and outreach efforts brought community members together, and lessons learned along the way. All are welcome to attend.

Click here to register for this event.

Regional Lakes Meeting on Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Hybrid Presentation - LSPA Center for Lake Studies or Zoom

NHDES Watershed Assistance Section Supervisor and New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program Coordinator, Steve Landry, will be introducing and touring the audience through the 2025-2029 NPS Management Program plan and all the programs that fall under it. The purpose of this plan is to adhere to U.S. EPA guidelines and requirements to address water quality problems caused by nonpoint source pollution which comes from many different sources that are difficult to identify and quantify. Steve also plans to introduce the newly revised New Hampshire Stormwater Manual, a document that serves as a " non-regulatory, planning and design tool for the communities, developers, designers and members of regulatory boards, commissions, and agencies involved in stormwater programs in New Hampshire." This meeting is for members of regional lake & pond associations in the Lake Sunapee Region and anyone else who is interested in learning more about the 2025-2029 Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan.

Click here to register for this event.

Vernal Pool Family Walk at The Fells

Saturday, April 26, 2025

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

John Hay Estate at The Fells, New Hampshire 103A, Newbury, NH

The peep, peep, peep of spring peepers and the quacking of wood frogs can be heard in vernal pools when the woods wake up in the spring! Bring the whole family for a learning adventure at one of The Fells vernal pools and discover who lives there and why these temporary habitats are so important. Lake Sunapee Protective Association staff will lead this adventure. This event is free to members of LSPA or The Fells. If you are not a member of either organization, please pay an admission fee at The Fells. Check your local library for day passes to The Fells to cover the admission fee.

Please dress appropriately for the weather, waterproof footwear is recommended.

Meet at The Fells Gatehouse, 456 Route 103A, Newbury, NH.

Click here to register for this event.

February Event Recap

Regional Lakes Meeting on Benefits and Challenges of Having Beavers in our Watershed

LSPA Executive Director, Elizabeth Harper, gave a great presentation on the Benefits and Challenges of Having Beavers in our Watershed. She included information about historic populations and what led to their decline, general natural history information, how beavers can shape the landscape, what services they provide to the ecosystem, some common problems that they cause and how we can coexist with them, including examples of beaver deceivers and flow devices.

You can watch the presentation here and view a copy of the PowerPoint slides here.

Water Quality Sampling in Winter

On February 19th LSPA Watershed Director, Geoff Lizotte, Water Quality Lab Manager, Teriko MacConnell, and Intern Quinn Aldrich conducted through-the-ice winter sampling. They collected water samples at three different depths at the deepest spot in Lake Sunapee (known as Hedgehog) to look at dissolved oxygen (DO), total phosphorus, chloride and other parameters. Learn more about water quality monitoring here.

Lake Hosts Needed for Summer 2025!

LSPA is seeking motivated individuals to work as a Lake Host during the 2025 summer season. Lake Hosts perform courtesy boat inspections at all five ramps on Lake Sunapee and encourage boaters to “Clean, Drain and Dry” to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. This is a program of NH LAKES in partnership with LSPA. If you are interested and would like more information, please send an email to Susie Burbidge at susieb@lakesunapee.org or call 603-763-2210.

Be Watershed Wise During Winter!

Protect Our Water Resources and Reduce the Salt!

Most ice melting products contain chloride which is:

Toxic to aquatic life
Damaging to plants
Corrosive to vehicles and bridges
Harmful to pets

Choose lake-friendly methods to manage ice on your property and reduce your impact at the same time.

Use chloride-free ice melting alternatives to minimize impacts on water quality.
Shovel & scrape regularly to minimize the need for salt — don’t let the snow build up.
Apply sand if needed for traction. Sand can be swept up and reused later.
Apply ice melting products sparingly. A little goes a long way — you don’t need to feel the crunch.

If you use a snowplow service, support those who are Green SnowPro Certified.

Click here to learn more about protecting our water resources and reducing road salt.

Snow Runoff

As the snow melts, please be mindful of any large piles of excess sand, salt, or deicing products left on the surface. Much of these products can be reused for next winter if carefully collected. These products will mix in with snow melt and runoff and will eventually find their way into our lakes and groundwater. Protect what you love!

Click here for information on chloride-free ice-melting products.

Using a Dock De-Icer?

As day time temperatures start to warm up this month, don't forget to make sure your dock de-icer is operating correctly.

Minimize your impact on water quality and recreation this winter by:

Using an appropriately sized de-icer, a timer and thermostat to minimize the ice-free zone around your dock
Setting timer and thermostat to operate de-icer only a few hours a day when air temperature falls below 32° F.
Installing the required “Danger Thin Ice” warning signs– it’s the law!

Click here to learn more about dock de-icers.

LSPA Education Update

This past month LSPA educators have been sharing lessons on winter ecology with students from preschool to middle school. Our outdoor programs had students

investigating animal and bird tracks, identifying trees, discovering the importance of

snow as an insulator and learning how wildlife in this region stay warm during these drastic cold spells. Lessons on how snow and water affect habitats, wildlife drinking water sources, and strategies for survival are also taught. Observational skills are tested as students explore trails, examining details along the way and within a specific study plot. Students came away invigorated by the cold and appreciative of indoor warmth.

Winter activities with area schools finish this month, but classroom visits and other outdoor programs carry on. Watershed Wednesdays begins at the Newport Middle School in March. Watershed Wednesdays include lessons that have students defining a watershed, studying the importance of groundwater, using water quality equipment to test various water samples, investigating macroinvertebrates and identifying indicator species. Each lesson builds on the other and students gain an understanding of the value, importance and connecting property of water.

