Powwow Pond is a 348 acre body of water in Kingston. They have had significant issues in controlling variable milfoil. This article from the Derry News details their attempts to manage this problem.
Author: Neil Santos
More Repair Work on Mendums Pond Dam
(Ed Note: When water needs to be released to increase the flow in the Lamprey River System, the dam is opened alternately in Pawtuckaway Lake and Mendums Pond. When water from Mendums Pond is not available, as in this drawdown, all the needed water must come from Pawtuckaway Lake)
In 2015, Mendums Pond was drawn down 20 feet below full lake so that major repairs could be made to the Mendums Dam. This repair took over a year to complete and Mendums did not reach full lake level until 2017. You can read the NH DES bulletin about that activity here.
Despite that major rebuild, in 2014, the dam bureau felt that more major work needed to be done and the lake was again drawn down 20 feet in the fall of 2024. Here is a quote from the NH DES Dam Bureau website.
“Mendums Pond Dam in Nottingham will have a deep drawdown this fall for reconstruction of the downstream part of the dam. The project is split into 3 phases and when each phase is completed, the pond may be filled incrementally. Worst case scenario for 2025 will be the pond at complete drawdown and best-case scenario is to gain some pond through the summer and fall. Variables such as weather, availability and timing of subcontractors, etc. can impact the schedule and is challenging to forecast”
Cyanobacteria Problem on Lake Kanasatka
Lake Kanasatka, in Moultonborough, has had a serious issues with phosphorus loading and the resulting cyanobacteria blooms for several years. In 2023, for example, a cyanobacteria warning was issued by the state that lasted from late summer through the fall, 121 days in total.
The following articles detail the issues facing that lake and the costly solution to solution to that problem. (Ed Note: Even with this treatment, Kanasatka continued to have cyanobacteria blooms last year, although with a much diminished duration.)
Restoring Lake Kanasatka FAQ Bulletin
Alum Treatment on Lake Kanasatka has successfully eliminated Cyanobacteria Blooms
Lake Kanasatka Feted for Reversing Cyanobacteria
Enfield Adopts New Septic Rules for Waterfront Property
The Enfield NH Selectboard recently adopted new septic regulations for waterfront property in the town that require septic inspections every six years and pump-out every three years to reduce the inflow of phosporus into the town’s waterbodies.
Understanding Warrant Article 18
The Town will be asking for a loan from the State to fund a watershed study for Pawtuckaway Lake but the loan principal will be forgiven when the watershed study is finished so the Town will not owe any money. All the interest that accrues during the term of the loan will be paid for by the PLIA.
Read the following paragraphs for additional information.
What Does it Mean?
The Warrant Article, if passed, allows the Town to apply for a Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan. The funds will ultimately be used to pay for an updated watershed plan for Pawtuckaway Lake. Even though the loan, if granted, will have the principal ultimately forgiven, state law requires that the Town must have the authority and ability to repay as if the loan were not going to be repaid. That is the reason why the Warrant Article mentions that the Town would be authorized to issue bonds to repay the principal of the loan even though it would not be needed in this case. The Warrant Article also states that the PLIA will pay any and all interest on the loan. It is estimated that the total interest would be around $1500-$2000. It also mentions, in addition to doing the watershed plan, the possibility of doing some mitigation actions. If done, these would be quite small activities, more in the nature of feasibility studies than the relatively major mitigation activities that might be specified in the watershed plan.
What is it For?
The PLIA would like to update our watershed plan which was last updated in 2008. While a watershed plan has many parts, in essence its purpose is to determine the factors which affect the health of a water body and recommend mitigation actions to improve it. While we have several reasons for wanting this update, the primary reason is to determine the factors which are leading to an increasing level of phosphrous in our lake. While any excess nutrients in the lake are a problem, phosphorous in particular, can lead to bigger and more frequent cyanobacteria blooms. We had two such blooms last summer leading to recommendations to stay out of the lake for periods of time since they can cause serious illness and possibly even death. With an updated plan we can understand the most effective mitigation actions and actually get a start on the major mitigation work.
Why a Loan?
Developing watershed plans is a complex activity and requires hiring experts to do the work in conjunction with information from local residents. The cost to update our plan is estimated to be between 65K and 100K. We hope to get the necessary funding from a federal program, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), which is administered separately by each state. In NH these loans have to be given to a town rather than a lake association or other non-governmental body.
How Does it Work?
As stated above, the way NH administers the program is to provide the loan to towns. These loans are like lines of credit in that interest accrues only as the money is requested by the town. When the purpose for the loan, namely an updated watershed plan, is complete, the Town informs the State that the loan should be closed. Having fulfilled the loan purpose, the State then forgives the principal. The net result is that the only thing that is owed to the State is the interest on the loan.
Summary
The Town will be asking for the money directly but the PLIA in consultation with the Town will engage a consultant to actually perform the work. The key here is that the Town is required by the terms of the loan program to be the middle man but the Town incurs no financial obligation other than a tiny amount of administrative work. Of course, none of this is a guarantee that we will qualify for the loan even if approved by the town voters. If the Warrant Article is approved, we will work with the Town to provide a pre-application to the State by May 31st. After a vetting process to determine loan candidates, the actual loan applications are due in the fall.
PLIA Seeks Grant to Reduce Cyanobacteria Threat to Lake
Cynaobacteria blooms are increasing in many New Hampshire lakes and our lake is no exception. Last year we had at least two such blooms that were verified by NH DES, one almost impacting the busy July 4th week. In 2023, Lake Kanasatka had a bloom that lasted 121 days, effectively shutting down lake activities for most of the summer and into the fall. Cyanobacteria can cause serious health issues and even deaths in rare cases. They are caused by several factors, most notably increasing phosphorous levels and rising average lake temperatures due to climate change. Phosphorous enters the lake primarily from water runoff from the land. This phosphorus loading is increased by actions such as fertilizing lawns, cutting down shoreland vegetation, using impervious surface materials, and not controlling erosion.
The PLIA is concerned about the increasing phosphorous levels in the lake and is working with DES, state and town officials to apply for grants to update our watershed plan. Our most recent plan was developed in 2008 and there have been many changes to the lake since then. The PLIA applied for a so-called “604B” grant last fall but we were not successful. This spring we intend to apply for a Clean Water State Revolving Fund grant from NH DES. If we do get the grant, we plan to engage a contractor to update our watershed plan. The plan will cost around $70K and will take at least a year to produce. With a new plan in hand, we will be able to request additional grants to perform mitigation projects to reduce incoming phosphorous and, we hope, lessen the potential for future cyanobacteria blooms.
All lake resident can also help in this effort by reducing property runoff, eliminating the use of fertilizers, making sure their septic tanks are functioning well, and protecting shoreline vegetation.