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New Hampshire’s Lakes Are Sending a Message; Here’s What You Can Do About It

  • Writer: Everfilt® Admin
    Everfilt® Admin
  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read

New Hampshire’s Lakes Are Sending a Message; Here’s What You Can Do About It

New Hampshire’s lakes are more than sparkling scenery. They’re where you swim on hot July weekends, paddle at sunrise, fish with your kids, host cookouts, snap photos, and reset your brains. They’re also ecosystems, and their health is starting to wobble.


A recent report in the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript highlighted growing concerns, especially at smaller lakes and ponds such as Scobie Pond (Haunted Lake) and Pleasant Pond in Francestown. The theme is clear:


👉 Stormwater, nutrients, and warming temperatures are teaming up to stress lakes, and cyanobacteria blooms are the result.


And this isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now.


What’s Actually Going Wrong?


Stormwater Runoff Is the Big Villain


Stormwater runoff carries everything we put on land, road salt, lawn fertilizer, pet waste, soil, chemicals, straight into the water. The Ledger-Transcript notes that stormwater is the major exception in what is otherwise good overall lake health in NH.


The more pavement and hard surfaces built, the harder it is for water to filter naturally into the ground. Instead, it rushes toward the lake loaded with:


  • nutrients

  • sediment

  • chlorides

  • toxins


Once in the water, these ingredients feed algae and bacteria.


Warmer Water = More Blooms


Small increases in lake temperature can shift an ecosystem fast. Pair that with higher phosphorus levels (which have been rising in local ponds), and you get:


🚨 Cyanobacteria blooms 🚨 Beach closures 🚨 Pet & wildlife deaths

Communities around the state have seen an upswing in blooms over the past decade. According to NH LAKES and NHDES, these blooms are becoming more frequent, more widespread, and more unpredictable.


Development Has Consequences


It’s not just climate. Humans are reshaping shorelines:


  • Lawns right to the water

  • Boathouses & docks

  • Beaches carved out of natural edges

  • Septic systems that need updating


Each of these removes the natural buffer that used to filter and slow water before it hits the lake. Add winter road salt, and you have a cocktail that can trigger toxins and destabilize water quality.


This Isn’t Just Francestown


What’s happening at Scobie Pond and Pleasant Pond is part of a much bigger pattern.

Statewide, lakes are showing signs of stress. Even Lake Winnipesaukee, the crown jewel, has dealt with cyanobacteria closures in recent years, something that was almost unheard of a generation ago.


A Boston Globe report in 2025 warned that transparency levels have dropped and nutrients are up dramatically. Locals called it “a threat to our livelihood.”

This is a wake-up call.


Okay, So What Do You Do?


The most encouraging part of this whole conversation is that ordinary people can make an impact, and many already are.


1. Build Natural Buffers

Plant trees, shrubs, and native plants along the shoreline.

They’re beautiful and they:


  • filter runoff

  • stabilize soil

  • cool the water

  • protect habitat


Think: green fringe instead of manicured grass.


2. Rethink Winter Salt

We all want safe roads and driveways, but salt doesn’t disappear; it ends up in the lake.


Alternatives exist: 👉 brine solutions 👉 sand blends 👉 more targeted application

Communities that have reduced salt have seen measurable improvements.


3. Maintain Septic Systems

Septic issues can leak bacteria and nutrients into groundwater.

Regular inspections = healthier lakes.


4. Join or Support Monitoring Groups

New Hampshire has strong volunteer-driven programs. In fact, the Ledger-Transcript notes that half of the state’s lake data comes from volunteers.


You can:


  • help monitor water quality

  • educate boaters

  • support invasive-species prevention


These programs are making a real difference.


It’s Not About Returning to “Pristine”


Experts say most lakes can’t go back to a pre-development state. But they can become more resilient. Resiliency means:


  • slowing runoff

  • protecting wetlands

  • managing nutrients

  • adapting to warmer temperatures


If you care about your lakes, now is the time to invest in them, with smart planning and community action. Healthy lakes = healthy communities. It’s that simple.


Protecting New Hampshire’s lakes isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s cultural, recreational, emotional, and economic. Every kayak trip, every sunset on a dock, every loon call at dusk depends on clean water. The good news?


🌿 Solutions exist. 🌿 There are passionate people doing the work. 🌿 And every homeowner and visitor can be part of the solution. Let’s keep these waters safe, swimmable, paddle-ready, and picture-perfect for generations.


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