Greetings to the LWPA Membership!

The news around Lake Warren is that Spring has Sprung! Color has returned as have many Snowbirds! We have many exciting events planned for the summer, but first:

• Keep an eye out for a Survey regarding Pine Cliff Road

  The Select Board has asked us to partner with them to develop alternatives for Pine Cliff Road to address runoff issues, traffic and dust control.

  Note that this LWPA survey is separate from the recently issued survey from SWRPC concerning the “Complete Streets” initiative.

Mark Your Calendars!

• June 22nd:  Saturday
  Membership Meeting at Orchard Hill Pavilion
  

• June 5th:     Wednesday
  Informational Meeting presented by NHDES to discuss Instream Flow/Water Management Plan

• June 20th:  Thursday
  Instream Flow Public Hearing by NHDES

Under the Instream Flow Rules, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is required to develop and adopt a Water Management Plan that sets forth how the protected instream flows will be maintained on the Cold River. The protected instream flow criteria are designed to maintain the range and variability of natural stream flow conditions which may require that the Town release water from the lake  during low flow conditions. 

• Please renew your membership before the summer meeting:

  A membership form is attached. Eligibility to be a voting member requires:  the individual must be at least 18 years of age, reside in or own property in Alstead or have been previous members of the Association.

• Additional donations are always welcome to support our Lake Host Program! 

• Limited Edition LWPA T-shirts are in the works!

• Newly formed Social Committee is lining up a roster of fun activities!
                           Come see what’s in store for 2024!

Please read: Cyanobacteria ALERT- Lake Warren

Dear Members and Friends,

Although many of you have buttoned up your camps/summer houses for the season, this is to advise that cyanobacteria has been observed in the boat landing inlet (most concentrated near the dam and Edith’s beach with a lighter concentration at the boat landing).  Experience has shown that cyanobacteria can come and go quickly but as a precaution signs will be posted to alert anyone who plans on using the lake while the bloom is visible.   Because it is so late in the season we will not be gathering samples for transport to DES in Concord so this outbreak will remain unconfirmed.  As of early this afternoon, other areas of the lake looked clear but again, this may change over the next few days. LWPA recommendation is to follow DES guidelines and not wade, swim or allow pets in the water until lake water is clear.  This is not an official DES advisory (Alert notice below). Use common sense while boating and try to remain dry (when in doubt, stay out).

On Thu, Oct 26, 2023 at 4:14 PM DES: Harmful Algal Bloom Program <DES.HAB@des.nh.gov> wrote:

A cyanobacteria ALERT has been issued for Lake Warren, Alstead. Cyanobacteria activity was first observed on 26 October 2023, appearing as green flecks of material accumulating along some shorelines. This alert is based on this image, not a sample review. Following October 15, NHDES will not be collecting initial bloom samples. Samples will only be reviewed if delivered. 

This is not an official cyanobacteria advisory, and signs do not need to be posted. The Alert will be active on the Healthy Swimming Mapper for at least a week. I will check in weekly to see if the bloom is visually persisting and will keep the Alert active until it has subsided.

Cyanobacteria bloom conditions can change rapidly, so it is best to be on the watch for developing conditions. NHDES urges lake users to perform visual assessments of the water prior to recreating. Stay out of the water and keep pets out if you can see any visual accumulation or discoloration of the water and report it.

Please forward this email to other residents / community members who need this information. If they would like to be added to this specific waterbody distribution list, please sign up here. If you prefer to no longer receive these sampling updates, simply respond, and indicate "unsubscribe". Sign up for weekly reports here.

Best,

Michele Condon

Beach Inspection Program Coordinator

Watershed Management Bureau, Water Division

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

29 Hazen Drive, P.O. Box 95

Concord, NH 03302-0095

603-848-1905

Michele.E.Condon@des.nh.gov

Healthy Swimming Mapper

SATURDAY, AUG. 26 END OF YEAR MEETING DETAILS - PLEASE READ

Hello All,

This is to confirm that the LWPA end of summer meeting will be held this coming Saturday, August 26th at 9 am. 

Location: Second Congregational Church/East Alstead at the corner of North Road and Gilsum Mine Road a/k/a "Four Corners." 

All current members of the LWPA or residents of Alstead who are interested in becoming members of the LWPA and who support the mission of the Lake Warren Preservation Association are welcome to attend.

**Attendees are invited to bring a dish or baked item to share.  LWPA will furnish paper goods, utensils and beverages.

Thank you and we hope to see you there!

--

Lake Warren Preservation Association

P.O. Box 331

Alstead, NH 03602

Cyanobacteria Advisory - DUES PAYMENTS

Hello Everyone,

Good news, DES has lifted the advisory for cyanobacteria discovered last week.  Please read the details below along with DES advice from Kate Hastings.

DUES: Paperwork relating to the name change of the organization from "Lake Warren Association" to "Lake Warren Preservation Association" has been filed and accepted by the State of NH.

             Please send in your dues payments payable to "Lake Warren Preservation Association"  $15.00 per adult member (payment coupon is attached).

