Volume LXXXII~ February 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.

Ice in was declared on Lake Sunapee on January 12th.

Click here to view Ice in and Ice out data collected on Lake Sunapee.

Photo by Doreen Dove.

Harbor Happenings

As we head into February the cold temperatures and snowy weather remind us that it is still winter. Ice-skating, cross-country skiing, ice fishing and ice sailing are taking place on lakes throughout our watershed. Below the ice, many fish species, including bass, have moved to the deepest parts of the lake, while lake trout, which are winter specialists, hang out in the cold water just below the surface of the ice. It will soon be time for our winter "through the ice" water sampling at the deepest site on Lake Sunapee. We hope you are enjoying the winter weather and finding fun ways to spend time outdoors.

Remembering Walt Goddard

LSPA is sorry to report that Walter Goddard, President of LSPA from 2003 to 2006, passed away in December. He was originally involved long before 2003, as a member of the committee that developed LSPA’s initial version of a vision statement, and as an officer for six years before becoming president. He had remained engaged with LSPA until very recently.

Walt is best remembered at LSPA for being the visionary who was very worried that invasive milfoil, which was beginning to destroy other New England lakes, would reach Lake Sunapee. He galvanized LSPA to create a milfoil prevention program, including Lake Hosts and Weed Watchers, and an action program to implement should milfoil be found in Lake Sunapee. When it was, in Georges Mills in 2001, Walt led the team that worked successfully to eventually eradicate it.

Walt Goddard, horrified while exploring a milfoil infestation in another

New Hampshire lake.

Septic System Regulations - Towns require septic maintenance to protect Lake Sunapee

Check out this Valley News article about collaborations with Lake Sunapee Watershed towns to implement regulations for septic system maintenance. Failing septic systems are both a health issue and a water quality issue. Septage from poorly maintained septic systems can contaminate drinking water sources and areas where swimming and boating take place, exposing us all to unhealthy levels of bacteria and viruses. Nutrients like phosphorous and nitrogen that leach into waterbodies feed cyanobacteria and can lead to toxic blooms that are harmful to people, pets and wildlife. Fortunately, these problems have a relatively simple solution. When homeowners maintain their systems properly, these issues can be avoided.

Map created by Alyssa Spencer with data from NHDES.

Regulations have been adopted by the Towns of Sunapee, Springfield, and New London. The Town of Newbury Selectboard appointed community members to form a Septic Committee to “explore, report and recommend rules for septic pumping” to the full Selectboard. In the Town of Newbury a septic ordinance is scheduled to be considered and voted on by the Selectboard at their February 18th meeting. Newbury residents, please show your support for the committee’s work and dedication to water quality of the Lake Sunapee Watershed.

Learn more about septic system regulations in our watershed and proper septic system maintenance here.

Upcoming Events

Regional Lakes Meeting on Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

NHDES Watershed Assistance Section Supervisor, Stephen Landry, will be introducing and discussing the plan and all the programs that fall under it. The purpose of this plan is to address water quality problems caused by nonpoint source pollution which comes from many different sources that are difficult to identify and quantify. He also plans to introduce the newly revised New Hampshire Stormwater Manual, a document that serves as a "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 beyond, 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.

January Event's Recap

Harnessing LSPA's Water Quality Buoy Data for Understanding the Past and Forecasting the Future

On January 3rd, Dr. Cayelan Carey and Dr. Quinn Thomas, Co-Directors of Virginia Tech’s Center for Ecosystem Forecasting, gave a presentation on how the long-term data set generated by the buoy on Lake Sunapee is used by ecosystem scientists across the world for education and research to understand how lakes are changing over time. In this presentation, Carey and Thomas shared how they are using Lake Sunapee buoy data to predict lake water quality like we do the weather. For those who were unable to attend, you can watch the presentation at this link. You can find science publications about Lake Sunapee Water Quality here on our website.

Learn more about LSPA’s new water quality buoy here and see the real time data generated by the buoy on our live buoy site here.

Loons in Winter

On January 28, Caroline Hughes, Biologist and Outreach Coordinator with the Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) gave a presentation on what loons are doing during the winter months on their ocean wintering grounds and shared stories of ice rescues in recent years. While on the ocean, their diet consists of lobsters, crabs, snails and marine worms! Loons have a special salt gland to help remove excess salt from their bodies while on the ocean.

The first documented iced-in loon occurred in New Hampshire on Lake Winnipesaukee and the number of ice rescues is increasing. You may be wondering why loons stay on our lakes for so long in the late fall/early winter? Some have underlying health issues such as lead poisoning or another injury or illness that prevents them from leaving but the reason is unknown for the majority of them. Juvenile loons (young of the year) may stay longer simply because they aren't aware of the natural cues indicating it's time to leave. Interestingly, Caroline mentioned that more male loons have been rescued from the ice than females and winter rescues tend to have a higher survival rate than during the breeding season. Click here to watch a recording of the presentation.

