OSSIPEE LAKE REPORT
Vo l ume 9, Issue 1 • January – March 2010
STATE LEGISLATORS WILL SEEK $5 MILLION TO FUND MILFOIL CONTROL KEY DATES: CONCORD — Wrapping up a series of “Weeds Committee” for short) originated meetings it called a “Milfoil Summit,” a the summit idea and convened three meet- • Tuesday, March 9: Ossipee elections. group of New Hampshire elected officials, ings between October and December. Town Hall, 10AM-7PM. state agency executives and lake associa- If passed, the bill, HB 1295, will add $10 to tions, including Ossipee Lake Alliance, last each boat registration fee. Given that there • Tuesday, March 9: Effingham month recommended spending $5 million are approximately 100,000 boats registered over the next five years to battle invasive elections. Town Hall, 11AM-7PM. in the state, it’s predicted the new fee will variable milfoil in state lakes and rivers. raise an additional $1 million annually to The recommendation will be embodied be dedicated to milfoil control as matching • Tuesday, March 9: Freedom Town in legislation to be proposed this year, ac- funds for projects sponsored by lake com- Meeting (9AM) and elections (9AM- cording to State Representative Dick Drisko munities and associations. 7PM). Town Hall. (R, Hollis), whose N.H. Legislative Exotic The proposed bill will likely have a “sunset Aquatic Weeds and Species Committee (or provision,” meaning that it will expire in • Wednesday, March 10: Ossipee Town Continued on page 3 Meeting. Town Hall, 6:30PM.
• Saturday, March 13: Effingham Town Meeting. Elementary School, 9AM.
CONTACT US: State offi cials say replacement of the Berry Bay Dam will help reduce the kind of fl ooding shown in this 1953 photo. Details on the project and additional pictures begin on page 4. DES Photo OSSIPEE LAKE ALLIANCE PO Box 173 UNH STUDYING OSSIPEE LAKE’S MUSSELS Freedom, NH 03836 Editor’s Note: Researchers have been studying Although Elliptio is one of the largest fresh- Ossipee Lake and the Natural Area for years. We water mussels, it begins its life as microscop- [email protected] plan to highlight this work in a series of articles. ic clam-like larvae that obtain their food and Phone: 914-588-3280 By Jim Haney transportation by living on the gills of perch, Fax: 509-271-3838 bass and other small fish. DURHAM — Although rarely noted in most lakes, Elliptio complanata, aka the Eastern The mother mussel protects her babies, OSSIPEE LAKE, THE BAYS, THE RIVERS Elliptio, is a large freshwater mussel that is known as glochidia, by keeping them in AND CHANNELS, DANFORTH POND, LOON widespread throughout much of the Eastern marsupial pouches in her gills. LAKE AND ROUND POND U.S. and occurs in many of the lakes and riv- When it is time for the young to leave the ers in New Hampshire. pouch, she may expose some of her gill tis- David Smith, Executive Director Because of its unusually sandy bottom, Os- sue to attract fish that unknowingly ingest Susan Marks, Development Director sipee Lake is home to a large population of the glochidia while pecking at the gills. The larvae then move quickly to the gills of the Board Members: Howard Bouve, Perry the Eastern Elliptio. Fine, Barre Hellquist, Bob Reynolds Continued on page 2 Page 2 Ossipee Lake Report
OSSIPEE LAKE’S MUSSEL POPULATION LIKELY EXCEEDS FIVE MILLION
Continued from page 1 fish where they attach tightly and take up resi- sels was 18 years old. dence for a month or more as relatively harm- The mussels in the Ossipee Lake population less parasites. were considerably larger for their age than the Once released from their fish hosts, the larvae Silver Lake mussels, indicating the Elliptio in settle on the lake sediments and begin the sec- Ossipee were in a healthier state. ond phase of their life cycle, where they as- However, the Elliptio population in Ossipee sume the ecological role of lake filter-feeders, Lake was less than one-third the density of removing bacteria and phytoplankton as their the Silver Lake population (an average of 1.6 food source. versus 5.5 mussels per square meter of sedi- ment). Some of the mussels were taken to the UNH laboratory where they were fed suspensions of algae to determine their clearance rates, (i.e. how much water they can clear of algae per hour). Ossipee mussels cleared an average of 1 liter of lake water per hour, about 25% faster than their Silver Lake counterparts. Thus, the typi- cal mussel in Ossipee filters roughly 6 gallons of water every day. To determine the total population size of Ellip- tio in Ossipee Lake, we extrapolated from the In September, 2006, students at the UNH Cen- mussel density at the Natural Area shoreline ter for Freshwater Biology initiated a study of and assumed that the other shallow areas of the