Volume IV, Issue I Autumn 2001

A Quarterly Publication of the Ossipee Watershed Protection Project Published by the Green Mountain Conservation Group Conservation GMCG, CLA hire Americorp volunteer planning The Green Mountain hire Brianne Fowles, an workshop offered Conservation Group and the Americorp Volunteer. Brianne Association have graduated from Northwestern joined forces with the NH University with a degree in Town officials and interested citizens are invited to a workshop on Department of Environmental sociology and business and most natural resource conservation Services to hire an Americorp recently received her master’s planning Saturday, December 1, at volunteer to help design and degree in environmental policy Runnell’s Hall in Chocorua from 9 implement a watershed-wide from Vermont Law School. a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Francesca Latawiec monitoring program Working with both from the Water Protection Assistance Program in the Office of State and data base. organizations, NH DES, UNH Planning, Sherry Godlewski from the The CLA was formed in 1968 Cooperative Extension, EPA and Drinking Water Protection Program and has concentrated its efforts in the Corridor in the NH Department of the upper reaches of the Ossipee Commission in , Brianne is Environmental Services, and Darrel Watershed in the Chocorua Lake helping to design a water quality Covell, wildlife specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension, will each subbasin in Tamworth. The monitoring program that will discuss ways for towns to creatively mission of the CLA has been to include the six watershed towns in implement natural resource protect the Chocorua Lake and extend into conservation as they update local Watershed, a subwatershed of the the Maine portion of the Ossipee master plans and plan for growth in Ossipee Watershed. GMCG was Watershed. their communities. After the presentations, participants formed in 1997 to bring a The three main goals of the will break into groups by town, look watershed-wide approach to project are: at the Natural Resource Inventory natural resource protection. 1. Establish a watershed-wide maps recently donated to each town CLA and GMCG first began water quality monitoring program; by GMCG, and work with the three working together in 1999 when a 2. Work cooperatively across experts to assess important resources, discuss ways to protect them and commercial trash transfer station state boundaries; think about areas of town best capable was proposed in the Ossipee 3. Track the water quality of supporting future development. Watershed. The two groups came health of the watershed. Participants will also work with maps together to oppose the proposal Over the next several months, that depict aquifer recharge land and and to protect the aquifer. The Brianne will meet with town discuss ways towns can work together to better plan for drinking water two conservation groups began officials across the watershed to protection. co-sponsoring educational events introduce the project and to gather The workshop is free and open to and working together on forestry information on water related the public. Lunch and handouts will and land protection issues. issues in each town. GMCG will be included. Donations will gladly be This summer, GMCG and host a series of educational accepted to help defray the cost. Call GMCG for more information at CLA received grants from NH workshops as well as training for 539-7926. DES and New England interested monitoring volunteers. Grassroots Environment Fund to Anyone interested in volunteering

