Water Quality Trends and Concerns

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is a naturally occurring element. All living organisms contain phosphorus and decaying organisms release phosphorus. There's phosphorus in airborne dust and in the soil under our feet. 

The Lake Sunapee watershed is generally low in phosphorus, in large part due to the underlying granite geology, minimal agriculture activity and because a sizable portion is forested. Unlike buildings and roadways, storm events are largely diffused by forested land where leaves, branches and the duff layer (shed leaves and branches on forest floor) serve to slow down, spread out and soak in rainfall.

Phosphorus can be released and washed into brooks and waterbodies due to land disturbance from development and from activities occurring on the landscape. Sources include effluent from failing septic systems, lawn & yard fertilizers, pet waste, winter sanding applications (on roads & driveways) and downstream sediment deposition caused by soil erosion. Phosphorus levels are trending upward at some locations in the watershed, in particular the nearshore or cove sites of Lakes Sunapee. If this trend continues, Lake Sunapee and other waterbodies in the region will change in character. Water clarity will decrease, aquatic plants will spread and cyanobacteria and algal blooms (which already have been occurring more often) will increase in frequency and severity.

LSPA strives to reverse this trend by encouraging residents to make personal choices that do not lead to water degradation and by supporting state and local ordinances aimed at protecting water quality. LSPA also continues to educate both youth and adult learners on watershed and water quality related topics.

To learn more about what you can do, participate in our Watershed Wise program.

Specific Conductivity

Since salt (sodium chloride) has been applied to our roads starting after World War II, conductivity levels in lakes and rivers have risen. Road salt is by far the major source of conductivity in our waters. Current in-lake conductivity has increased about 45% since LSPA began collecting water samples to analyze in the eighties.

Streams can be heavily affected - especially in summer when there is less stream flow. Less flow means less dilution - and higher concentrations of salt. Chronic high levels of salt in a stream can harm or kill fish and other aquatic life.

LSPA recognizes this is a difficult problem to address as people expect and desire roads be safe to drive on as soon as possible after a snow/ice storm. LSPA encourages towns and the state to find ways to reduce salt where possible.

what you can do

• Learn more on good ice management practices here.

• If you hire someone to maintain your driveway, make sure they are Green SnowPro Certified

• Support state and town efforts to reduce road salt applications. Learn more about some salt reduction methods from the NH Salt Responsibly organization.

Cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria (formerly known as blue-green algae) are some of the oldest and widespread organisms on earth and many produce and release toxins into the water. These toxins can be a concern for drinking water supplies and for recreational contact.

Most cyanobacteria tend to rapidly reproduce or "bloom"  in high-nutrient (eutrophic) waters but some, such as Gloeotrichia echinulata (Gloeo), a species that has been blooming in Lake Sunapee, can bloom and form a surface scum in low-nutrient (oligotrophic) waters. 

Most cyanobacteria toxins are not released until the cell dies and the cell wall ruptures. There are several types of toxins including hepato (liver), dermo (skin), and neurotoxins (nervous system).

The World Health Organization has set a provisional drinking water standard of of 1 microgram per liter (µ/L) and 10 - 20 µ/L for recreational contact. There have been a number of blooms and scums in local waters but, to our knowledge, toxin concentrations have not been at a level of concern.

The NH Department of Environmental Services monitors and issues advisories for reported blooms occurring within waterbodies. Click here to learn more about this cyanobacteria monitoring program.

chemical Contaminants

Research is ongoing to track many chemical contaminants present in the environment on a global scale. These chemicals are entering our environment and our water supplies via household, commercial and industrial use.

Many of these compounds are ingested but pass through our digestive systems into wastewater. Wastewater treatment and septic systems typically do not remove these compounds.

The source for some of these chemical contaminants that you may come into contact with everyday are:

• Pharmaceuticals, both prescription and over-the counter, including human and veterinary antibiotics, aspirin and other analgesics, caffeine, hormonal compounds, steroids, and anti-depressants.

• Personal care products such as soap, body washes, shampoo, moisturizer and sun block lotions that contain anti-microbials, fragrances, dies and other chemicals and substances (often proprietary and not fully labeled).

• Household chemicals such as stain repellants, fire retardants, pesticides, household cleansers and disinfectants.

• Endocrine disruptors - may be found in many everyday products– including plastic bottles, metal food cans, detergents, flame retardants, food, toys, cosmetics, and pesticides.

• Microbial and/or biological contaminants such anti-biotic resistant bacteria and cyano-bacterial toxins.

• 1,4 - dioxane, primarily used as a solvent but is also an unintended by-product in many consumer products as a result of ethoxylation - a processing method used to reduce the effects of petroleum-based ingredients. 1,4-dioxane is a likely carcinogen and is readily soluble in water. It is found in some cosmetics, detergents, shampoos, and some pharmaceuticals.

Most of these compounds are found at trace levels and more is being learned about their toxicity, long-term low-level exposure, persistence in the environment, biodegradability, synergistic effects (reactions with other chemical/compounds in water or in our our bodies), or potential bio-transformations - chemical conversions mediated by living organisms.

What You Can Do

• Avoid or reduce products that contain chemicals - find safer alternatives.

• Bring unused/wanted medications to a drug take back or drop box location. Don’t flush it down the toilet.

• Become active supporting legislation that promotes products safe to use and not harmful to the environment.

Click here to see an LSPA presentation on this subject.

Learn more on how EPA and USGS are addressing and studying CECs.

MICROPLASTICS

Another concern is recent findings of microplastics (plastic fragments from larger plastic debris & clothing) and microbeads being found in our lakes, ponds, rivers and oceans. Microbeads are very small pellets of plastic added to some skin cleaning products and toothpaste (click here for a list). A study found 1900 microscopic plastic threads (captured by a filter) that were shed after washing one fleece garment.  

Microplastics, scientists are discovering, are harmful to wildlife as they absorb toxins found in the environment and are ingested by small filter-feeding animals. These animals are in turn eaten by larger predators and on it goes up the food web. Plastic waste in the environment isn't magically breaking down and disappearing but are degrading into ever smaller plastic bits that are turning up in unexpected places. Recent studies found microplastics in supermarket fish, 24 brands of beer and in table salt!

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Avoid cosmetics and beauty products that contain microbeads (click here for a list)

• Reduce your use of plastic products especially single-use items - buy used goods

• Shop at farmers markets to reduce plastic food packaging

• Wear clothing made out of 100% natural fiber (plant & animal such as cotton and wool)

• Use reusable cotton bags when shopping

• Support efforts to reduce and recycle plastics in our environment

Aquatic Invasive Species

Aquatic Invasive Species represent an ecological threat and a water quality threat.  Both terrestrial and aquatic invasive species pose ecological threats by invading areas where they are not native, competing with natives and many times eventually dominating. This species alteration in an area can lead to changes in environmental conditions such as available sunlight and nutrients, which will, in time further alter the species that are present.

Aquatic invasive plant and animal species can alter aquatic ecosystems and in the process, alter habitat and water quality.

Though the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has identified numerous aquatic invasive plant and animal species and locations throughout the state,  Lake Sunapee has had only one identified invasive plant species - variable milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum), and no identified animal species. It has since been eradicated from the lake!

Click here to see what LSPA is doing to prevent the spread of AIS.

Click here to see what is happening at the state level  (NHDES).

Click here to learn more about what AIS look like.