Eastern Elliptio population along the Os- the lake (1-3 meters) have comparable popu- sipee Lake Natural Area (Long Sands) shore- lations of mussels, an assumption that needs OSSIPEE LAKE REPORT: line. The goal of this study was to compare to be verified. From this calculation, the total the health and abundance of the Ossipee Lake number of Elliptio in Ossipee Lake is approxi- Writer & Editor: David Smith Elliptio with the E. complanata population in mately 5 million mussels. Silver Lake of Hollis, NH, a lake that had ex- Design Services: Design Monsters Using the clearance rates determined in the perienced problems with periodic blooms of laboratory, the mussels in Ossipee Lake could toxic cyanobacteria. be filtering the Send mailing address changes to Students paddled to the sampling area in ca- algae and bacte- [email protected] or PO Box noes and collected mussels by snorkeling, re- ria from as much 173, Freedom NH 03836. moving all of the mussels from 2x5 meter PVC as 30 million frames that had been randomly placed on the gallons of lake OSSIPEE LAKE NEWS delivers bottom of the lake at a depth of 1.5 meters (ap- water per day, a sizeable task and free up to the minute information proximately. 5 ft.). valuable ecologi- about the lake by e-mail, as The shell dimensions of each mussel were measured and the mussel was then placed on cal service, and events warrant. Sign up @ a balance to determine its total weight. Ages of it is done “free of charge.” Of course, these www.ossipeelake.org/e m ail. the Elliptio were determined by counting the very rough estimates could be refined and im- annuli, or rings, on the surface of the shell. proved by examining the mussel population densities in other areas of the lake. Old individuals add only tiny increments of shell each year and some erosion of the shell Estimates from a Canadian study indicate that may also occur. Thus, this method of aging is recruitment to the Elliptio population can be approximate and may underestimate the age as slow as 1-2% per year, indicating the popu- of older animals. lation would be slow to recover from losses from natural predators such as muskrats, ot- The results were striking. Mussels from Ossip- ter and beaver, as well as from disturbances by ee Lake were older (an average of 12.5 years) the activities of people. than those from Silver Lake, with an average age of about eight years. The oldest of the 38 Based on field observations in other lakes, the The Alliance is a member of the mussels collected was estimated as 22 years, mussels undergo seasonal migrations into the New Hampshire Lakes Association whereas the oldest of the 138 Silver Lake mus- Continued on page 9 (www.nhlakes.org). Ossipee Lake Report Page 3
STATE LEGISLATORS WILL SEEK $10 MILLION TO FUND MILFOIL CONTROL
Continued from page 1 five years unless renewed or revised through of variable milfoil infestations of any state in new legislation. the nation, DES is likely the most knowledge- Drisko said the goal of the spending bill will able agency in the country when it comes to un- be to narrow the funding gap between milfoil derstanding how to control invasive weeds. prevention – keeping milfoil out of lakes and Currently the state has five accepted tools for rivers – and milfoil control, which keeps exist- milfoil control: (1) Hand-pulling by certified ing milfoil infestations in check. weed control divers; (2) Diver-assisted suc- DES Commissioner Tom Burack put the mil- tion harvesting using “DASH” units to in- foil control funding issue in perspective at the crease divers’ productivity; (3) Benthic barri- first summit meeting in October. He said his ers, which are mats that smother the weeds; (4) N.H. LEGISLATIVE agency’s $450,000 milfoil budget was funded Herbicide treatments, primarily Aqua Kleen or EXOTIC AQUATIC by capturing $5 from each New Hampshire Navigate (2,4-D); and (5) Draining the lake. WEEDS & SPECIES boat registration. DES has learned that applying these tools un- COMMITTEE Almost all of that money went to support mil- der what it calls an Integrated Pest Manage- foil prevention through research, education ment Approach, using five-year management • Rep. Dick Drisko, Chair and outreach initiatives such as the Lake Host plans, can significantly increase the effective- and Weed Watchers programs. What was left ness of milfoil control activities. (R, Hollis) over – $60,000 – became the milfoil control State specialists will inspect areas of milfoil in- • Rep. Jane Beaulieu budget. festation and develop a management plan as (D, Manchester) a no-cost service to lake communities and as- Since DES received requests to help fund • Rep. Chris Christensen sociations. Locally, DES created a management $575,000 in control