The Watershed News

The Watershed Forestry in the Watershed News Timber harvesting can affect

The Watershed News is a quarterly publication of the Green Mountain Conservation Group, a non-profit, 501(c ) 3, charitable organization BY best management practices that established in 1997 and dedicated PETER POHL minimize the threat to our water to the preservation of the natural supplies. resources in the Ossipee Water issues, both quantity and The steps taken in the proper Watershed. The towns of planning and execution of a timber Effingham, Freedom, Madison, quality pose serious challenges as our harvest include the following: Ossipee, Sandwich and Tamworth demands and development pressures make up the boundaries of the increase. To maintain an adequate Ossipee Watershed Protection supply of quality water, society must do 1. Proper lay out of logging roads to Project. This watershed includes a much better job of controlling sources minimize drainage ways and steep one of the largest and deepest of contamination. slopes. stratified drift aquifers in New In addition to chemical and septage 2. Limited harvesting within buffer Hampshire. It covers 47 square contamination of our water supplies, the zones along water courses.These miles and receives drainage from a uses of our land pose a major impact. distances are equal to about one and a 330 square mile area. It is a Three major areas that can be a source of half times the height of the trees critically important resource for bordering the stream or lake. existing and future community pollution include construction activities 3. Minimizing stream and drainage water supplies. such as roads and buildings, agricultural practices involving tillage and use of crossings and installing a suitable The GMCG’s purpose is fertilizers and pesticides, and timber temporary structure where it is twofold: harvesting activities which impact our unavoidable not to cross. 1. To provide an organizational forested acreage. I would like to address 4. Installing sufficient and structure for a coalition of citizens the forestry aspects that threaten our functioning and local officials interested in water quality. water bars spaced correctly on all identifying sensitive areas within Most forested landscape in New logging roads and skid trails that can the Watershed in need of Hampshire includes rolling and steep erode. protection; 5. Seeding all roads to provide an 2. To offer public educational terrain, frontage along major rivers, adequate vegetative cover. events about conservation issues streams, brooks and or bodies of water. and possible solutions regarding the What occurs on the acreage abutting 6. Maintenance of all permanent preservation of this unique natural these water courses directly impacts not bridges and culverts to prevent resource. only the quality but also the quantity of sources of erosion. Through education and the water. Major research on just these These actions, if taken, will go a advocacy we strive to promote an issues has been conducted by researchers long way to protect the quality of awareness and appreciation of our stationed at such facilities as the water entering our streams, rivers and natural resources and encourage a Hubbard Brook Hydrologic Research lakes. Each of us has the commitment to protect them. responsibility to be good stewards of Board of Directors Station in Thornton. This U.S. Forest Susan Slack, President Service research station has published a all of our renewable resources. The Blair Folts, Vice President wealth of information on forest rewards are many fold. Chip Kimball, Treasurer harvesting practices and their impact on Don LaChance, Secretary water quality and quantity and the buffer For further information and Bill Piekut, Education Coordinator assistance with the management of Town Representatives zones needed to protect this important Effingham, Greg Clough resource. your forest resources contact Peter Freedom, Bill Klotz The proper planning and execution of Pohl, UNH Carroll County Extension Madison, Dan Stepanauskus a timber sale should include the marking Forester, at 539-3331, or e-mail at Ossipee, Greg Bossart [email protected] or write 75 Main Sandwich, Ben Shambaugh and layout of the project by a licensed Tamworth, C. Scott Aspinall forester and the harvesting by a certified Street, P.O. Box 860, Center Ossipee, Maine, Dennis Finn logger. Both these professionals are N.H. 03814 Executive Director, Blair Folts well trained in the implementation of

2 Special Places A house with a history

Editor’s Note: Special Places is a people throughout its history. Mr. Nickerson had moved to the regular feature of the Watershed News, and Mrs. Eugene Harridan occupied village. Lawerence Flint, along highlighting an historical or cultural the house beginning in May 1881 with his wife and two daughters, resource within the Ossipee Watershed. with the widow Harriman as the moved into Red Gables and were GMCG has endorsed the Land and cook. H.B. Walley and the helped out by Charlie Chick and Community Heritage Investment Bowditches resided there during the Bill Abbott. Abbott married Alta Program, a public-private partnership summer months at what was then Nickerson (daughter of George). committed to conservation of New referred to as Loafer’s Rest. They They stayed at the house until Hampshire’s natural, cultural and began a garden and had two horses 1946 when two men, Campbell historical resources. For more information on LCHIP, call 230-9729. and two cows, one of which Walley and Lausell, hired Loafer’s Rest as sent for from Boston. a bed and breakfast, luring guests BY BRIANNE FOWLES In 1883, the ell section of the with the enticing name of As the story goes, Sylvester house was cut off and moved to the Lakeview Tourist Home. The barn Cone, a conservative, God-fearing north and connected by a dining as well as the chickens, raspberries man had just about enough with two room and two chambers above. The and bountiful garden were kept. boys who had been repeatedly west wall of the dining room was The tourist home operated for skinny dipping at the Narrows, a rigged in such a way that allowed about three or four years. Cornelia portion of Chocorua Lake within the entire wall to be lifted so that Wheeler remembers, “The two view of Mr. Cone’s porch. On the diners could look out onto the lake. boys that rented out the home day of the Sabbath in 1876, Then in 1885-86, the Brown Study painted the rooms purple. A something must have snapped inside was built for C.P. Bowditch as a strange color for the day.” Mr. Cone to make him get up, grab a refuge from the children. After Campbell and Lausell left, shotgun, proceed out to the lake, and In 1889, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew C.P. Bowditch’s daughter Katy take aim at the boys. Whether Murdock took over care of the house rented the house out to Lawerance intentional or not, Mr. Cone took the and in 1891 became in charge. “Bun” Nickerson and his wife. life of one Paul Williams and was During the fall of that year, the They lived there until the sentenced to 30 years in the state cellar for Conni Sauti (commonly Twitchells, descendents of the prison. As sad as this story is, referred to as Toad Hall) was dug Bowditchs, bought it in the 1960s. without its occurrence, Red Gables and the construction of that house Ever since, Red Gables has been might not be the beautiful place that began in 1892. This house was built in the Twitchell family. Roger it is today. on the hill about a quarter of a mile and his sister Lucy lived there and A pair of old Civil War comrades, to the east of Red Gables. In 1894, then Red Gables was transferred to C.P. Bowditch and Henshaw B. Mr. and Mrs. Nickerson became their sister Betty and her husband Walley, bought the Cone Farm in foremen of Red Gables and the Peter Snyder in 1982. The the winter of 1879-80 at a judgment Bowditch family moved up to Conni Snyder’s have rented out the house sale for debts of Mr. Cone. Total Sauti for permanent residence. on many occasions. Red Gables acreage was about 100 acres. The By 1916, Loafer’s Rest was wired has been home to many renters in house was not used for much except for electricity and by 1925, the the area, and currently me — as a bath house in the summer of house was equipped with a furnace Brianne Fowles. Personally, it has 1880. In the spring and summer of and a bathroom above the kitchen. been a pleasure to live in a house 1881, a front porch, ice house, and However, the roof caught fire in with so much history. Almost any carriage house were built and a well 1926, which led to the installation of book that has been written on this dug. The house was furnished and fire-proof shingles. In addition, an area includes the story of Red some modifications were made to earthquake in December 1941 shook Gables. The high arching ceilings, the kitchen. some bricks from the chimney, but the round picture window, and the Red Gables, as it is fondly all was well. retractable dining room wall offer referred to today, is still owned by Foreman responsibility once again an historical experience of the the Bowditch family’s descendents, changed hands in 1943 after George creativity and imagination of a but has been home to a number of Nickerson passed away and Mrs. time well since passed.

