Water Quality Preservation and Reporting

Storm Water Erosion Elimination Program (SWEEP)

As stated in the current By-laws of the Association, our purpose is to “promote the welfare of Lovell Lake and its environment and community”. The Board has recognized over the years that maintaining and improving the quality of lake water is one of the most important aspects of promoting the Lake’s welfare and has instituted several multi-year programs (e.g.: weed watch, water testing, Lake Host) to achieve that. The generosity of our membership allows us to expand our reach to fund additional proactive measures against degradation of our water quality.

Our first initiative is the Storm Water Erosion Elimination Program, or SWEEP, which financially assists landowners in the remediation of soil erosion projects. Our plan is simple: LLA will pay 50% of the project costs, capped at a $2,000 grant, for qualifying high impact projects or 33% of the project costs, capped at $1,000, for qualifying low and medium impact projects. The water quality impact assessments from the 2022 AWWA/LLA Watershed Survey (link below) will be used to determine the impact level.

The grant program for each Calendar year is first come, first serve for completed applications. Priority is given to higher impact projects. To apply for a SWEEP grant, please complete the application (see link below) including a brief description of the project. Then e-mail the form to the address below or give the completed form to members of our LLA Watershed Planning Committee. Once we have received the form, a member of our team will contact you and together we will complete the grant analysis. A landscape plan from AWWA or equivalent detailed landscape plan is necessary for approval of the grant. A member of the Water Shed Planning Committee will provide assistance with the landscape plan. The amount of the grant will be stipulated when your project is approved. Upon completion, funds will be distributed following visual confirmation by a member of our committee and submission of project receipts. Please contact us with any questions or comments at (508) 789 2293 (Peter Lewis) or watershedplanning@lovelllakenh.org.

Links to the 2022 Watershed Survey, the full Water Quality Reserve Spending Policy and the SWEEP grant application form are included below.

View 2022 Lovell Lake Watershed Report

LLA Water Quality Reserve Spending Policy 2024F (1)

Stormwater Erosion Elimination Program grant application: SWEEP Grant Application Form 070224

WATERSHED SURVEY

We are pleased to announce that the Lovell Lake 2022 Watershed Report is nearly finalized, and a copy of the report is available as a PDF link below. Many thanks to our LLA volunteers, to landowners for their hospitality and encouragement and to AWWA for excellent guidance and production in putting this all together.

We all know that our lake is clear and clean for the most part, but the challenge before us is to keep it that way for future generations. The survey identified many sites throughout the watershed that threaten its present condition. Here is a quick summary of the findings:

– 37 sites were identified as having a high impact on water quality
– 88 sites were identified with medium impact
– 11 sites were identified with low impact

Of these 130+ sites, nearly 2/3 appear to require no cost or low-cost remediation efforts. The others are more involved, more technically challenging, and will have a greater estimated expense associated with them.

Letters have been sent to all participating members informing them if erosion issues were found on their property or not. If issues were found, members were provided with a summary of the findings and suggested remediation methods. Remediation actions, if any, are of course the choice of the property owner. Regarding the letters, to be frank, there is a bit of technical jargon in the findings so please feel free to reach out to the Lovell Lake Watershed Planning Committee folks at watershedsurvey@lovelllakenh.org for help in interpreting the findings.

Also, in case that you did not receive a letter from us please reach out and provide your name, the property owner’s name and the property address in your request.

We urge all property owners to read the report as it’s filled with useful information, helpful remediation options and best practices for all kinds of issues. We also want to stress the importance of addressing issues promptly should any be identified on your property and that there are resources available through AWWA and LLA to help with that. Thank you again to all those who assisted with this survey and thanks to everyone for helping to keep our lake as clean, clear and beautiful as we possibly can.

View 2023 Lovell Lake Water Quality Report

WATER QUALITY MONITORING

By Glenn and Stephanie Thornton

The Lovell Lake Association partners with the UNH Extension Lakes Lay Monitoring Program (LLMP) to sample the water quality of Lovell Lake twice a month, May through early October. UNH interns collect water samples from two areas of Lovell Lake. Lab tests are conducted by the interns to determine if the water quality is improving or deteriorating over time.

We provide the interns access to our pontoon boat and assist with the testing. Observers are always welcome. Glenn and Stephanie Thornton can be contacted at 603-630-5470 (cell) or at waterquality@lovelllakeNH.org.

To view Lovell Lake water quality data from 1989 to 2023, visit the NH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program Reports website. Use the link in the button above to go directly to the most recent water quality report.

Stephanie also collects water samples while out with the UNH interns to check for the types of cyanobacteria in Lovell Lake. Potentially toxic cyanobacteria blooms are becoming more common in New Hampshire Lakes. Blooms can occur on the lake surface or just above the sediment. Two surface blooms on Lovell Lake were reported to NHDES in September 2023. If you suspect a bloom, please use a cell phone to submit an online bloom report to NHDES. You need to submit two pictures of the bloom (a close-up and the entire bloom) and the location of the bloom. To send a text, tap here: 603-271-5984; you can also call to report by phone (tap NHDES Cyanobacteria Program [or dial 603-848-8094]).

NHDES Cyanobacteria Bloom Report Form

Erich Berghahn, an employee of the UNH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program (LLMP), is using an instrument to measure temperatures at various depths in the water column. Glenn Thornton is recording the data. Photo by Amy Arsenault, AWWA