Volume LXXXIV ~ April 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.

Harbor Happenings

A weekend of snow and ice at the end of March has left the Sunapee Region feeling skeptical about the return of spring, but if you listen closely, you will hear that the birdsong has changed, signaling the season of renewal. Soon the birds will be joined by the spring peepers, as the amphibians in our wetlands begin their breeding season. Warmer temperatures have already melted most of the snow, but our lakes are still holding onto some of their ice cover. Thank you to all of the 98 people who entered our ice-out contest! It won’t be long before we can announce our winners.

We hope you will join us at some of our upcoming spring events, including our Earth Day Open House. We have something for everyone in the watershed, whether you are a Zoning or Planning Board member joining us for our site plan workshop, a budding naturalist ready to explore a vernal pool, a gardener looking to join our pollinator-friendly landscaping workshop, a homeowner concerned about invasive pests affecting the trees on your property, or a caregiver with a young one to bring to Nature Exploration Story Time. If you missed any of our recent programs, you can find recordings of past presentations on our website. Recent additions include presentations on Septic Ordinances, Beavers, and the updated Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan.

Upcoming Events

Site Plan Workshop for Town Zoning and Planning Boards

Saturday, April 5, 2025

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

LSPA Center for Lake Studies

63 Main Street, Sunapee, NH 03782

Zoning and Planning Board members from Towns across the Lake Sunapee Watershed are invited to participate in presentations and discussions and to practice with specific examples and scenarios. Facilitators will include engineers from Right Angle Engineering, experienced past and current Zoning and Planning Board members, staff from watershed towns, and LSPA watershed staff.

Topics covered will include: the impacts of decisions made by Planning and Zoning Boards on water quality, basic information that all Zoning and Planning Board members should be aware of, how to interpret site plans and apply state and local regulations, and similarities and differences among towns in zoning and planning approaches.

Click here to register. This event is free.

Bring Back The Pollinators!

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

LSPA Center for Lake Studies

63 Main Street, Sunapee, NH 03782

Come join LSPA and Ruth Droescher from the Xerces Society to learn about the plight of pollinators and how you can help. Bees are struggling due to habitat loss, pesticides, and disease, but the good news is that there are things we can do to make our landscape better for bees—and if we all do something, together we can have a big impact and importantly, landscapes that benefit pollinators are also great for water quality. Ruth Droescher, ambassador for the Xerces Society will introduce participants to the diversity and natural history of America’s native bees, and present straightforward ways in which you can make your garden—or neighborhood or city—a pollinator haven. Learn how to evaluate your own landscape to determine how to make changes that will have the most beneficial impact and protect the local watershed. Find out how to select flowers, provide nest sites, and why you should avoid pesticides. There are also community science projects to join in and other ways to engage your community.

Click here to register. This event is free and open to the public.

Earth Day Open House

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

LSPA Center for Lake Studies

63 Main Street, Sunapee, NH 03782

Happy Earth Day! Celebrate Earth Day and join us for our Earth Day Open House at the Center for Lake Studies. LSPA staff and volunteers will provide information and offer demonstrations on environmentally friendly ways to care for your piece of the watershed. Discover ways to test your soil! Learn about methods to mulch your gardens! Gather information about natural and organic ways to fertilize! Discover how you can participate in LSPA's "Watershed Wise Program" to control storm runoff on your property. Find out about spring cleanup techniques that protect pollinators! Become informed about ways your yard impacts the environment and the health of the watershed. Explore the properties of water and how lake turnover happens through hands-on activities. This event is free and open to the public with activities for all ages and free pollinator friendly seeds to take home! Arrive anytime between 4:00 and 6:00 pm to take part in celebrating Earth Day. No registration is required. Free and open to the public.

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, or better yet become a member! 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.

Who Is "Bugging" Our Forests?

Thursday, May 1, 2025

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

LSPA Center for Lake Studies

63 Main Street, Sunapee, NH 03782

Forest lands are essential in ensuring high water quality and they are facing many threats! Join us at the Center for Lake Studies for an informative discussion of current New Hampshire forest health and major threats our forests face. Kyle Lombard, NH Forest Health Bureau, will share information on insect species such as the wooly adelgid, emerald ash borer as well as pathogens such as beech leaf disease and red pine scale. If you have trees with these issues this program is for you! Kyle will also bring specimens of pests and “tools of the trade” used in keeping our valuable forests healthy. (Photo credit: Debbie Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org)

Click here to register. This event is free and open to the public.