The Watershed News Watershed Birder Bird banding on Appledore

species of birds for research purposes. It BY Station is in operation. The fall is unlawful to capture or possess trip is traditionally over the Labor SUSAN LEE migratory birds, whether on the federal Day weekend. For those endangered species list or not, without interested in becoming volunteers Appledore Island, although one of the proper permits. at the station, a week long course the eight islands which make up the is offered. Affectionately called, Isles of Shoals some six miles east of On Appledore, the birds are caught in "Dangle, Tangle and Drudge," the "mist nets," loose nets of fine mesh Portsmouth, is actually in Maine. Each course is given by one of the approximately 10 feet high strung on year thousands of songbirds stop on licensed banders and successful poles along several narrow trails in a Appledore Island during migration. completion earns volunteers the The Appledore Island Migration section of small trees and shrubs. The title "Band-aid." Trained band- Banding Station studies these nets are checked regularly and any birds aids learn to safely remove birds that have been netted are gently migrants during two blocks of time in from the net, identify the bird and removed and carried to the banding the spring and again in the fall. The record the measurements that station. There the bird is identified as to primary purpose of the station is avian form the basis for the research. research: to study the migration and species and age, and where possible, stopover ecology of Nearctic- sex. The bander then places a tiny metal If you are interested in learning Neotropical migrants. ring on the bird’s leg. Each such ring or more about volunteering at the "band" has a unique number stamped banding station, you may contact In addition to the Banding Station, into the metal together with an address Dr. Sara Morris Appledore is home to the Shoals and phone number to contact in the ([email protected]) at Marine Laboratory (SML) a seasonal event the bird is recaptured or the band Canisius College, 2001 Main field station and teaching and research recovered at a later date. The bird is Street, Buffalo, NY 14208.Band- facility for undergraduate students run then measured, weighed and released to aids are given the rare privilege of co-operatively by UNH and Cornell continue its migration. holding a living breathing bird, University. truly an amazing experience. My According to literature on the SML The data collected at the Appledore first bird was a young Song website (www.sml.cornell.edu/ station has led to numerous Sparrow, band # 172142304. As ornithological papers on migration and research/), the Banding Station began Emily Dickinson wrote, "Hope is stopover ecology. Interest in Nearctic- operation in the 1970s. Operated by the thing with feathers." trained volunteers under the Neotropical migrants (bird species supervision of licensed banders, the which breed in North America and station operates daily during spring migrate to Mexico, the Caribbean, or and fall migration from before sunrise Central or South American for the non- Susan Lee is an avid birder and a until sunset, weather permitting. Over breeding season), has increased in the longtime resident of the Ossipee 65,000 birds of 126 species have been last decade as scientists attempt to Watershed. Share bird sightings banded at the station since 1981. The understand the significant population or comments with her by e-mail at largest single day of banding was 444 declines of many bird species and the [email protected] birds banded on May 19, 1995. The impact of habit loss both here and in most common bird banded on their non-breeding territory. Banding Appledore is the Common studies show that equally important is Yellowthroat. loss of habitat at "stopover" points in Bird banders and banding stations are migration, where birds fuel up for long regulated and licensed by the US Fish migration flights. and Wildlife Service. Additionally, each station operates under a specific Both New Hampshire and Maine permit to capture and band certain Audubon Society schedule weekend trips to Appledore while the Banding