Local Hike

Sunapee is home to many outstanding hiking trail systems and the Webb Forest

Preserve is one of its gems. The Webb Forest is host to both beautiful conifer and deciduous trees and blends excellent forestry management with conservation easements. It is highly ranked for wildlife, has several scenic views for admiring, and in the past has been named NH Outstanding Tree Farm of the year. Trails on the property include those for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway (SRKG) goes through this property as well. Parking is available on Harding Hill Road. A trail map from the Town of Sunapee found here.

The Webb Forest is interspersed with maple trees. Maple trees in the northeast have been affected by the loss of suitable growing conditions plus invasive insects and plants. Maple syrup producers are adjusting by using improved technologies to boost production and adapting better forest management practices to keep the sap flowing in the ever-changing warmer, wetter climate conditions. Read more here.

March is a fantastic time to explore the many sugar houses in the area and discover the wonder of the maple sugaring process. March 15 – 16 is NH Maple Weekend.

Legislative Update

We are grateful to our partners at NH LAKES for taking the lead on advocacy efforts in support of a wide range of lake-friendly bills. You can find some great information from NH LAKES here on their website. NH LAKES is tracking nearly 40 bills related to lakes and environmental issues this session. Check out their tracking sheet here .

Thanks to your support, another lake-friendly bill is crossing over to the NH Senate in addition to the “Love New Hampshire Lakes” license plate.

HB 291: As initially drafted, this bill makes the misapplication of fertilizer on urban turf and lawn a violation rather than subjecting it to criminal penalties and fines.

HB 291 Updates:

On January 24, NH LAKES testified in opposition to how the bill was drafted, asking the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee to amend it to include a penalty/fine schedule for repeat violations of the misapplication of fertilizers.
On January 29, the committee amended the bill to address concerns. A first offense would yield a written warning for a person and their corporate agent, while a second offense would make someone guilty of a violation and bring a $250 fine per acre. A misdemeanor would be charged on a third or subsequent offense. The amended (and now lake-friendly bill!) was recommended “Ought to Pass” on a vote of 15-1.
On February 13, the House of Representatives voted the bill “Ought to Pass with Amendment” on a voice vote.

What's next for HB 291:

This lake-friendly bill will now travel to the New Hampshire Senate. Stay tuned for your next opportunity to support this bill.

The full House of Representatives agreed with the House Resources, Recreation, and Development Committee’s “Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL)” recommendations on the following lake-friendly bills:

HB 332: enabling multiple municipalities surrounding a lake to form a village district in an area around the lake to protect and restore lake health. (ITL 196-171)
HB 334: adding a natural resources section to the state comprehensive development plan identifying trends in the protection of our lakes and rivers and proposing policies and actions necessary at the state level to protect our lakes and rivers. (ITL 199-171)
HB 422: increasing the penalty that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services may levy upon anyone violating the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act from $5,000 to up to $15,000 per violation. (ITL 196-175)

While these bills will not advance this session, the good news is that the votes were roll-call votes. This means that we know how each representative voted.

The process by which a bill becomes a law in New Hampshire is challenging to understand! New Futures Advocacy has a great 4-minute video that explains the process clearly. Watch the video below to learn more about how the process works and how you can make sure your voice is heard on the issues you care about.

Become a Watershed Wise Partner!

Your landscaping choices can have a big impact on water quality

Have you ever wondered what you can do on your own property to help protect water quality? LSPA's Watershed Wise Program helps property owners to identify changes that can be made, such as additional plantings near the water’s edge, to improve the water quality of streams, lakes and ponds within the Lake Sunapee Watershed.

LSPA staff provide a free evaluation and consultation. Owners of properties that meet the Watershed Wise criteria are awarded a plaque to display on their property. Owners of properties that don’t yet meet the criteria are provided with detailed recommendations about improvements that can be made.

The water quality of our lakes depends on the decisions and actions of individuals like you. Click here to take the Watershed Wise self-assessment. Property visits by LSPA staff will be scheduled for the spring.

Ice Safety

Even though Ice-in was declared on Lake Sunapee in January, please use extra caution if you go out on the lake. The thickness of ice as it forms and its reaction to the weather will vary greatly from spot to spot, so you cannot check the thickness in one place and assume it's that thick everywhere. Please be as safe as possible while recreating on our area waterbodies. Click here to see ice safety tips from the Town of Sunapee.

Kids' Ecology Corner

Plants that live in cold climates have unique adaptations that help them endure long

winters. Check out the Kids’ Ecology Corner webpage! Here you can discover the many

ways that plants survive the cold, how evergreen trees provide a winter oasis for wildlife, and which seeds can survive a harsh winter.

Be a Lake Sunapee Watershed Explorer!

Winter is a perfect time to get to know the Lake Sunapee Watershed. Get outside, explore our local forests, streams and lakes and earn a patch! LSPA invites you and your family to learn a bit about the science and history of our watershed through a series of fun outdoor activities that you can find on this list. When you have completed five of these activities you can fill out this form on our website and we will send you a Watershed Explorer patch. You will have good memories, new knowledge and a patch to remember the experience by!

Send us your favorite pictures around the watershed!

If you have photos from around the Lake Sunapee Region from all seasons that you would like to share, send them to photos@lakesunapee.org and please include your name in your email so we can give you photo credit.