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Reflections On The Lake
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"The biggest challenge on the lake is that those old dirt roads weren’t designed with drainage in mind. When I first started this job in the 1970’s most of the camps were on stilts or on cement blocks. The water would run off of the road and just go right under the camps. People get upset about the runoff hitting their foundations but the water is going where it has always gone." John Fernald, Road Agent |
| New Watershed Based Plan Published |
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| Written by Tom Duffy | |
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Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. (Geosyntec) was contracted by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) to develop a Watershed Based Plan (WBP) for Pawtuckaway Lake (1,180 acres), located in Nottingham, NH. The lake has an 18.5 square mile watershed, including Pawtuckaway Lake State Park and an estimated 309 year-round and seasonal homes located around the lake’s perimeter. Pawtuckaway Lake has experienced declines in water quality in recent years, as indicated by increasing inlake phosphorus concentrations and increasing occurrences of nuisance blue-green algae blooms. In freshwater lakes, phosphorus is usually the most important nutrient determining the growth of algae and aquatic plants. Because phosphorus is typically relatively less abundant than nitrogen, it is considered the “limiting nutrient” for biological productivity. As such, increases in phosphorus levels tend to be strongly correlated with decreased water clarity, increased algal abundance and other indicators of declining water quality. The primary purposes of this WBP are: 1. to identify and quantify specific sources of phosphorus contributing to the lake’s water quality impairments; and 2. to develop a management plan to reduce phosphorus loading to the lake to a targeted level that would significantly improve in-lake conditions. To achieve the goals listed above, this WBP includes the following elements, in conformance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s guidance for watershed based plans:
For more information, download the entire study here : PLAC Water Based Plan |
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PLIA Mission Statement
The Pawtuckaway Lake Improvement Association (PLIA) is a Private, Non-Profit Organization formed to monitor and act upon environmental and safety issues in the Pawtuckaway Lake Watershed area. The PLIA also provides education, information, recreation and other services to its members.
The Association routinely conducts water quality sampling under the New Hampshire Volunteer Lake Assessment program of the State of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Other activities (sailboat races, fishing derbies, etc.) may be coordinated by the Association, but are funded by program participants.
