East Andover, NH – June 14, 2018
After an extended sub-zero December/January spell and a snowy March, ice-out on Highlnad Lake was a bit later this spring – occurring on Monday, April 23rd. Ice-in was Dec 15th so there were 130 days of coverage. Our resident pair of Loons are back and are currently nesting with at least one egg on a quiet section of shoreline. Almost daily you can watch a pair of American Bald Eagles swooping and soaring above and around the lake as well.
The lake has settled in nicely and has average clarity for this time of year. The 2017 annual test results report from DES came in and the lake is holding steady by most measurements, showing average readings with no significant spikes. Continued management of storm water runoff, and the maintaining of vegetative buffers to reduce nutrient loading have continued to pay dividends to continued lake water health. For all the details, use the link here to access the DES summary report for the 2017 water testing season: www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/vlap/annual_reports/2017/lake-reports.htm
As always, 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. The HLPA Board thanks you for your past support, and hope you plan on renewing your membership for 2018-19.
The HLPA schedule for summer 2018 is a bit different with the 4th holiday smack in the middle of the week. It starts with our annual ice cream social at the East Andover Fire Station on Tuesday, July 3rd beginning at 7:00 p.m. Near the end of the ice cream social we will host a brief annual meeting to elect a slate of officers, approve annual donations and take any questions from any members or attendees. The lighting of the flares around the edge of the lake will end the evening starting at 9:00 p.m., again, all on Tuesday July 3rd.
July 4th will feature our boat parade around the lake starting at 4 p.m. on the west shore, with a $50 cash prize for the best decorated boat.
What your membership supports:
• 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 and contribute resources to area organizations as needed.
• We support protection of our loons and bald eagles, and encourage invasive weed monitoring programs.
Annual dues are still $15 per voting member, and we hope you will renew your HLPA membership or become a new member. Please join by filling out the enclosed form, and mailing it with your check to our East Andover mailing address. You may also pre-order flares or solar lights for July 3rd on the membership form.
We look forward to seeing you around the lake this summer, and especially over the July 4th holiday week!!
HLPA Schedule of Events—–Summer of 2018
Date Time Event Location
Tuesday, July 3rd 7:00-8:30 pm Ice Cream Social/Annual Meeting East Andover Fire Station
Tuesday, July 3rd 9 pm Lighting of the flares All around the lake
Wednesday, July 4th 4 pm Boat Parade (judging for best decorated boat!) Gather on the west shore, to begin procession around lake perimeter
Water Testing at Highland Lake
The VLAP Program volunteer for Highland Lake is Earle Davis who performs 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. Annual results are always viewable at: www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/vlap/annual_reports/2017/lake-reports.htm
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 by maintaining a buffer zone of natural vegetation along the shore to contain bank 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.
Highland Lake Protective Association
P.O. Box 252 East Andover, NH 03231-0252
***** APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP 2018-2019 *****
Please enroll the following as voting members of the HLPA for the period:
April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019
1._________________2. ________________3.________________4.________________
Mailing address: Street Address: ___________________________
Town, State, Zip: _________________________
Phone numbers: __________________________
E-mails PLEASE UPDATE_________________________________
Annual dues are still only $15.00 per voting member and are for a one-year period, from April 1, 2018 ending March 31, 2019. The money raised from annual dues, donations and fundraising is used to defray the expense of the lake monitoring program, mailings, educational programs, and other projects as voted on by the membership.
# Members____ x $15.00/member = Total Membership dues of: $__________