4 The Watershed News Conservation Conversations

Editor’s Note: Conservation conservation commission also hopes to Sandwich Conversations is intended to provide a build a series of trails on some of these forum for the Conservation lands so that people can walk and learn The commission has several Commissions in the six towns of the more about the valuable role wetlands activities planned for fall, including Ossipee Watershed to share news of play in water protection. monitoring easement properties from their activities and an opportunity to Ossipee the air after leaf drop. The find creative solutions regarding commission uses different watershed issues. It is the goal of the monitoring methods each year to The conservation commission as well as Green Mountain Conservation Group obtain new perspectives on its the selectmen supported the petition to to encourage the six towns to create a easement properties. The the Department of Safety to prohibit gas strong voice as a united watershed commission is coordinating with -powered motor boats on Conner Pond community. GMCG on water quality monitoring and to reduce boat speed to 5 mph on Think Locally; Act Watershed. and has selected a location on the the 89-acre pond. More than a dozen Cold River as its first monitoring site. people spoke in favor of the petition at The commission reports at least one the DOS public hearing September 21 Effingham success in the exotic, invasive plant and 90 people signed the petition. This The Effingham Conservation area: through education the spring-fed pond is the headwaters of the Commission is working with UNH commission succeeded in having a , which flows into Ossipee Cooperative Extension to conduct a private landowner remove and Lake. natural resource study of wetlands destroy purple loosestrife found in a owned by the town and managed by the garden adjacent to one of the town’s conservation commission. The

Young Sapling Students research growing cranberries in sandpits

BY to germinate cranberries from seed and other research CLAES THELEMARK projects. The projects were monitored for four weeks only to find out that it is very difficult to transplant cranberry Seven students participated in the Tamworth vines during a drought year. Such is the way of research Community School Summer Science Camp. Their chief research in natural systems. Some variables are just beyond our project was to explore the feasibility of transplanting wild control. cranberries in a sandpit as a form of sandpit reclamation. The We were able to draw some conclusions and plan project came about when Martha Carlson, director of the for future potential projects. Knowing that water is a Community School, heard of a potential proposal to spread limiting factor, only to have it reinforced this summer, we sludge on the Jackman Sandpit, which is adjacent to school hope to replant cranberry vines at differing levels closer to property and its well. the water table. Newly planted vines are the most A common misconception about cranberries is that they susceptible to dry conditions, whereas established vines grow in water. Cranberries grow in wetlands and prefer well can tolerate short periods of dry weather quite well. If we drained soils that are only flooded periodically. Upon succeed in creating a “natural” cranberry bog we hope to researching commercial cranberry bogs we discovered just how enjoy a nice cranberry harvest in the future. Currently intensively they are managed and were a bit disheartened to learn organic dry picked cranberries bring $350 to $400 per the cost of establishing a commercial bog — $10,000 to $20,000 barrel (100 lbs.), compared to the meager $14 to $18 per per acre. Without money to establish fancy irrigation or a system barrel for conventional cranberries. Hopefully, with some of levies and dikes to control the water level we wondered where future grant funding and some more research by eager to start. Underlying all this research was the fact that there was a young scientists we will have a viable cleaner alternative naturally established 1.5 acre cranberry bog already there. So we to reclaiming sandpits over our aquifer. Cranberry relish wondered if we could recreate this naturalized bog. Each student anyone? developed and tested his or her own hypothesis on transplanting and growing cranberries. They tried planting cranberry vine Claes Thelemark is a science teacher at The runners at different soil depths, watering them with different Community School in Tamworth. amounts of water, planting mats of established cranberries, trying

