Lake Wicwas Community Comes Together to Protect the Lake They Love
When neighbors lead by example, the whole community can follow. At Lake Wicwas in Meredith, Dean Cascadden and Eric Cohen helped inspire their neighbors to embrace NH LAKES’ LakeSmart Program—and their community has now earned the LakeSmart Community Award.
Building momentum for LakeSmart at Lake Wicwas started with buy-in from the Lake Wicwas Association board. Dean, President of the Lake Wicwas Association, and Eric, board member and LakeSmart Ambassador, helped lead the effort by encouraging their fellow board members to participate and learn firsthand how LakeSmart could benefit their properties and their lake.
The board welcomed NH LAKES LakeSmart experts onto their properties for personalized LakeSmart tours, helping to jump-start participation throughout the community. By learning about lake-friendly practices themselves and leading by example, the board showed their neighbors that protecting Lake Wicwas is something everyone can take part in.
That community-wide commitment has paid off. They reached their goal and earned the LakeSmart Community Award from NH LAKES in just under two summers.
From Lake Hosts to LakeSmart
The Lake Wicwas community already had a strong culture of lake protection before becoming a LakeSmart Community. The association has long supported the NH LAKES Lake Host courtesy boat inspection program to prevent the introduction of invasive species, and residents participate in the NHDES Weed Watcher program to help spot invasive plants if they sneak into the lake.
The Lake Wicwas Association was also concerned about other threats to the lake, including the nutrient phosphorus coming into the lake from polluted runoff water, winter road salt, aging and failing septic systems, and cyanobacteria blooms (which can be toxic to people, wildlife, and animals).
When Dean and other board members heard about LakeSmart at NH LAKES’ Lakes Congress, the idea resonated with them. Lake-friendly living became the next step for their community. After multiple conversations, Eric volunteered to lead the effort by becoming the Ambassador for their community and scheduled five LakeSmart tour days in 2025.
The response from neighbors was encouraging. Some homeowners learned they were already doing many lake-friendly things on their property and in their daily lives, while others began working on adopting recommendations they received during their visits.
Small changes can make a big difference
Dean points to the conversations that have grown out of the community’s LakeSmart participation. One example was a conversation with the Town about improving the boat launch. LakeSmart recommendations helped guide the discussion. It’s a great example of how a small conversation can lead to meaningful changes that benefit the entire lake community.
One of Eric’s biggest takeaways from his own LakeSmart tour was how much there was still to learn. He already knew the importance of avoiding using fertilizer and properly maintaining a septic system, and the LakeSmart Team helped him discover additional ways to protect water quality.
Personalized recommendations tailored to your property and your lifestyle is one of the strengths of LakeSmart. Homeowners receive practical recommendations, and many of the changes are simple.
Eric also found that lake-friendly improvements can enhance a property rather than take away from the experience of living on the water.
A community effort
As the LakeSmart Ambassador, Eric emphasized that LakeSmart isn’t about policing properties. It’s a free program that gives homeowners practical ideas and expertise to help them become even better lake stewards.
“People who live on the lake care about the lake and want to do their part,” Eric said. “They just don’t always know what to do.”
That peer-to-peer encouragement helped make participation easier—and showed that protecting the lake can be something residents feel good about doing together.
Protecting Lake Wicwas for the future
For the Lake Wicwas Association, the LakeSmart Community Award is not the finish line. It’s another step in a long-term commitment to protecting Lake Wicwas from threats such as lake aging, aquatic invasive species, and cyanobacteria.
The community is already taking action through Lake Host, Weed Watchers, LakeSmart, and other lake protection efforts. Eric hopes even more residents will discover how simple lake-friendly living can be.
There are many ways homeowners can help, from managing driveways and stormwater to maintaining septic systems, avoiding fertilizer, and allowing natural vegetation to grow along the shoreline.
The goal is simple: enjoy the lake while taking care of it.
Congratulations to the Lake Wicwas community on earning its LakeSmart Community Award! Their commitment shows what’s possible when neighbors come together, share what they’ve learned, and take practical steps to protect the lake they love.