Upcoming Meeting:  Saturday, July 8  at 9 am  (Place:  TBD  but most likely Orchard Hill Pavilion)

Thank you and enjoy the water!

Hi All,

The cyanobacteria WARNING (ADVISORY) that was issued on 30 May 2023 has been REMOVED for Lake Warren, Alstead as of today 6 June 2023. While the bloom accumulation has dissipated, NHDES advises that lake-goers look out for green surface accumulations in the future. Please continue to monitor your individual shorelines for changing conditions. During sampling today, there was an oil sheen present on some lake edges, and some light yellow accumulations on surface of the water. The light yellow was pollen, and the oil sheen is iron bacteria. Please see the attached factsheet on that if interested and how to distinguish this from an actual oil slick. The best practice is to avoid any material accumulation on shorelines, even if it does look like pollen or something non-cyano.

The red cyanobacteria advisory signs can now be removed from public access points. Thank you for your help with this!

Thank you all for your communication. If you see cyanobacteria in the future, please report it here!  

Please forward this email to other residents / community members who need this information. If they would like to be added to the email distribution list, please have them sign up through this form to be directly included on future communications from NHDES. To sign up for Weekly Statewide Bloom Reports select the “Healthy Swimming Updates” email list.

 Kate Langley Hastings
Cyanobacteria HAB Program Coordinator
Watershed Management Bureau, Water Division
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
29 Hazen Drive, P.O. Box 95, Concord, NH 03302-0095
603-848-8094   kate.l.hastings@des.nh.gov
she/her

ADVISORY ISSUED: Lake Warren Cyanobacteria Bloom Confirmed

Dear Members and Friends,

Cyanobacteria blooms were observed today at the dam and on the western shore of Lake Warren.  Below is an actual photo taken at the dam earlier today.  This bloom is more severe than blooms observed in 2021 and 2022 (both occured after the summer season).  We were able to act quickly and fortunately someone from DES was available to collect samples and get them tested in Concord in record time.

Please read the advisory issued by DES in its entirety.   NHDES advises not to wade or swim in the water until the advisory is lifted.  Keep pets out of the water.  Although the advisory does not mandate, those who draw water from the lake may wish to refrain from doing so. DES will test the water again in about a week to confirm the bloom has cleared.  

Thank you to the residents who spotted this bloom earlier today and made the Association aware. It is impossible to predict these blooms although warming of the water is a contributing factor along with the use of lawn fertilizers.  PLEASE DO NOT FERTILIZE your waterfront lot!   It is in our best interest to be good stewards of the lake.  It is the responsibility of all waterfront owners to be aware of suspicious colorations or scum in the water and report potential blooms to the LWPA.  There is also a direct link to DES for reporting purposes below. 

Please share this advisory with your neighbors as well as not all are on our distribution list.  

Thank you and stay safe.

Lake Warren Preservation Association Board

President's Letter

Greetings!

On behalf of the Board of Directors for the Lake Warren Preservation Association, I would like to welcome you to the beginning of the 2023 Season on our beloved Lake Warren! Once again, we were very active over the winter revising the By-Laws and thinking of ways to bring a more vibrant community to life here in Mill Hollow. Thank you to all of you who provided input to these revisions and voted for their acceptance.

We are continuing with our theme from years past of “many hands make light work” while also looking for ways to add more “fun” to the calendar. We have heard from many, and also share the desire, to have more social events. The Covid-19 pandemic took its toll on our outreach efforts, and combined with the very real threat of repeated Cyanobacteria outbreaks, our efforts have been focused on those near and present dangers.  So, with your participation, we are looking forward to hosting more community events. Phil Sanford has proposed and created an organization chart which will be presented at our first in-person meeting.   We hope this will give everyone a clearer picture of what is in place along with current needs of the organization to help achieve our goals towards preserving and protecting Lake Warren.   We wish to create a more vibrant lake community for all to enjoy.

As I sit on my porch looking at the beautiful sunrise, which is an extraordinary shade of pink due to the wildfires in western Canada, I am reminded that some things are outside of our control. However, we, as a community, should be mindful of how our actions directly affect the health of our lake and the probability of repeated Cyanobacteria blooms. First, not using fertilizer near the lake - it is illegal in the State of NH to apply fertilizer (other than lime) within 25 feet of the water’s edge! Fertilizing your lawn, which runs directly into the lake, also provides conditions that encourage plant and algal growth. As noted in the attached newsletter from NH Lakes, there are things we can do to have green lawns without fertilizing. Secondly, septic systems need to be inspected and pumped on a regular basis.  Leaky and outdated septic tanks/systems directly pollute the water and add unnecessary phosphates.  Climate changes have exacerbated this effect by warming the water.

Best practices are not limited to lakefront properties as our water test data shows all inlets feeding into the lake contribute phosphorus and other pollutants.  In order to address these issues further into the watershed, we will need additional help in educating those who live in the watershed. This is why we have expanded our membership to include interested parties from the Alstead area. In addition, we are continuing our successful partnership with the Mill Hollow Heritage Association. Their theme this year is “Celebrate Wood” and the list of events held there will be available June 1st. We are grateful for their continued support and collaboration!