projects last year, 90% of (R, Merrimack) the state’s known milfoil control needs were plan for Danforth Pond last year with help left up in the air, either to be funded locally, from Ossipee Lake Alliance and the Friends of • Don Foudriat deferred or canceled. Danforth Pond. (Public, Sanbornton) Thanks to a recent increase in the portion of Such management plans capitalize on and are • Sen. Amanda Merrill boat registration fees that is allocated to DES’ guided by DES’ experience from around the (D, Durham) milfoil programs - from $5 to $7.50 - the agency state. For example, when infestations are too large for divers to control, a herbicide treat- • Rep. David Russell hopes to apply $160,000 to $200,000 to control (R, Gilmanton) projects this year. Drisko says the increase will ment can significantly “knock it down” but help but it isn’t enough. not completely kill it. That means hand-pull- • Rep. Frank Tupper ing by divers is required after the treatment to (D, Canterbury) “We need a full-court press on milfoil,” he said keep the weeds at a manageable level. at the summit, “and the state must take the • Stewart Lamprey lead in meeting the funding need.” Lessons Learned (former President, NH Summit attendees from state towns and lakes Tapping State Expertise Senate, & Speaker of offered suggestions based on their best prac- the House) The Milfoil Summit was apparently the first tices and lessons learned, including: effort of its kind to connect diverse lake stake- holders for a discussion on the history, status • Forming a centralized Milfoil Committee for and future treatment of infestations; and to re- better coordination of control efforts, either view studies on the size and scope of the issue, sanctioned by a town government or operated including identifying lessons learned on con- by a lake association. Such coordination is es- trol and eradication methods and funding. pecially useful on large lakes where multiple communities are affected by invasives. In addition to DES Commissioner Burack, state officials Glenn Normandeau, Executive Direc- • Establishing a Milfoil Trust Fund supported tor of NH Fish & Game, and Dave Barrett, Di- by annual contributions from town budgets, rector, Bureau of Marine Patrol, Department of state money (as available) and local fundrais- Safety, attended summit sessions. ing efforts. A centralized fund built around a comprehensive management plan is especially Lake associations and milfoil committees also useful for lakes with multiple communities, attended, including individuals from Squam in that it provides a holistic view of the lake’s Lakes Association and the towns of Barnstead, needs. Center Harbor, Meredith, Moultonboro and Wolfeboro. Ossipee Lake Alliance board mem- • Involving and working with all local stake- ber Bob Reynolds represented the Ossipee holders, including state agencies, property Lake community at the meetings. owners, businesses, boaters, fishermen and Since New Hampshire has the highest number Continued on page 9 Page 4 Ossipee Lake Report
REPAIR PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF OSSIPEE LAKE’S DAM
Editor’s Note: The following, written by Kent Fine- discharge capacity to safely pass floods. Dur- more of DES as part of the permitting process for ing flooding in 1998, the lack of the capacity to repairs to the Ossipee Lake Dam, provides a history pass the flood water through the dam resulted of the dam and its importance to the lake. in high water levels in Ossipee Lake which The Ossipee Lake Dam actually consists of caused considerable flood damage to shoreline two structures: a concrete head works struc- communities, residences and businesses. ture with five sluice gates and a concrete grav- In the aftermath, the state paid out over $70,000 ity spillway. Because there is a small island in public assistance funds to the municipal that separates these two structures, they were governments of the three towns of Ossipee, once considered Effingham and Free- two dams: the Head dom for losses suf- Works Dam (gates) fered by the mu- and the Berry Bay nicipal governments Dam (spillway). from the flood event. The two dams col- Private and business lectively are often losses at just one of referred to as the the campgrounds Ossipee Lake Dam surrounding the because they act as lake totaled nearly a single hydraulic $1 million. feature. Project Objectives Need for Repairs The proposed work The original Berry is required to pre- Bay Dam spillway vent the structure was constructed in from failure; to add 1878. DES records needed discharge indicate that the capacity to the spillway was recon- spillway to reduce structed in 1919. the extent of prop- erty damage during The spillway was flood events; and to