On Saturday, July 20, The Andover Conservation Commission and the HUB sponsored a presentation on LakeSmart by New Hampshire Lakes. New Hampshire Lakes is not a state organization, but it is a private organization, whose mission is to keep New Hampshire’s lakes clean and healthy, now and in the future. New Hampshire Lakes works with partners, promotes clean water policies and responsible use, and inspires the public to care for our lakes.
Andrea LaMoreaux, Vice President of New Hampshire Lakes, explained a new program, Lake Smart, which was introduced earlier this year by New Hampshire Lakes. Her presentation at the Andover Community HUB was a follow up to a talk given last fall by both New Hampshire Lakes and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and it was in response to requests by homeowners to learn more about what they can do to protect the quality of our lakes.
Ms. LaMoreaux explained that lakes evolve and they do not “take care of themselves”. Over long periods of time lakes age, they fill in, they become bogs, and eventually they become land. What people do speeds up this process. We are “loving our lakes to death”. Everything from surface run-off, paved areas, laundry and dishwashing products, fertilizer, oil from cars and boats, rock salt, mowing and disposing of grass clippings and leaves close to lakes stress and damage our lakes.
Most people want to keep our lakes clean and healthy, yet most people are not fully aware of the impact of their actions on our lakes. All of us impact our lakes, not just those who own shorefront property. All of us live in a watershed and all of us impact the quality of nearby water, whether it is a lake, a river or the ocean.
LakeSmart is an education, evaluation and certification program designed to inspire and help the public to take care of our lakes and ponds. It is a free, voluntary, and non-regulatory program. The LakeSmart assessment is confidential and used solely for determining recommendations – not to enforce state or town codes.
Homeowners take an on-line evaluation to determine how lake-friendly their property and their activities are. The evaluation covers driveway and parking areas, structures and wastewater treatment systems, and yard and play areas. For properties along the water, the shoreline and shallow water areas of the lake are included in the evaluation.
If your property doesn’t score high enough to achieve LakeSmart status in all areas, you will be provided with lake-friendly living recommendations. Once you have made some changes, you can take the self-evaluation again. You can also request an optional and confidential free visit from a New Hampshire Lakes evaluator.
Owners of properties that achieve LakeSmart status in all areas receive a LakeSmart Award – yard signs and a dock sign (if applicable). The goals of LakeSmart are to make lake friendly living the cultural norm in the community, to encourage people to lead through example, and to encourage others to do the same.
Please check out the New Hampshire Lakes website (nhlakes.org). From their website you can download materials that can help you live in a more lake friendly way. You can also preview the evaluation survey or take the survey.
Andover is fortunate to have so many beautiful lakes, ponds and streams in our area. It is up to all of us to take care of them, so that we and future generations can continue to enjoy them.