Established to promote the conservation of the quality of the environment of the area in the watershed of Lake Kanasatka, including the conservation of the natural resources of the land, water, marshland, woodland and open spaces, as well as the plant and animal life therein, and the protection of the water quality of Lake Kanasatka and its tributaries against pollution.

Lake Kanasatka Watershed Association: 2024 in Review

One year after the kickoff of the LKWA Capital Campaign, our association is in an incredibly strong position to meet our future with regard to water quality, stormwater mitigation projects, number of LakeSmart awardees, fundraising totals and actively engaged volunteers working throughout the watershed.

Initial discussions with the NH Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) in the spring of 2023 helped us better understand the scope, necessary steps and costs associated with addressing the deteriorating water quality of Lake Kanasatka. 

To that end, LKWA hired FB Environmental Associates to help guide us towards best lake management practices as outlined in the LKWA Watershed-Based Management Plan and to quantify our water quality history, past and present, for the purposes of grant applications. 

A Capital Campaign was launched in mid-November 2023, which successfully raised over $400,000 in six months. LKWA applied for a Cyanobacteria Mitigation Fund grant from the State of NH in January 2024, as well as several smaller state and federal grants. Seemingly endless meetings and extensive and detailed paperwork followed throughout the winter and spring as LKWA met each requirement and deadline, successfully resulting in the approval of several grants benefitting LKWA for a total of $85,283.

During the spring of 2024, an alum treatment was approved by New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) to address the “legacy”, internal phosphorus, which was identified through water testing as a significant source of the cyanobacteria blooms our lake had been experiencing. The treatment took place in May, resulting in a return to crystal clear water for the summer of 2024.

And we are not done! 

LKWA has contracted with a highly regarded geomorphologist to conduct a stream assessment in the coming months to ensure that stormwater runoff from the streams throughout the LKWA watershed are not adding unwanted nutrients into Lake Kanasatka. Data on flow and infiltration rate, turbidity, erosion, soil type, sedimentation and many other indicators will be monitored, measured and analyzed. Any necessary mitigations/restorations will follow.

A design and engineering project for several private roads around the lake is in the planning stage for 2025, with funding from a NH Watershed Assistance 319 grant and matching funds and in-kind services from LKWA. The construction work, to be done in 2025, includes culvert replacements and road grading on Burton Road, Foster Road and Ames Road*. 

* All owners of the properties impacted by these projects have been asked to grant written permission to LKWA and its assigns, to access the properties, solely for the purposes of an initial evaluation. Please contact [email protected] with any questions ASAP.

But the journey does not end here…

We need YOU to join LKWA and participate actively in our projects. One way is to join or renew your membership in LKWA: https://kanasatka.org/join_or_renew_membership/

Another way is to become an active lake-friendly property owner, since an alum treatment does not guarantee a bloom-free lake in the future. The work continues with efforts focused on addressing sources of external phosphorus loading in the form of stormwater runoff entering the lake and failing septic systems. Please do your part by:

  • keeping a vegetated border along the shoreline to prevent leaves, dirt and other debris from entering the lake
  • adhering to the NH Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act (SWQPA), which regulates activities that are located within 250 ft of the reference line of public waters (all NH lakes). Such activities include; construction & necessary permitting, the cutting of trees and the use of fertilizers. See details here: https://www.des.nh.gov/protected-shoreland-faq#faq30936
  • having your septic system inspected and repaired as necessary
  • creating a rain garden or installing water razors to catch the stormwater runoff and divert it away from the lake
  • operating your boat in a manner that does not make big wakes that hit the shoreline and erode the soil.
  • participating in the LakeSmart program at: https://kanasatka.org/lakesmartprogram/

Help is available! 

Does all of this sound like too much? LKWA is here to help! Contact our “Boots on the Ground” team. Team volunteers will come to your property with shovels, rakes and even a tractor to help you dig infiltration trenches, move rocks, level and grade areas of persistent runoff, install “water razors” and more- free of charge! Contact LKWA Board member Kevin Kelly at [email protected].

Please join with your neighbors in keeping Lake Kanasatka a place to enjoy for many generations to come!

Interested in learning more about the use of water razors to address stormwater run-off on your property? Contact LKWA Board member Scott Parker at [email protected]. Scott has been volunteering his time to custom build water razors and deliver them to property owners for the past two years. LKWA charges $5/foot for each water razor in order to cover the cost of the lumber, nails, and rubber.

Protecting and Preserving New Hampshire’s Lakes through Citizen-based Monitoring and Research

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