completely recon- comply with the re- structed in 1944 and quirements of New has been repaired Hampshire state several times since statutes and regula- then. However, it is tions pertaining to now deteriorated to dam safety. The only the point where it is feasible option is to again in need of ur- replace the dam. gent repairs. Preliminary Plans The concrete piers Gatehouse of the Head Works Dam (top) and the of the spillway have Ossipee River channel, circa 1930. Photos: DES Preliminary plans cracked and are in include using the danger of failing. left overbank area Also, the concrete of the spillway has deterio- (looking downstream) as the access and stag- rated to the point where reinforcing steel has ing area for construction. DES records indicate been exposed, further threatening the integrity that previous work on the spillway (Berry Bay of the structure. Dam) has been staged from the right side of the dam (the Head Works side). An access was Failure of the structure would result in prop- cleared to the site from the left side off Parsons erty damage downstream and the loss of the Road in Freedom several years ago. 4,100-acre Ossipee Lake, an important recre- ational resource to the state, the shoreline of While the left overbank area gets inundated which is heavily developed with permanent at least once in most years as water levels in and seasonal residences. the lake reach 410.0 (the Natural Mean High Water Mark elevation), our files do not docu- In addition to its structural deficiencies, the ment that the left overbank area has ever been spillway of the dam does not have sufficient Continued on page 5 Ossipee Lake Report Page 5
STATE HOPES REPAIRS WILL REDUCE FLOODING
Continued from page 4 significantly disturbed by excavation or oth- the original designer or contractor and plans er work. The canal constructed for the Head or documents pertaining to the original con- Works Dam, the parking area adjacent to the struction. right side, and the use of these areas and the According to construction plans dated 1944 island between the two structures have result- (USAC, 1978), extensive modifications were ed in significant disturbance over time of the made to the primary spillway (Berry Bay Dam) right side of the river bank and the island. including construction of the service bridge, Our intent at this time is to construct a replace- installation of the hinged stanchions and pro- ment dam just downstream of the existing visions for additional stoplogs. dam. The justifica- Repairs were made tions for doing so to the Berry Bay include the follow- Dam in 1968, 1985, ing: 1990 (significant re- • Greater discharge pairs to the principal capacity to mitigate spillway), and the flooding and en- Head Works Dam hance public safety. in 1995 (new gates • A more standard and gatehouse), and dam design with in 2000 (right abut- low level gate po- ment of Head Works tential will enhance Dam). operations to help Elevated Levels mitigate flooding. and Flooding • Addresses erosion The watershed for issues downstream Ossipee Lake is large and along the left in comparison to overbank. its storage capacity, • Helps meet Dam which has resulted Safety require- in elevated levels al- ments. most every year that inundate the left History overbank and more In 1878 and 1879, the significant flooding Saco Water Power in some years. Company built the The most damaging canal at Effingham flood on record oc- Falls and a dam with curred in 1998 when gates at the head of the watershed expe- the canal. rienced 12 inches of The dam was origi- rain over seven days, The BerryHead Bay Works Dam Dam in 1985 “gatehouse” (top) and aand 2009 rive close-upr chan- nally built to store raising the lake level showingnel are shown the dam’s in these deterioration. 1930 shots. Photos: Photos: DES DES water for the hydro- approximately nine electric power gen- feet over typical erated at downstream plants. summer elevations. No other information is available in Dam High flow conditions at the dam, which gener- Bureau files about the original dam, includ- ally occur at least once a year, inundate the left ing the extent to which the other channel was overbank area of the Berry Bay Dam. dammed to control outflow (what would now DES records and field survey work do not indi- be the Berry Bay Dam). cate the existence of any structures historically The Department of Environmental Services in the left overbank area, which may or may (DES) acquired the Ossipee Lake Dam from not stand to reason since that area often gets the Central Main Power Company in 1992. inundated to a distance of 60-100 feet from the DES records suggest that the Ossipee Lake edge of the river. Dam was reconstructed in 1919; however, Other significant flood event years include there is little information in the files regarding 1936, 1953, 1969, 1976, and 1987. Page 6 Ossipee Lake Report
