The Wentworth Watershed Association was pleased to welcome the community, both familiar members and first-time participants, to Water Summit VII on July 19th. It was a warm, sunny Saturday morning—a perfect day for getting out on the lakes. The WWA would like to extend its appreciation to those who delayed their recreation to attend the Water Summit. This year’s Summit hosted an important dialogue between the WWA and the Wentworth-Crescent community. Before the meeting began, attendees enjoyed coffee, baked goods, and other refreshments while mingling with fellow community members.
WWA Executive Director, Julie Brown, gave opening remarks that provided updates on the organization and current cyanobacteria conditions, addressing the results of NH Department of Environmental Services sampling from cyanobacteria bloom reports earlier in the week and encouraging everyone to “look before they leap.” For current alerts and sample testing results, check the NHDES Healthy Swimming Mapper. WWA recommends always performing a personal risk assessment before recreating in the water. Learn to identify and report blooms with WWA’s new Virtual Cyanobacteria Bloom Training Resources.
Julie then introduced Laura Diemer of FB Environmental Associates (FBE). Laura Diemer is a Certified Lake Manager and experienced limnologist with over a decade of expertise in water resource management. Laura is the project lead for the Wentworth Watershed Association’s current update to the Watershed Management Plan and was also a member of the original planning team, bringing deep familiarity with the watershed and its unique challenges.
Laura discussed water quality goals that were set in the original Watershed Management Plan, and the progress WWA has made towards achieving those over the last twelve years. Laura identified how WWA’s mission-aligned actions have helped improve water quality in the Wentworth-Crescent Watershed; from helping to develop stormwater regulations for the town of Wolfeboro, to initiatives like the Lake-Minded Property Visit program. Throughout the presentation, there were many opportunities for attendees to provide input through live polling.
Laura posed questions to gauge what the community sees as the most pressing issues, understand the most effective ways to communicate with the public, and examine engagement levels. The answers were displayed anonymously in real-time on the presentation slides, allowing everyone to visibly share their sentiments. Survey responses showed a focus on addressing septic system concerns and the value of maintaining water quality.
For those who missed Water Summit VII, your input is still needed. Anyone who spends any time in the watershed—year-round residents, shorefront property owners, seasonal visitors, business owners, any community member—is encouraged to fill out a survey containing the same questions from the live polls. Add your feedback and encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to submit theirs too.
This community input will be a valuable element of the Watershed Management Plan Update and will help structure the development of future goals and actions.
After a short intermission, perennial plant expert Roanne Robbins of Van Berkum Nursery took the stage to discuss the use of perennial plantings for shoreline revegetation and restoration. After discussing the most pertinent concerns to lake health and the current progress in acheiving water quality goals, this presentation offered an action plan for attendees who want to start making a difference and implementing lake-friendly changes on their property. Roanne discussed how selecting the right plants and utilizing characteristics like root structure can help stabilize shorelines and reduce erosion, reduce nutrient flow into the lakes, and prevent geese from congregating on shores and lawns.
Roanne will be partnering with WWA again at an upcoming workshop on August 11th. This hands-on workshop will delve into further detail on the benefits of perennials and landscaping for lake health and shoreline protection. Roanne will be offering personalized expertise to help participants evaluate their waterfront conditions and develop plans for revegetating shorelines. This workshop will coincide with a late summer plant sale to facilitate direct and immediate action. Visit here for more information and to register for the workshop.
Water Summit VII concluded a little before noon so that the rest of the day could be spent enjoying the beautiful weather. Thank you again to all who attended—your input and support are invaluable to the Wentworth Watershed Association. Thank you to our volunteers, sponsors, presenters, and underwriters who helped make this Water Summit a success!
Underwriters and event sponsors:
DF Richard Energy, P&D Zimmerman, The Wolfeboro Fund – NH Charitable Foundation, Baldwin Excavation Co., Governor’s Landing Association
Away on trip to family reunion, sorry we missed the meeting. Thanks for all you do to keep our lake healthy. Blessings to all.