The Highland Lake Protective Association (HLPA) welcomes summer 2016!  With a less than stellar winter for snow or cold, it feels like we went directly from fall to spring this year.  Ice-out on the lake was quite early on March 18, pretty much the same as other lakes around us.  The abbreviated winter allowed only 73 days of ice coverage this winter, a full 61 days less than last year!

The HLPA’s summer schedule starts with our annual ice cream social at the East Andover Fire Station on Saturday, July 2, beginning at 7 PM. The lighting of the flares around the edge of the lake is next on July 3.   July 4 will feature a wacky boat parade around the lake with a $50 cash prize for the best decorated boat. The HLPA annual meeting will be on Saturday, July 16, at 10 AM at the East Andover Fire Station.

What HLPA is all about:

• The HLPA runs a volunteer water monitoring program to closely follow the quality of our lake water, where samples are collected monthly and driven to the DES lab in Concord for testing.
• We provide and maintain the Porta-Potty by the boat launch.
• We support protection of our loons and bald eagles and encourage invasive weed monitoring programs.

The HLPA welcomes all members of the community who are interested in protecting and celebrating the beauty of Highland Lake, particularly those living within its watershed.  Not just impacted by shoreline activities, any activity within the defined watershed boundaries of Highland Lake can ultimately impact water quality.  Membership in the HLPA is a good way to get to know your fellow lake residents and demonstrate your support for keeping Highland Lake a clean, safe and healthy place to live and play.

HLPA Schedule of Events

Water Testing at Highland Lake

Earle Davis, the VLAP Program volunteer for Highland Lake performs the monthly lake testing for monitoring the lake quality.   He will continue the regular sampling throughout the summer as part of the state’s Volunteer Lake Assessment. Monthly, samples are collected at many points around the lake and brought to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) labs.  The samples are run through a variety of tests indicating how healthy the lake is.

Our testing has shown that while they have been holding somewhat steady, we always have to be careful about rising phosphorus levels.  High phosphorous levels can cause blooms of cyanobacteria, which can be fatal to pets and livestock if ingested.  One of the most common sources of phosphorus is erosion from the shore around the lake.   We’re hoping that everyone will do their part to protect the lake.

As a reminder, here’s a list (taken from the NHDES web site) of things that you can do to help limit the amount of phosphorous going into the lake for both shoreline residents and anyone within the watershed boundaries.

Maintain your septic system properly.   Pump out your septic tank every 3-5 years, or whenever the sludge level exceeds one-third of the tank capacity.   Be sure your system is designed to handle the load it receives.  A leach field should be increased in size whenever the frequency (seasonal to year-round) or volume (additional people, washing machines, etc.) of use increases.   Check your leach field for soft or wet areas or septic smells.

Do not bathe, shampoo, or wash boats, pets, or other objects in the lake with soap or phosphorus-containing detergents.  Do not wash automobiles near lakes or streams where the detergent can run into the water.

Keep land clearing to a minimum  Maintain a buffer zone of natural vegetation along the shore to contain erosion.   Roads and paths leading to the lake should be curved to reduce erosion.  Tree cutting must be approved by the NHDES, per recently enacted laws, for 250 feet margin from the lakeshore.

Do not use fertilizer near the lakeshore (or only non-phosphorus fertilizers).

Do not burn brush or leaves near the shore; the nutrients remain behind to be washed into the lake during the first rain.   Do not dump leaves or grass clippings in or near the lake.   They also add nutrients to the water.