The Watershed News Calendar

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 26 THE GREEN MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION GROUP will sponsor a slide presentation with Sherry Godlewski from NH Department of Environmental Services on Drinking Water Protection Lands Grants. The presentation will highlight methods to protect critical water supply lands as well as introduce the Water Supply Land Conservation Grant Program. The program is a collaborative effort between DES and the Society for the Protection of NH forests. Success stories from past grant awards will also be highlighted. Ossipee Library 7-9 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6 The Chocorua Lake Association and GMCG will sponsor a mushroom walk led by John and Peter Lewis from 10 a.m.-noon. Meet at the Chocorua Lake Bridge at 10 am. Details call (617) 868- 0294.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6 UNH COOPERATIVE EXTENSION will lead a tour of the Wakefield Tree Farm in Wonalancet. The hiking is moderate with half the tour leading to the summit of Mt. Katherine and an exquisite view of the Sandwich Range and the Wonalancet Intervale during the peak of the fall foliage season. Foresters will discuss management objectives. Dress appropriately and bring a lunch. Meet at the Wonalancet Chapel on Rt. 113A at 8:45. For more information call Extension at 539-3331.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13 The Wonalancet Out Door Club (WODC) will sponsor an autumn trail clearing day at the height of fall color. Everyone is invited to help and learn more about the trails that the club maintains. Meet at the Ferncroft kiosk in Wonalancet at 8:15 a.m. For more information contact Judy Reardon at 323-8827

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3 New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions will host its annual meeting at Rundlett Middle School in Concord. Keynote speaker will be Steve Taylor, Commissioner of Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. Taylor will speak on “Agriculture’s Changing: Is Your Community Ready.” This meeting is open to the public with a cost of $20 for NHACC members and town officials and $25 for non-members. The meeting will also include inside and outside workshops. For more information and a full schedule of events contact Marjory M. Swope, executive director, NHACC at 224-7867 or [email protected]. Visit their website at www.nhacc.org.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17 NH DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES AND NH RIVERS COUNCIL WILL PRESENT THE 2001 RIVER AND WATERSHED CONFERENCE The conference offers the opportunity for local river advisory committees, volunteer monitoring groups, and watershed associations to meet, exchange ideas, attend information session and workshops. This year’s informational sessions include: river and riparian ecology, stream flow and water use, land protection and conservation, and more. Afternoon workshops include GIS watershed management applications and macroinvertebrates identification. DES OFFICE, 6 HAZEN DRIVE 8:00 AM TO 4:00. 271-3503.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1 GMCG will host a Planning Workshop for Municipal Officials. Francesca Latawiec, Office of State Planning, Sherry Godlewski, NH DES, and Darrel Covell, UNH Cooperative Extension will present information about how towns can better plan for natural resource protection. Runnell’s Hall, Chocorua, 9 -1:30.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26 The Green Mountain Conservation Group will hold its 4th Annual Meeting. A short business meeting will be followed by a potluck supper. The keynote address will be by Dr. William McDowell, professor of Water Resource Management at University of New Hampshire. Dr. McDowell will deliver a slide presentation about watershed research locally in New Hampshire and globally in Costa Rica. Runnells Hall, Chocorua, 6-9 p.m.

For more information about activities, or volunteer opportunities, call GMCG at 539-7926 or 539-7095. To submit Calendar listing for the Winter issue of THE WATERSHED NEWS, please send information to GMCG 6 The Watershed News WATERSHED ACTIVISM “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.” Edward Everett Hale

