Lake Management Goals

Lake Winnipesaukee is a shared resource; therefore we all share responsibility for effective stewardship essential to the long term health of the lake.

 

Successful management of the Lake Winnipesaukee Watershed depends on the establishment of clear goals and objectives, and the identification of the means or techniques necessary to achieve them — as well as the long term commitment of community officials, residents, the business community, and visitors.

The over-arching goal in developing a management plan for Lake Winnipesaukee is to:

Protect the water quality health of the Lake Winnipesaukee Watershed for the long term

The Meredith, Paugus, Saunders Bay (MPSB) Sub-watershed Management Plan identifies the following objectives as necessary to achieve the goal:

1. Set phosphorus goal: Establish local water quality goals for phosphorus for each bay area that either meet or exceed the State Standard of 8 ug/L for in-lake phosphorus levels.
2. Stabilize and/or reduce nutrient inputs to the lake: a) identify pollutant sources and issues of concern; b) identify and implement best management practices to reduce nutrient inputs; c) identify and implement low impact development techniques that stabilize or reduce nutrient inputs from landscape change; and, d) identify sites in need of restoration
3. Document progress and achievements resulting from implementation of the plan:  a)  establish and coordinate long term water quality monitoring program;  b) identify interim measurable milestones;  c) evaluate progress in implementation of best management practices
4. Inform and involve the public: a) develop outreach and education materials and information for the public; b) promote and provide opportunities for individual action; and c) coordinate communication and activities between and among the local communities.

To meet the first objective, several meetings were held with the MPSB Sub-watershed Steering Committee to review the results of the phosphorus loading and in-lake trophic response models, as well as the water quality data of the three bays. There was consensus to craft a goal statement for the Management Plan that articulates shared values of the three municipalities, recognizes trends of increasing phosphorus and the threats that it poses to public health and the economy of the region and to:

• Stabilize phosphorus concentrations where they are now.
• Mitigate changes to the landscape to not increase phosphorus loading
• Reduce existing sources of excessive phosphorus

SHARED GOAL STATEMENT

Lake Winnipesaukee is a shared resource. Our communities share the benefits of being located on “The Lake”. We share the risks associated with degradation of this resource. We also share the responsibility of effective watershed stewardship, essential to the successful long term health of Lake Winnipesaukee.

The fundamental goal of this watershed management plan is to halt or minimize further water quality degradation attributable to nutrient inputs, primarily phosphorus, in order to maintain our high quality water.

Current total phosphorus levels in each sub-basin are below the state standard of 8.0 ug/L established for a high quality water supporting the aquatic life designated use. We will work toward maintaining or improving current total phosphorus levels by stabilizing nutrient inputs through the reduction of nutrient sources and through managing landscape change to mitigate increased nutrient loads. Our strategies are purposeful, considerate and comprehensive. Our approach embodies flexibility allowing us to achieve our stated goal while meeting the diverse needs and capacities of all watershed stakeholders.