In an effort to meet the needs of our membership, we will be sending out a poll in the next day or two to determine which dates/times for our annual membership meetings will be convenient for the majority of folks.

Lastly, I will continue as point person for the Lake Host program for this season and would like to thank Phil Sandford/Weed Watchers and team Karyn Kaminski/Rose Dowling for continuing to keep the  very important invasive weed  and water test programs in force.

LWPA President
Annie Hess

 --

Lake Warren Preservation Association

P.O. Box 331

Alstead, NH 03602

Lake Warren and the Cold River: Instream Flow Program NHDES

Please open the link below to learn about the Instream Flow Program through the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. A presentation at the Chase Mill reviewed the relationship between the Cold River and the two lakes that feed into it: Crescent Lake and Lake Warren. A PDF presented document was presented. We are working on a way to upload this information to the website.

Lake Warren and the Cold River

ALERT!! Lake Warren Cyanobacteria Advisory

Good morning,

Please be advised that NH Dept. of Environmental Services has issued an official advisory for Lake Warren based on results of a water sample submitted this past week. The advisory states that the water is not suitable for wading or swimming due to a high concentration of cyanobacteria. Keep pets out of the water.

Please see links for more information. Cyanobacteria blooms have been observed in different areas of the lake on and off for the past 6 weeks or so but this is the first official advisory issued by NHDES. Please be cautious and check the water for signs of algae blooms before entering the lake at any time of year. Blooms are unpredictable and can appear at any time.

Thank you and be safe,

Lake Warren Association

Cyanobacteria Lake Warren
Current Cyanobacteria Advisories

Cyanobacteria History

General CyanoHAB Information

Cyanobacteria News for DES Lake Warren

News from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services DATE: 09/22/2022

CONTACT: Kate Hastings, (603) 848-8094, HAB@des.nh.gov Cyanobacteria Bloom Alert for

Lake Warren in Alstead, NH

Concord, NH- A cyanobacteria bloom has been observed on Lake Warren. Cyanobacteria activity was first observed over the weekend on 9/17/22. The bloom dissipated before Monday, so a sample was not reviewed. The bloom material reappeared on 9/21/22, and a concentrated bloom sample from those aggregations had cyanobacteria cell concentrations (Dolichispermum) around 1 million cells/mL in several locations around the lake. An advisory would be issued, but the heavy rains today have caused the bloom material to dissipate. Please continue to report changing cyanobacteria conditions to HAB@des.nh.gov, and we will coordinate resampling as needed. It is possible this bloom will reform over the coming days. Remember, when in doubt stay out!

This message serves a local “Alert” for lake-goers to be on the lookout for accumulations of cyanobacteria, especially nearshore of the lake.

Advisories are issued once samples are collected and cell concentrations of cyanobacteria are confirmed to exceed 70,000 cells/mL of lake water.

NHDES advises lake users to avoid contact with the water in areas experiencing elevated cyanobacteria cell conditions, also known as a bloom. NHDES also advises pet owners to keep their pets away from cyanobacteria blooms.

Cyanobacteria are natural components of water bodies worldwide, though blooms and surface scums may form when excess nutrients are available to the water. Some cyanobacteria produce toxins that are stored within the cells and may be released upon cell death. Toxins can cause both acute and chronic health effects that range in severity. Acute health effects include irritation of skin and mucous membranes, tingling, numbness, nausea, vomiting, seizures and diarrhea. Chronic effects may include liver and central nervous system damage. Be cautious of lake water that has a surface scum, changes colors, or appears to have green streaks or blue-green flecks aggregating along the shore.

Visit the NHDES Harmful Algal and Cyanobacteria Bloom Program website for photos and more information about cyanobacteria at: Harmful Algal Blooms | NH Department of Environmental Services. Check out the Beach Mapper Website and follow the Beaches Twitter feed for updates on cyanobacteria advisories.

If you notice anything resembling cyanobacteria, please refrain from wading, swimming, or drinking the water. Keep all pets out of the water and contact NHDES immediately. Please call NHDES to report a cyanobacteria bloom at (603) 848-8094 or email HAB@des.nh.gov.

Image from NH Department of Environmental Services but not specific to Lake Warren. Image posted to be a visual sample of Cyanobacteria Bloom

Alert: possible cyanobacteria blooms observed on the lake on Saturday

This is a local Alert for lake users to be on the lookout for accumulations of cyanobacteria which has been observed on several shorelines (both eastern and western shores).

Only DES can issue official advisories once samples are collected and cell concentrations of cyanobacteria are confirmed to exceed 70,000 cells/ml of lake water.  

NHDES advises lake users to avoid contact with the water in areas where surface scum is visible.  NHDES also advises pet owners to keep their pets out of the water 

when scum is visible.  Some cyanobacteria produce toxins that are stored within the cells and may be released upon cell death. Toxins can cause both acute and chronic

health effects that range in severity.  

Be cautious of lake water that has a surface scum, changes colors, or appears to have green streaks or blue-green flecks aggregating along the shore.

Because labs are closed on the weekend, the LWA will not be able to deliver a sample to Concord until Monday and that is the plan.