Committee Studying plan for the location of future Thanks to an outpouring of ATV trails on state lands. support by townspeople and others, ATV Trail Problems  Clarify RSA 215-A:31 that gives Friends of the Leavitt Plantation is DRED authority to allow or not within $300,000 of a goal of $1.9m A study committee established by allow ATVs on state land. needed by October 15 to secure a the state legislature has begun  Consider the impact of ATV conservation easement on The meeting to review problems of trails on town services and on Leavitt Plantation. This 8,600 acre ATV and trailbike use on state private landowners. parcel of forestland in Parsonsfield, lands. The committee of four  Consider the environmental Maine is the largest contiguous forest representatives and four senators is impact of ATV trails. block in southern Maine. Friends of required to recommend whether the  Consider the impact ATV use the Leavitt Plantation, the Town of state should remain in the business has on other users of public land. Parsonsfield, Maine, The Nature of operating ATV trails and, if so,  Recommend stronger Conservancy, the Maine Department what procedures and plans should enforcement of ATV laws. of Conservation and others are be followed. The committee is working to protect the forest with a interested in hearing comments, A second public hearing is conservation easement that will concerns, suggestions and ideas scheduled for October 10 in Room provide public access, preserve from individuals, town officials, 207 of the Legislative Office wildlife habitat, ensure sustainable recreationalists, environmentalists Building from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. timber management and protect and any others concerned. The public is invited and encouraged important aquifer land. To help, send Currently there are more than to attend. donations to: 23,000 registered ATVs and

trailbikes in New Hampshire and Public comment may also be sent Leavitt Plantation Forest Project those numbers are growing rapidly. to Rep. John Alger, the committee’s Town of Parsonsfield GMCG has asked the study chair, at [email protected] or P.O. Box 30 committee to: via FAX at 786-9463. Parsonsfield, Maine 04047  Consider the overall impact of ATVs statewide and recommend a comprehensive Leavitt Plantation Fundraising Nears Goal Your Membership Will Make a Difference Please Join Today! (Please make checks payable to Green Mountain Conservation Group) P.O. box 95 South Effingham, New Hampshire 03882

Raindrop___$10 Puddle_____$15 Vernal Pool___$25 (Student membership) Stream_____$50 River_____$75 Pond_____$100

Lake_____$250 Aquifer_____$500 Other____

NAME ———————————————————————— ADDRESS —————————————————————— PHONE —————————— E-Mail —————————————— Alternate Address ————————————————————————

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid S. Effingham, NH Permit No. 10

GMCG The Watershed News P.O. Box 95 South Effingham, NH 03882

EVERY PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND EACH PERSON SHOULD TRY.

Deadline for the next edition of The Watershed News is December 20. Mail news items to the above address or phone 603-539-7926.

8 GMCG launches water quality monitoring program

BY GMCG is working with selectmen Hampshire Forests, through a grant BRIANNE FOWLES and conservation commission from the US Forest Service, to members, lake associations, and produce a series of Natural GMCG is working on a new concerned citizens to determine Resource Inventory maps of each program to implement a watershed what new sites should be tested. A town in the Ossipee Watershed. -wide water quality monitoring technical advisory committee is The maps include information on program. Initially, 10 new water being established with hydrology, soils of statewide quality test sites will be representatives of agencies and importance, town conservation established and volunteers will be organizations in both Maine and land, unfragmented land, public trained to collect samples and New Hampshire as well as EPA water supplies, known and record data. GMCG is designing New England. The committee will potential contamination sites as the program in cooperation with establish protocol and testing well as co-occurrences of NH Department of Environmental perameters for the testing program important resources. GMCG has Services, UNH Cooperative to create a uniform watershed-wide presented the maps to each town. Extension, UNH Water Resources water quality monitoring data base The Water Quality Monitoring Department, Chocorua Lake that will benefit the entire Saco Project grew out of the NRI Association and the Saco River Watershed. mapping project as a way to Corridor Commission. UNH Cooperative Extension and further study our natural resources A GIS map is being developed NH DES are working together to and begin to work together as a by UNH Cooperative Extension to create a website that will contain broader community to plan for show where test sites already exist data on the water quality monitoring growth as well as protection of in the Ossipee Watershed. These so that the public will have access to important resources. The water sites include testing by both DES the information. quality monitoring program will and UNH Cooperative Extension Last year, GMCG worked with enable GMCG to study the health through the Lakes Lay Monitoring UNH Cooperative Extension and the of the entire watershed and track Program. Society for the Protection of New changes over time.