Save the Date!

Please join us for our Annual Meeting to hear about LSPA's work and the current issues in our watershed. We will also elect new officers and directors and welcome new members. This event is free and open to the public.

March Events Recap

Septic Regulations in the Lake Sunapee Watershed

LSPA Executive Director Elizabeth Harper provided an overview of the septic regulations passed in towns throughout the Lake Sunapee Watershed. The presentation explained 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. Click here for the presentation recording. Click here to view the slides from the presentation.

You can find additional information regarding septic regulations on our website.

Elizabeth will be presenting on septic ordinances in the Lake Sunapee Watershed at NH LAKES' Lakes Congress on June 5.

Regional Lakes Meeting on Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan

More than 30 people attended the Regional Lakes Meeting on March 26 at LSPA's Center for Lake Studies. NHDES Watershed Assistance Section Supervisor and New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program Coordinator, Steve Landry, introduced and toured 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 introduced 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 and management in New Hampshire.

Click here for a link to the recording in case you missed the presentation or would like to listen to it again.

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.

Concerns Remain About the Mt. Sunapee Parking Lot Expansion and Wastewater Treatment Lagoons

LSPA and The Newbury Conservation Commission (NCC) remain extremely concerned about the water quality impacts of the outdated and poorly functioning wastewater treatment system in use at the Mt. Sunapee Resort since 1972. The system stores greywater effluent from septic tanks in a series of unlined lagoons. Its design allows effluent to seep from the lagoons into the groundwater and uses a spray irrigation system to spray effluent into nearby forests and wetlands. It is the oldest version of this type of system currently in use in New Hampshire, and several similar facilities in the state have been denied Department of Environmental Services (DES) permits. Yet a Groundwater Discharge Permit has been granted for Mt. Sunapee Resort’s facility despite the fact that it has regularly exceeded acceptable water quality standards of TSS on over 50 occasions (90% of samples from 2018 – 2023) and has exceeded the BOD standard at least 15 times (approximately 25% of samples from 2018 – 2023). Data from these monitoring well reports are publicly available on DES’s OneStop system. It is unclear why the facility remains in operation and why the state of New Hampshire has not required Vail Resorts, the lessee of state land held in public trust, to plan for the replacement of the system. You can read more about this issue here, including:

LSPA's partnership with the Newbury Conservation Commission to collect additional water quality data
Local Representative Karen Ebel's support of local efforts to draw attention to this issue
LSPA's role on the Mount Sunapee Advisory Commission, which will meet again in June
The upcoming stakeholder meeting to be held at LSPA's Center for Lake Studies

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 .

These Lake Friendly Bills passed the full House and will move to the Senate

Thanks to your advocacy, the following two bills were recently voted "Ought to Pass" by the House of Representatives, and they will soon be heard in the Senate—stay tuned for your next opportunity to support them!

HB 416: prohibits the intentional disposal of yard waste into the surface waters of the state

What this bill does: It prohibits the intentional disposal of yard waste (leaves, grass clippings, garden debris) into the surface waters of the state and provides a penalty for doing so. Added nutrients in the lake from yard waste can accelerate plant, algal, and cyanobacteria growth, contribute to mucky bottom conditions, and smother sensitive habitat areas in shallow areas.

HB 397: establishing a multi-agency task force chaired by the department of safety

What this bill does: It establishes a multi-agency task force to identify solutions to increase law enforcement presence and patrols on New Hampshire waterways.

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.

Prepare for Spring with our Watershed in Mind!

Now that it’s "officially" spring, landscape planning has begun! Remember that what you do on your property has a huge effect on water quality! Here are some actions you can take and resources you can use to benefit our watershed.

Install a rain garden on your property to manage stormwater runoff

NHDES Soak up the Rain program provides a video and detailed instructions how to install a rain garden. Click here to download the New Hampshire Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater Management or come to LSPA's Center for Lake Studies and pickup a free copy.