LAKE AULD LANG SYNE 2009
OSSIPEE — One of the lake’s oldest and largest ground’s principals have declined to speak on businesses was the year’s biggest news story, the record, citing the ongoing legal case. Camp- and it was not a happy one. Westward Shores ground manager John Hardie did, however, Campground and Marina filed for bankruptcy publicly offer to meet individually with any protection in July; but what led up to the filing, camper at any time, an offer that still stands. and what followed, made the story even more At the end of November the court authorized newsworthy. the owners to hire a law firm to continue pur- Condo Plan suing the condo plan while work proceeds on In early May, returning campers received a reorganizing the business. memo saying campsites would be sold as Accidents “condo units” and down payments would In another major news story, 38-year old Mas- be accepted until the end of the month. The sachusetts resident Chris Haynes died when condo conversion, according to the property’s his snowmobile hit an embankment near Berry managers, was the idea of long-time custom- Bay and he was thrown from his machine. ers who wanted equity in their sites. After learning that emergency crews had dif- Within hours, however, dozens of campers ficulty reaching the accident scene, Haynes’ took to the Internet to dispute the claim that family turned their grief into positive action the idea came from campers, and to accuse by raising money to buy Freedom a winter principal owner Charlie Smith of running the emergency transport vehicle called a “snow- business into the ground and masking its dete- bulette.” riorating financial condition. Weeks before Haynes’ accident, two visit- Smith downplayed the allegations, but within ing snowmobilers went through the ice near weeks his primary lender foreclosed and set a Spindle Point, and one of the operators was in date for an auction sale. Negotiations ensued, the water for 30 minutes before being rescued. but Smith and co-owner Anthony Aversa ulti- Year-round residents warned visitors that mately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protec- parts of the lake can’t hold the weight of snow- tion. mobiles even during the coldest months; and There was no protection to be had from a vocal one posted a map online showing the places segment of campers, however. They continued to avoid. to complain online that they were being kept Spring rescues of kayakers are common on in the dark, and they called for a general meet- the Saco, but the rescue of a kayaker on the ing to get their questions answered and their Bearcamp in June was a reminder that our riv- concerns addressed. But it never happened. ers can be dangerous too. Westy Shores Swollen by heavy rains, the river pinned the Enter “Westy Shores,” an anonymous online kayaker to a downed tree and then swamped correspondent with an apparent insider’s the fire department’s airboat after it was sent knowledge of the business who positioned to the rescue. No one was injured, but officials himself (or herself) as a kind of online Robin said the kayaker’s life jacket probably saved Hood, promising to take up the campers’ cause his life. “Sometimes taunting and fill the information void. Law & Order the owners, “Westy” Using the email address “WWSWatchdog,” “Westy” distributed an array of court docu- It took two trials, but Ossipee Lake resident more typically spoke ments - from cash flow projections to a list of Sean Fitzpatrick was convicted of murdering the campground’s creditors to an accounting his lake neighbor, Michael Zamitti, Jr., and directly to campers of who was being paid what during the bank- another man, a bystander, at a business near ruptcy period - peppered with commentary Boston. to...urge everyone to and questions. At the trial, Zamitti’s wife tearfully testified Sometimes taunting the owners, “Westy” more she had been having an affair with Fitzpatrick, stay informed.” typically spoke directly to campers to define and the case was covered in lurid detail on the legal terms, explain courtroom proceedings “Dateline NBC” crime program. and urge everyone to stay informed. In Concord, Assistant State Attorney General After recommending that campers ask the Richard Head approved environmental viola- court to establish an escrow account to protect tor Donald Lee’s application for a home equity deposits for the 2010 season, about a dozen loan despite a pending Superior Court motion did so. to give Ossipee Bluffs Association a lien on Lee’s property for its full value. Since the bankruptcy filing in July, the camp- Continued on page 7 Ossipee Lake Report Page 7
