Lake Winnipesaukee Watershed Management Plan

Lake Winnipesaukee
Watershed Management Plan
Project Update: January 25, 2010
A Phased Approach to a Comprehensive Plan
Partners
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Lake Winnipesaukee Watershed Association
Lakes Region Planning Commission
North Country Resource Conservation &
Development Area Council
Belknap County Conservation District
University of New Hampshire Center for Freshwater
Biology & Cooperative Extension
Plymouth State University – Center for the
Environment
NH Dept. of Environmental Services
Municipalities
Other Organizations
Funding
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NH DES – 319 Program
NOAA – Watershed Planning
Additional funding is required and being
sought to develop a truly comprehensive plan
for the watershed.
Why develop a Lake Winni WMP?
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Balance land uses with water quality
Protect the lake and livelihood
Generate new opportunities to protect and
conserve Lake Winnipesaukee as a state and
national resource
Education and stewardship
Establish water quality baseline for
phosphorus
ID areas to restore/protect from ‘P’
Region is Growing
1998-2003
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N.H. fastest growing
state in New England
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43% population increase
1980-2008
11% population increase
1998-2008
97,025 new single family
homes built 1998-2007
Economic Vitality
Tourism/Recreation
Physical Features
Chemical Features
Lake Biology
Lake
Winnipesaukee
Watershed
Management
Plan
Watershed Management
Primary concern is currently watershed phosphorus loading
and its impact on lake water quality.
C+N
Lake 226
Phosphorus:
Important
Limiting
Nutrient
From: Schindler
ELA, Ontario CA
1973
C+N+P
Nutrient Overloads Cause Blooms
Eutrophication and Lake Trophic Status
EUTROPHICATION:
The natural process by which
nutrients, organic matter and
sediments gradually accumulate
within a water body, resulting in
decreased depth and increased
biological productivity.
This process can be dramatically accelerated by
human activities that alter land uses, increasing
sediment and nutrient loading, i.e. Cultural
Eutrophication.
ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS
Source: lake.access project
Lake Winnipesaukee WMP
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Proposed Phased Approach
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Phase I: Meredith, Laconia,
Gilford
Phase II: Moultonborough, Center
Harbor, Tuftonboro
Phase III: Wolfeboro, Tuftonboro,
Alton
Phase IV: Alton, New Durham,
Gilford
Phase V: Belmont, Sanbornton,
Northfield, Tilton
Winnipesaukee River Watershed
Phased Process
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Evaluate water quality data
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Current Median Phosphorus or ‘P’
Water quality monitoring in lake and streams
Projected ‘P’ – future loading potential
Evaluate BMPs
Evaluate Land Use
Recommendations for limiting ‘P’
Public Involvement / Outreach
Create a web-based plan
Expand to the next phase
Preliminary
Water Quality Data Analysis
Lake Winnipesaukee Median Total Phosphorus Trend
8 ppb NH DES limit
Total Phosphorus (ppb)
8
6
7
6
4.9
5
4
3
2
1
Pre‐1998 Historical TP
Median
1998‐2008 Summer TP
Median
2008‐2018 Possible Future
Median
*P load data analysis from 25 years water quality monitoring from UNH and other sources
Preliminary – Estimated In-Lake
Phosphorus Loading
23%
2009 In‐lake Phosphorus Loading
per Land Use Category for Total MPSB Area
7194.9 lbs
Crop = 84.6 lbs
Pasture = 543.3 lbs
4%
2212.3 lbs
73%
Urban
Agriculture
Forested
*Estimate of P loading generated using STEPL Model and Predictive Models
Preliminary – Estimated In-Lake Phosphorus
Loading per Urban Land Use
2%
2009 In-Lake Phosphorus Loading per Urban Land Use
Category in MPSB Watershed
9%
2%
655.16 lbs
Remainder ‐ 732.38 lbs
31%
2200.44 lbs
Commercial
Industrial
Transportation
3501.74 lbs
6%
Multi‐Family
50%
Single‐Family
Urban‐Cultivated
*Estimate of P loading generated using STEPL Model and Predictive Models
Where we are…
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P predictive loading models
Public Outreach
Subgroups
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Planners Group
Education/Outreach Committee
Water Quality Advisory Committee
Stakeholder Focus Group
In the meantime, here are some things you
can do to keep P out of the water…
Water Quality Monitoring
ADOPT WINNI – Be a Bay Watcher
Water Quality Monitoring Program
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Tributaries, near shore, and deep lake water
sampling
Weekly, biweekly, or monthly sampling during the
months of May—September
Financial support and volunteers needed
#1 - Don’t ‘P’ in the water!
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Protect vegetation - plant buffers on shores of lakes and rivers
Apply low or no P- slow release N fertilizers where allowed
Create infiltration systems like rain gardens to capture runoff
Grassed
Swale
Raingarden/
Bioretention cell
Riser pipe
#2 - Use BMPs to keep P-free
Cross-section of a typical bioretention cell.
#3 – Get Involved!
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Join Lake Winnipesaukee Watershed Assn.
Attend Wi-CAN Meetings
Lake Winnipesaukee Watershed Plan
Volunteer
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Weed Watchers – exotic plants
Adopt Winni – Be a Bay Watcher
- volunteer to be a water quality monitor
- sponsor a site
Talk to your neighbors, friends, colleagues
Contacts
www.lakesrpc.org/lwwmp/
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Erica Anderson, Senior Planner, LRPC
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603-279-8171
[email protected]
Pat Tarpey, Program Manager, NC RC&D
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603-527-2093
[email protected]
Questions?
www.lakesrpc.org/lwwmp/