Author: Erin Mastine

AWWANH LAKES has teamed up with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) to help local communities fight harmful cyanobacteria blooms in our lakes. These blooms, which can be toxic, have been popping up more and more in recent summers, posing serious risks to people, pets, drinking water, property values, and tourism.

One cause of these blooms is nutrient pollution, especially from eroded soil and polluted stormwater runoff from roads and driveways. To help reduce this pollution, NH LAKES has awarded $400,000 in grant funding to support lake protection projects in six communities through summer 2026. The funding comes from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Thanks to these grants, the following communities are using the grants to take action:

• Acton Wakefield Watershed Alliance (AWWA) is sending its Youth Conservation Corps to 15 lakefront properties to reduce pollution around Lovell Lake, Pine River Pond, Great East Lake, and Province Lake. Separately, AWWA will also fix erosion on two nearby roads to reduce stormwater nonpoint (NPS) source pollution to Pine River Pond.
• Country Pond Lake Association, in partnership with the Town of Newton, is improving the town boat ramp to prevent stormwater runoff from flowing into Country Pond. Additionally, water quality monitoring and outreach, and education efforts will be carried out over the course of the project. 
• Lake Sunapee Protective Association is working with the Town of Sunapee and Little Lake Sunapee Protective Association to fix shoreline erosion, incorporating native plants as possible, near Georges Mills Town Beach and Little Lake Sunapee.
• The Town of Alton is upgrading roads to stop stormwater carrying pollutants from entering Mill Pond, which drains into Lake Winnipesaukee.
• Wentworth Watershed Association is tackling stormwater runoff into Lake Wentworth from gravel roads, especially near Red Brook Circle.
• White Oak Pond Association is creating a Watershed-Based Management Plan to pinpoint and reduce pollution sources in the White Oak Pond watershed.

By completing these projects, these local groups are helping to clean up our lakes and prevent cyanobacteria blooms in the future.