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Continued from previous page funds were found to purchase an easement for A judge issued an emergency order overruling a new septic system on adjacent land. Eaton’s Head and granting the Bluffs group its lien. favorite gathering spot for breakfast and lunch, It’s expected that the cost of the state-ordered the store doubles as the town’s post office. remediation of Lee’s damage to Ossipee Lake There was also a happy ending to last year’s will exceed the value of his property. fire at Kranky Frankie’s on Route 16 in Ossip- A group of Freedom residents, including sev- ee with the planned reopening of the building eral former town officials, used the Right to as a 99-seat restaurant. The owners named it Know law to establish that the town spent Sunny Villa after the 1930s-era family restau- more than $20,000 defending the ZBA’s 2007 rant that served visitors and residents for more decision to abandon the boat storage limits it than 50 years at the site. previously set for Ossipee Lake Marina. In Freedom, a plan to buy land and move mu- The storage limits were restored by a Superior nicipal functions to a new complex on Ossipee Court judge in January, but in June the Select- Lake Road was put on hold after a group of men voted to appeal the decision to N.H. Su- residents organized as Freedom Cares and ar- preme Court after marina owner Kevin Price gued the change would alter the character of said he would pay for it. the village and leave historic buildings empty. Hiker and mountain mapmaker Bob Garrison Voters at Town Meeting agreed, and an archi- found himself under suspicion by state offi- tectural firm was hired to put all options on cials after new trails were discovered blazed the table, including updating and refurbishing on easement lands in the Ossipee Mountains. the current Town Office building. Eventually The property was closed to the public but later voters will decide which plan will prevail. re-opened after Garrison, who calls himself the Funny or Dumb? “Trail Bandit,” admitted he made the trails by An April news release on the CMI Motorsports removing vegetation and spraying herbicides. website said the company would start work Milfoil Madness on its long-stalled Tamworth racetrack thanks Last minute scheduling problems caused the to an $18.5 million award of federal stimulus postponement of a $15,000 project to treat funds. Area contractors were invited to bid on Danforth Pond’s milfoil with chemicals. the work, but were furious when they learned the announcement was a joke. During the winter, funding for the project was cobbled together after the state said it couldn’t Even after the hoax was revealed by a report- help because it had just $60,000 in its budget er, company officials left the notice posted for to cover $450,000 in proposed milfoil control another ten days, saying they hoped it would projects. The Danforth Pond treatment is now flush out “the perpetrator.” scheduled for this spring. In what sounded like a hoax but was true, a Pickerel Cove, at the tip of Broad Bay near state press release announced that the Madi- Cassie Cove, became the sixth location in the son Boulder was for sale, along with 27 other “In what sounded like lake system to succumb to milfoil infestation. state-owned properties that were no longer The milfoil was confirmed by DES after resi- “viable” because they cost money to maintain a hoax but was true, dents reported it to Ossipee Lake Alliance. and don’t generate revenue. Ossipee officials are considering the state’s Before anyone had a chance to consider pur- the state offered recommendation to treat the weeds with the chasing and monetizing the 5,000 ton glacial chemical 2,4-D in the spring, a plan that will erratic – the biggest in New England and one to sell the Madison of the largest in the world – the state changed require replenishing the town’s milfoil fund at Boulder because it Town Meeting. its mind and withdrew the offer. Notables Local Landmarks dosen’t generate any Lake residents Jennifer Molin, Dennis Gould It was a good year for local landmarks, includ- and Jean and Ian Marshall deserve special revenue.” ing the Freedom Village Store. Volunteers re- mentions this year, as do DRED’s Don Kent vived the historic site as a place to socialize and DES’s Amy Smagula. At the Independent, over coffee and as a destination for visitors newly-hired reporter Daymond Steer got off to looking for a slice of country life. Under man- a great start with his article about the Thurrell ager Nancy Griffin, nights of music, poetry family reunions on the big lake. and story-telling were added to the mix. To everyone who volunteered, contributed or North on Route 153, a last minute deal was otherwise helped out, all the best for 2010! struck to save the Eaton Village Store after
