On Saturday, June 26 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at the Winnipesaukee Winery, the Wentworth Watershed Association kicked off the summer season. It was great to get together in person again! Winery owner Heidi Cogean had graciously invited us to gather on the winery’s outdoor patio. It was a chance to catch up with watershed friends, make new ones and get a brief update on the Association’s work and upcoming events.
A great selection of wine was provided and many toasted their friends whom they hadn’t seen for awhile.
Under a cover, tables with chairs allowed people to sit and chat, while others wandered from group to group.
A short report of where the Association is including a brief update on a piece of property across the road that may help preserve our watershed. It is under contract and funds are being raised to pay for it.
In the “water” department, a group of people is working to see what is coming into our lake from our streams. This group is learning how to take the stream samples that will be analyzed after a “storm event” and also periodically throughout the year. Storm events are important as they wash pollutants into the lake and by sampling the streams, problems areas can be identified.
The group then watched a volunteer gather a sample.
The process is well defined so that each sample is taken in the same manner. In the middle of the stream with the bottle pointed upstream so that no impurities from the placing of the bottle will enter it. The time, the water level and other factors are also recorded so that the specifics of the sample are known. This is the way that good data is taken.
If you are interested in this kind of data sampling, you can contact the office. Because rain events are not scheduled in advance because the rain is not predictable, a rather large group is needed to react when needed. Some people may be unavailable while others can help.