Photo credit: Reigh Higgins

Winter Seed Sowing Workshop

Executive Director, Elizabeth Harper, led LSPA’s Winter Seed Sowing workshop on January 29th. Winter seed sowing is a method to germinate plant seeds that allows the seeds to be subject to natural cold stratification. This is a great method for inexpensively producing large numbers of native plants for landscaping projects in our watershed. Native plants are well adapted for local soils, so they can thrive without needing maintenance or fertilizers. They also support native wildlife and reduce soil erosion. Participants learned all about native seeds and made their own mini-greenhouses to take home.

Click here to learn how to germinate native seeds with the winter seed sowing method.

Click here to view a list of recommended flowering and groundcover plants for wildlife.

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.

In January, LSPA’s Executive Director, Elizabeth Harper, testified in the House Resources, Recreation and Development Committee in support of the following bills:

HB 422 to increase penalties for violations of the shoreland and Water Quality Protection Act
HB 334 to add provisions to the comprehensive state development action plan concerning the protection of natural resources
HB 332 allowing for the establishment of a village district to protect and remediate surface waters

Our local Representative Greg Sargent sits on the House Resources and Recreation Committee and voted in support of these lake-friendly bills. Unfortunately, the Committee voted “Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL)” on all three bills, with 9 Republican votes in favor of the ITL motion and 7 Democrats voting in opposition of the motion, meaning that the majority of the committee members did not support the passage of these bills. However, because the recommendation from the committee was not even close to being unanimous, the bills will still be voted on in the full House of Representatives. We will continue to send out Advocacy Alerts about upcoming opportunities to support legislation that benefits the lakes, ponds and streams throughout our watershed.

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.

Intern with LSPA!

Summer Internship: Limnology Lab/Field Research Assistant

We’re recruiting for interns to assist with water quality monitoring during the summer. In these internships students:

Gain knowledge about the parameters used to measure water quality including pH, conductivity, turbidity, E.coli, chlorophyll-a, and total phosphorus
Master all areas of water quality testing, including sample collection, handling, and data management.
Perform appropriate Quality Control/Quality Assurance procedures with appropriate documentation
Understand how human activities affect water quality and watersheds.
Learn about the operation of a non-profit organization.

Center for Lake Studies Summer Internship

We're seeking an intern to work with staff at the Center for Lake Studies during the summer. Intern will:

Assist environmental educators with program preparation and delivery
Help communications coordinator with event photography and social media
Assist with office tasks
Care for Moses the turtle
Help to maintain pollinator and rain gardens
Distribute educational pamphlets and flyers throughout the community
Help as needed around the Center

Applications for summer internships are due February 27, 2025. Application instructions are available here.

Welcome Quinn!

We are excited to welcome a new intern, Quinn Aldrich, to LSPA

Quinn comes to us with a wealth of experience. Here are a few words of introduction from Quinn:

Hi Everyone! My name is Quinn Aldrich, and I will be interning at LSPA this spring. I am working on creating a septic system inventory, educational materials, and assisting towns in implementing septic regulations. I will also be assisting with other LSPA programs. I am a senior Environmental Science major with a Chemistry minor at Colby-Sawyer College. My family has rented a house on Lake Sunapee for a week every summer for as long as I can remember, so I have always felt a great connection with the Lake and area. For two summers, I worked as an intern at the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) in the Harmful Algal Bloom/Cyanobacteria Program. This experience sparked my love for freshwater biology, as well as a passion for protecting the waters of this area from increasing cyanobacteria blooms. I recently conducted a year-long research project of the Pleasant Lake Watershed in New London, where we focused our efforts on tributary sampling and chemical analysis to pin-point areas of concern within the watershed for excess phosphorus inputs. In addition to working part-time at LSPA, I am currently working on my Senior Capstone project analyzing heavy metal bioaccumulation in feathers of migratory birds of prey. I am extremely excited to get involved in the important work LSPA does this semester and to get to know everyone!

Watershed Wise

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? 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.

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.

Using a Dock De-Icer?

Many people use dock de-icers to protect permanent docks and boathouses from ice damage. However, improper installation of a dock de-icer can:

Lead to widespread thin ice which poses a recreation hazard
Stir up lake sediment which reduces water clarity and releases nutrients stimulating growth of algae and cyanobacteria.
Allow more light into lake year-round, increasing plant growth and disrupting a lake’s natural winter resting period
Lead to high monthly electric bills

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.
Routinely checking the device to make sure it is operating correctly
Installing the required “Danger Thin Ice” warning signs– it’s the law!

Click here to learn more about dock de-icers.

Ice Safety

Even though Ice-in has been declared on Lake Sunapee, 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 NH Fish and Game Department.

LSPA Education Update

Trout in the Classroom

LSPA educators began the new year setting up cold water tanks in area schools in preparation for students to raise brook trout. LSPA’s Trout-in-the-Classroom (TIC) is a gateway stewardship experience supported by Trout Unlimited that fosters advocacy for healthy ecosystems and trout habitats. Students from kindergarten to middle school engage in hands-on learning, explore water quality, life cycles, where brook trout fit into the ecosystem, and what it means to be an “indicator species.”