Ossipee Lake Report Page 9
LEGISLATORS RECOMMEND MAJOR NEW FUNDING FOR MILFOIL CONTROL vacationers. For the 50 acres of milfoil infestation currently • Maintaining consistency is essential. Experi- identified in the Ossipee Lake system, the pro- ence shows that control projects must be stra- jected cost of controlling milfoil could range tegically planned and managed without gaps from $7,500 to $75,000 annually depending on in the program. A control treatment followed the final management plans selected. by several years of inactivity leads to a stron- Ossipee Lake Alliance recently estimated that ger, larger re-infestation. more than $150,000 has been spent locally to • Milfoil control requires continuous work and control milfoil since 1995, with just 16% of that continuous funding. On Squam Lake, more total paid for by the state. than $30,000 has been spent each year for the Outcome Uncertain past eight years. Some $90,000 has been spent Stewart Lamprey, former Speaker of the N.H. during the past three years for milfoil in Lake House and President of the N.H. Senate, will Winnipesaukee’s Smith Cove, and the town of help shepherd the milfoil funding bill through Wolfeboro has spent $80,000 on control efforts the legislative process. since 2005. Given current economic conditions and state Studies Cited budget problems, passage will be an uphill At one of the summit meetings, John Halstead battle. of UNH and Anne Nordstrom of Antioch Uni- Finding money for new programs is considered versity discussed a 2006 study designed to to be so difficult that some legislators privately predict how changes in water quality, includ- predict that any bill requesting new funding ing milfoil infestation, might affect the state’s will be ‘dead on arrival’ in the legislature. economy. Considering all of the steps in the legislative In a survey of residents and visitors who recre- process and the timing of generating money ate on the state’s lakes, 69% of the respondents from boat registrations, it’s also likely funding said they would reduce their visits to state wa- won’t be realized until 2011. ters if water quality declined. Even so, Drisko and his fellow Weeds Com- Such a reduction would have the potential for mittee members are optimistic about the fund- an $18 million annual hit to state revenue and ing bill’s prospects. the loss of 800 jobs. “Funding remains the crux of the situation,” In another noteworthy finding, researchers Drisko said at the Milfoil Summit’s closing project there is a 1% to 6% reduction in lake- session. Added Lamprey, “politics is the art of front property values for every one-meter re- the possible.” duction in water clarity. Ossipee Lake Alliance will report on the bill’s This study also found that milfoil control costs progress at www.ossipeelake.org. range from $150 to $1,500 per acre per year.
MUSSELS PROVIDE NATURAL FILTRATION “The mussels in Continued from page 2 Ossipee Lake could be sediments. During the summer, over 90% of More than 100 mussels were collected from the Elliptio population resides in the surface each of the two areas. Each mussel was mea- filtering the algae and sediments whereas by late fall, up to 60% of the sured, weighed and given an age assessment. population buries itself down to about 1 foot A numbered tag was glued to the shell of each bacteria from as much deep in the mud. mussel to allow it to be identified if recaptured at a later date. Thus, during the summer mussel populations as 30 million gallons in the shallow water are most exposed and sus- From this information we hope to detect ceptible to the potential impacts of swimmers changes in the size structure of the population of lake water per day.” and boats. as well as individual growth rates to determine whether boating and swimming are negatively To determine whether there are any measur- impacting this important component of the Os- able impacts of boating activities at the Long sipee Lake food web. Sands recreation area, UNH initiated a class research project this summer in which mussels Jim Haney is a professor with the UNH Center for were collected in the waters off the protected Freshwater Biology, Department of Biological Sci- and mooring areas. ences, in Durham. NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID WHITE PLAINS, NY PERMIT NO. 346 OSSIPEE LAKE ALLIANCE PO BOX 173 FREEDOM, NH 03836 OSSIPEE LAKE REPORT - WINTER 2010
INSIDE: • Funding Proposed for Milfoil Control • UNH Studying Lake’s Mussels • Repairs Highlight Dam’s Importance • Lake Auld Lang Syne 2009 • For the Memories Preserve. Protect. Educate.