Let’s Talk about Cyanobacteria!

[Descant]

Originally Posted by Susie Cougar

Well, this is discouraging. Does anyone know if there are actually any lakes in New Hampshire that are considered clean?

I would expect Massabesic. to be clean. As a water supply, many activities have been banned for many years. I recall, accurately I hope, an application to the Clean Drinking and Groundwater fund to assist in buying shorefront for watershed protection. This fund was started by Senator Chuck Morse in 2016 with original funding from MtBE settlement money from Exxon. It does all sorts of things from outright grants to low cost revolving loans for municipal water programs. His legislation set it up as a trust so the legislature couldn't raid the money for other purposes. We (Merrimack) got a $400K matching grant to help build filter/treatment facilities for PFAS.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Descant

I would expect Massabesic. to be clean. As a water supply, many activities have been banned for many years. I recall, accurately I hope, an application to the Clean Drinking and Groundwater fund to assist in buying shorefront for watershed protection. This fund was started by Senator Chuck Morse in 2016 with original funding from MtBE settlement money from Exxon. It does all sorts of things from outright grants to low cost revolving loans for municipal water programs. His legislation set it up as a trust so the legislature couldn't raid the money for other purposes. We (Merrimack) got a $400K matching grant to help build filter/treatment facilities for PFAS.

More bad news for you…Massabesic actually has high mercury levels. This is mainly due to Tower Hill Pond which feeds into it is so polluted with Mercury that fish cannot be eaten from it. The reason for the high mercury is being downwind from the Bow power plant (coal burning) for many years before mercury filtration was in place. Actually every body of water in close proximity and southeast of the bow plant has been decimated with mercury….


Dan

[tis]

The Tuftonboro Old Home Week cardboard boat races at 19 Mile Bay have been cancelled because of cyanobacteria.

[Descant]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

More bad news for you…Massabesic actually has high mercury levels. This is mainly due to Tower Hill Pond which feeds into it is so polluted with Mercury that fish cannot be eaten from it. The reason for the high mercury is being downwind from the Bow power plant (coal burning) for many years before mercury filtration was in place. Actually every body of water in close proximity and southeast of the bow plant has been decimated with mercury…

That's disappointing, Dan. Need a button for that response, sort of like the "Thanks" button. Attacking this from the other direction, are there lakes where the fish ARE OK to eat without restriction? I hope nobody starts testing lobster for impurities.

[ishoot308]

Oh yes there a quite a few where it’s ok to eat the fish. Stocked fish like landlocked salmon, rainbow trout, brook trout, etc , etc, are your safest bet. If your going to eat other species like perch, bass and other natural lake reproducing fish, the smaller / younger the better as the longer they are in the water the more mercury they accumulate.

I believe NHF&G has a complete list of lakes where there are issues and what the recommendations are regarding fish consumption…

Dan