Plant native plants to benefit wildlife and prevent erosion

Here is a list of Woody Plants for Erosion Control from Emma Erler, Lead Horticulturalist at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.

Hire a professional landscaper trained in ecological landscaping for water quality protection

You can find landscapers trained in Stormwater Management and Landscaping for Water Quality in UNH’s Directory of Landscape Professionals.

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 later this spring.

LSPA Education Update

This past month LSPA educators have been teaching lessons on water quality with 6th-grade students. The students investigated macroinvertebrates and indicator species - the telltale signs of a healthy watershed - and tested the conductivity, turbidity and pH balance of water samples. One lesson included a test of whether the “dilution of the solution was the answer to pollution.” Making observations, following set protocols, and formulating hypotheses were all part of several experiments and lessons on water quality. Each lesson – from what is a watershed to groundwater systems - builds on the other and students gain an understanding of the value and the important role water plays in an ecosystem.

One last winter activity day was held the first week of March, but as winter turned to spring our outdoor programs adjusted with students investigating animal and bird tracks, identifying trees, and learning how wildlife in this region stay warm during the thawing, freezing mud season. Observational skills are put to the test as students explore trails, examining details both along the way and within a specific study plot. LSPA educators worked closely with homeschool groups, Mount Royal Academy students, area preschools and elementary schools.

The Trout in the Classroom program is well underway with the trout developing quickly and getting ready for a new home this spring. The students noted in their journals the changes in the trout hatchlings as the egg sac was gradually absorbed and the fry stage became evident. Soon food will be added to the trout diet. This is a highly vulnerable stage in the wild, with high mortality rates as the fry are small and need to find food quickly. Students care for the fry for a few weeks and then will release the trout into local streams permitted by NH Fish and Game.

NH Trout Camp Registration is Open

Registration for the NH Youth Trout Camp just opened for boys and girls 13 years of age or older. Trout Camp’s progressive approach allows campers to build on their knowledge of fly fishing and conservation issues through three different tiers. Their goal is to introduce youth to New Hampshire’s cold-water fisheries and educate them about the challenges facing them. In short, they are mentoring the next generation of conservationists, resource stewards and anglers. Camp costs are partially subsidized by the Trout Unlimited NH Council, local Trout Unlimited Chapters, and their generous sponsors and supporters.

Click here to learn more and register.

Local Hike

A wonderful escape close to Sunapee is Dewey Woods. The woods are a delight to

wander and observe the beautiful variety of trees, ferns, mushrooms and wildlife. The

Dewey Woods have been a part of the town of Sunapee since 1929 and are cared for by the Sunapee Conservation Commission. In 2008, as a senior project, an interpretive trail was added by Sawyer Webb. He “conceived, designed and spent many hours creating this delightful experience with nature here in Sunapee, New Hampshire. The trails have signage to point out the various aspects of the land and forest. At all times of the year these trails offer solitude and nature’s gorgeous gifts right here in our own backyard of the Sunapee Watershed.

Parking is available directly off of Route 11.

A trail map from the Town of Sunapee’s website can be found here.

Kids' Ecology Corner

Birds are returning and frogs and salamanders will begin to emerge this month. Curious about who are the first birds to arrive back in NH and when they will get here? Check out the Kids’ Ecology Corner page! Learn more about vernal pools. Here you can discover the many species of frogs in NH, their sounds, and great frog facts. Happy Spring!

Be a Lake Sunapee Watershed Explorer!

Spring 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 to LSPA Volunteers!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. We appreciate and are so very grateful to those who volunteer for us all year long, and April is an important time to celebrate and recognize them! Lake Sunapee Protective Association is supported by a host of volunteers that help with everything from fixing lighthouses and buoys, to organizing phenomenal fundraisers, to planting flowers, to collecting water samples and studying cyanobacteria, and to running incredible watershed and membership campaigns... just to name a few! Words are inadequate to express our endless appreciation for all the work that they do. We have amazing volunteers and we are forever grateful for all the energy, insights, physical labor, and joy they bring to the work and mission of LSPA. Thank you!

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.