LSPA’s TIC program connects students directly with their local watershed. Indirectly students learn a diverse array of skills and concepts: about how to work successfully together in groups, the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources, the impact that the environment around a water resource has on the resource and how to support a healthy watershed, how to interpret the data they collected and how it applies to the watershed in which the juvenile trout will live.

The tank water temperature is set at 39º F and will be raised slowly over the next few months allowing the trout eggs to develop at the same rate as if outside in nature. The eggs will begin hatching next month.

Schools’ Winter Activities

Ecology education at LSPA takes place all year long. This winter LSPA educators have been outside with students, from kindergarten to middle school, exploring habitats, identifying trees and wildlife tracks, plus examining the seasonal changes and patterns happening right in our own backyards. Wildlife behavior and animals adaptations to NH’s cold winters are highlighted in activities and games as students investigate and delve into the unique attributes that help active animals survive.

Moose Antlers

One winter ecology lesson offered by LSPA focuses specifically on antlers and why deer and moose drop them in and around January. The amazing process of how these animals develop antlers each year and then let them go is truly extraordinary. Moose antlers are a matched pair (like your hands) and can be as large as seven feet across and weigh from thirty-five to forty-four pounds. LSPA has been on the lookout for a real one to have on display for students to examine.

Enter Sunapee Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jackie Keegan. She reached out via Facebook to connect LSPA Educators with just that, a real moose antler. And the outpouring was awesome. Thank you to the Hafners for their generous donation of two beautiful moose antlers! So grateful to this community and the continuing generous support for educational programming.

Resiliency Educator Workshop

LSPA partnered with New Hampshire Project WET, and Project WILD to offer a teacher professional workshop about water, wildlife, and resilience at The Center for Lake Studies.

The workshop was designed for middle and high school teachers (formal, non-formal and homeschool) who wanted to incorporate climate activities and discussions into their lessons. The focus of the day was on providing ways to have discussions and activities around how climate is impacting us and natural resources in NH, plus offering some ways to take action at schools, in the community, and in the world.

"I've been thinking about the experience all day. I'm so excited for the new activities to enhance and enliven my life science curricula. I'm beyond impressed by the level of engagement and relation to my content these activities offer. I look forward to working with each of you again!" - Emily Anderson, Kearsarge HS

Local Hike for February

Looking to get outside and enjoy NH’s winter wonderland? One local hiking spot that is especially beautiful this time of year is Knight’s Hill Nature Park. It offers twelve interconnected trails spanning a total of three miles, ranging in difficulty from easy to moderate, and provides the perfect escape into the beauty of nature. Whether you snowshoe or ski, a wide variety of trees and tracks can be spied while out enjoying the peaceful blend of woodland and open fields. Public access to the trails systems crosses land owned by the New London Outing Club and protected by the New London Conservation Commission conservation easements.

Borrow an LSPA Backpack

LSPA Backpacks are available at local libraries and here at the Center for Lake Studies to take out and use to explore the natural world.

LSPA Backpacks are full of seasonal books, activities, and tools to explore the out of doors. Use the magnifying glass, track cards, and guides to help identify what is right in your own backyard. Become a scientist and discover how a tree prepares for winter, or how a snowflake is formed, or what to feed birds this winter. The backpacks provide tools that can help you with activities such as catching snowflakes, taking the temperatures of different snow piles, finding out if there’s dirt in the snow, and observing winter bird activity. Each season the backpacks are full of fun ways to investigate the natural world right around you.Learn more here.

Kids' Ecology Corner

Winter wildlife and science can be explored on LSPA’s Kids’ Ecology Corner webpage. Learn about how animals adapt to NH’s winter, how plants survive the cold, and explore winter themed STEM activities. The educational links provide guides, book suggestions, videos, science experiments, and more. Winter is a great time to investigate the wintery world in your backyard.

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!

Thank You Community Members!

On January 4th, the Kearsarge School Board held a meeting for a warrant article that would cut the school districts funding by 10 million dollars. Over 2,000 community members were in attendance to decide if the warrant article would be added to the ballot. A huge thank you to the community members who showed up to support our local schools! LSPA values our education partnerships with the Kearsarge School District.

Bloomin' 4 Good - Get your Valentine’s Day flowers from Hannaford & support LSPA’s mission!

LSPA was selected as Hannaford Bloomin' 4 Good Program Nonprofit Partner! During the whole month of February swing by the Hannaford’s at 295 Newport Road, New London NH and purchase a bouquet marked with a “Bloomin’ 4 Good' ' sticker - $1 from every bouquet will be donated to LSPA. Beautiful flowers and supporting our mission, a win-win! Thank you to the New London Hannaford’s Store Leadership Team for selecting LSPA as a Nonprofit Partner.

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.