Notes from Downstream “Borders? I’ve never seen one but I heard that they exist in some people’s minds.” Throe Heyerdhal

Editor’s Note: GMCG recently added a representative from nitrogen, phosphate, and turbidity. The primary goal for the Ossipee Watershed in Maine to its Board of Directors. this program in its first year was to look for trends Our downstream neighbors are represented by Dennis occurring in the waters that continuously flow through Finn, executive director of the Saco River Corridor the basin. This program will continue until the end of Commission. SRCC is made up of 20 towns from Fryeburg October and will resume next spring when safe access to Saco. SRCC will help train GMCG water quality can be secured again at each of the sites. Anyone who is monitoring volunteers in New Hampshire. Please watch for interested in seeing the results of the testing or for more more details in your local paper. information regarding what each of the water quality parameters indicate about water quality, please visit our The Saco River Corridor Commission (SRCC), website in the near future. An addition to our web page located in the Saco River Basin, and having regulatory is currently under construction in order to bring this jurisdiction within 20 Maine communities, is more information to as many people as possible. Our website than half way through the pilot year of its newest address is www.srcc-maine.org. As always the SRCC project. Early this summer, the SRCC began testing encourages thoughts both critical and complimentary the quality of the water supplying the 20 communities regarding our water quality monitoring program. within its corridor. The program has been testing for dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, E.coli, total

LAKE LINKS

Editors Note: In an effort to introduce property to TNC confrontational format on the lake associations in the Ossipee to ensure that it will be preserved assumption that informed Watershed to each other, keep abreast of shared concerns, and share in its natural state. There is a citizens will make good thoughts on water quality monitoring, natural link between the Trust’s judgments on issues of The Watershed News is expanding the work and GMCG since the importance, an encouraging newsletter to include this column. ponds’ water flows through affirmation of democratic Moultonville and Center Ossipee values, the CLA thought. CLA to the Ossipee aquifer, and into has just joined forces with Dan Hole Pond . Blair Folts, GMCG to hire an AmeriCorp Watershed Trust executive director of GMCG, and Volunteer to help with ongoing Dan Sundquist, science director water quality monitoring now On August 18, 100 residents of of SPNHF, spoke at the in its 23rd year. CLA works in the Dan Hole Ponds area and celebration, congratulating the conjunction with UNH’s Lakes friends celebrated the Trust’s supporters on their Lay Monitoring Project under acquisition and permanent success, and pointing out the the direction of Jeff Schloss. protection of 200 acres and importance of partnerships Over the past few years, CLA 3,000 feet of lake front on the among local conservation groups. has pro-actively worked to south side of Big Dan Hole Readers can contact the Dan Hole improve the quality of the Pond. The property was Pond Watershed Trust by mail at water it was monitoring. Last acquired in April by the Dan P.O. Box 8, Center Ossipee, NH year, the “Berms & Swales” Hole Pond Watershed Trust, a 03814 and by email at: effort was completed. The new land conservation "[email protected]". objective was to reduce the organization which was formed amounts of phosphorous and last year. The Trust’s goal is to nitrogen entering the lake by help to ensure the preservation diverting runoff from the high of the unusual beauty, water Chocorua Lake slope above the lake and from quality and wildlife habitat of Association plunge pools and sediment- the watershed surrounding Dan settling basins. In just one year, Hole Pond. To do so, the Trust The Chocorua Lake Association this project reduced the intends to work closely with held its Annual Meeting in phosphorous counts at key other groups with similar August. Blair Folts, executive offshore locations by 82 objectives, including the Green director of the Green Mountain percent and as much as 94 Mountain Conservation Group Conservation Group, was the percent. Another extraordinary (GMCG), Lakes Region featured speaker. Folts explained achievement was the fact that Conservation Trust, Society for that the focus of the GMCG was 12 agencies, governmental and the Protection of New on the many natural resources of private, worked smoothly and Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) the entire Ossipee Watershed, successfully together on this and The Nature Conservancy with special emphasis on the effort. CLA officers include: (TNC). SPNHF is currently protection of the important Alex Moot, president, Dave preparing a set of GIS maps of aquifer from surface pollutants as Fairly, vice president, David the watershed, which the Trust well as general land and lake Little, treasurer, and Harriet will use to plan future activities. water protection. GMCG has Hofheinz, secretary. For more The Trust will grant a perpetual successfully presented information contact Alex Moot conservation easement on its information in a neutral, non-

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