Third article in series..

HISTORIC MOMENT FOR LAKE K AND TOWN OF MOULTONBOROUGH  – ARTICLE 14 PASSES WITH UNANIMOUS VOTE.  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT???

LKWA, Lake K, and the Town of Moultonborough experienced a historic moment on May 15th as Article 14 which requested a $60,000 contribution towards the development of a Water Shed Management Plan, passed unanimously. Article 14 provides  LKWA the necessary funds to continue the work in progress to develop a Watershed Management plan.  As one man told me as he left the auditorium, “It took a Village”.  My husband sitting in the back of room first noted the mood in the room at the beginning of the meeting “comfortable  with people smiling and chatting.” But when I got up to move article 14, he said,“the mood changed dramatically as members went silent. I thought they (LKWA) were lost”.  Then as each succeeding person spoke with both passion and the facts, reason and logic changed the mood. There was a groundswell of support – persistence and hard work had won!

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The work already in process continues and now accelerates! Lisa Hutchinson, chair of the Water Monitoring Committee, and her volunteers are hard at work collecting the water data necessary to identify the problem areas of the Lake including the streams and other waterways entering into Lake K that are possibly promoting the Cyanobacteria growth.   

Under the direction of FB Environmental, the consulting firm we hired to help us in this process, the testing will expand to include both a watershed survey and a shoreline survey to be used in their modelling calculations.  This is very complex and the necessary expertise is expensive. This testing will include core samples from the sediment and water at several locations around the lake.  This is considered key to discovering how much phosphorus is currently located in the lake and its ability to support the growth of cyanobacteria.   

Rosemarie Rung Chair of the Watershed Management Plan Committee has reached out to and successfully engaged a team of advisory experts who will comprise a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Rosemarie noted that “it is vital to have participation by representatives of Key Stake holders.  She goes on to say, “Their role will be to review the technical details, key documents, and provide input and perspective throughout the decision-making process in the overall plan development and implementation. 

The members of the Technical Advisory Committee are as follows: 

  • Don Berry, president, Lakes Region Conservation Trust or designee
  • Bob Craycraft, Lakes Monitoring Program Coordinator, UNH Cooperative Extension
  • Steve Landry, Supervisor, Watershed Assistance Section, NH DES
  • Amanda McQuaid, Ph.D., Harmful Algal and Cyanobacteria Bloom Program, NH DES
  • Kirk Meloney, LKWA president 
  • Kevin Quinlan, Town of Moultonborough Board of Selectmen, chair, or designee
  • Brian Sanford, Moultonborough Conservation Commission or designee
  • Pat Tarpey, Lake Winnipesaukee Association director or designee
  • Forrest Bell, principal, FBE Associates
  • Laura Diemer, project manager, FBE Associates
  • LKWA WMP Steering Committee (Tim Baker, Lisa Hutchinson, Jane Nash, Rosemarie Rung)

The development of a WMP takes time and we are just beginning our journey.  As I noted earlier – it took a village to get Article 14 passed.  It will take that same village to see the WMP to completion.  While the volunteer data collectors and experts do their work.  We in the Village can do much to help Lake K.  The Moultonborough Conservation Committee and LKWA have joined forces to encourage landowners to implement the Lake Smart Program on our own property.  We in the Village can use the Program to stop or reduce the nutrients that feed cyanobacteria from leaving our property.  Let’s all do our share! 

NEXT UP – What happens when the plan is complete?? 

Members of LKWA WMP Steering Committee

Rosemarie Rung, Chair

Tim Baker

Lisa Hutchinson, 

Jane Nash