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New Hampshire Shoreline Water Quality Protection Act, revised 04/01/08 Summary of Minimum Standards - click here Chapter 483-B: Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act Standards - click here |
Messer Pond Watershed
MPPA is devoted to protecting the environmental quality of the Messer Pond Watershed
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New Hampshire Shoreline Water Quality Protection Act, revised 04/01/08 Summary of Minimum Standards - click here Chapter 483-B: Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act Standards - click here |
Q: What is a Watershed?
A: A watershed is the area of land from which all water drains into a particular lake, river, stream, wetland or ocean. Watersheds are natural areas determined by topography and the boundaries can be drawn on a map by connecting the tops of the tallest hills surrounding a body of water. Water that falls within our watershed boundary flows downhill and much of it ends up in Messer Pond.
Watersheds can vary in size from just a few acres to hundreds of millions of acres, as every body of water � from Chalk Pond to the Mississippi River � has its own watershed. The Messer Pond Watershed is part of larger watershed basins, the Contoocook River Watershed and the larger Merrimack River Watershed.
"The water quality of a lake is a direct reflection of its watershed."
Q: What is water pollution?
A: When people think of water pollution they commonly think of industrial discharges and sewage outfalls pouring directly into a body of water. Because this type of pollution enters the water at a specific point � such as a pipe or drain � it is called point source pollution.
While point source pollution is a problem in some areas, the concern in our watershed is non-point source pollution (or NPS, storm water runoff or polluted runoff). As the name suggests, rather than coming from a single source, this type of pollution comes from a variety of sources and is made up of a variety of pollutants making it harder to manage and ultimately control.
Two
of the biggest non-point pollutants are sediment and nutrients � which
together account for more than 80% of the pollution in American lakes.
Sediments
-
Sediment
probably causes more surface water degradation than any other single
contaminant. Excess sediment in the water can smother fish nests with
silt, and harms the tiny organisms that fish depend upon for food. Soil
also acts as a carrier of pollutants. Molecules of pesticides, oil,
metals, fertilizer and other chemical contaminants and nutrients cling to grains
of soil as rain and snowmelt wash through the watershed, and are carried to
surface waters.
NUTRIENTS
- In
a fresh water system phosphorus is the nutrient of greatest concern. While
small amounts of this nutrient occur naturally, and it is necessary for the
growth of plants � phosphorus added from human activity can cause serious
imbalance in a lake ecosystem. Phosphorus is the nutrient in lakes that
plants just can�t get enough of. They will continue to use phosphorus as
long as it comes into the system, and plants will essentially grow out of
control including algae. So
limiting phosphorus/phosphate use in the watershed is a great way to limit non-point
source pollution.
Q: How can we protect our Watershed?
A: Abide by the following Best Management Practices which are land management practices recommended to minimize human impact on the environment:
Inside your home:
Use low-phosphate or preferably phosphate-free detergents in both laundry and kitchen
Dispose properly of hazardous household liquids, such as oil, anti-freeze and paint � don�t pour down the drain
Outside your home:
If you use chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides, check state and local regulations, and use them SPARINGLY
Compost organic matter (leaves and grass clippings) well away from surface water
Minimize the amount of bare soil - use native groundcovers to help absorb runoff and minimize erosion
If your property has any surface water, even a small brook or wetland, keep a buffer of vegetation along it. A healthy vegetated buffer includes groundcovers, shrubbery and a mix of trees.
In an area bordering surface water, check local and state regulations before cutting any trees
Have your septic tank pumped out at least every three years
Taking the Next Step: Watershed Management
Planning at the watershed level brings together individuals, businesses, associations and municipalities to address and identify local issues that affect the watershed. The end result is an action plan which provides a guideline for long term planning for growth of the area. Hundreds of watershed management plans are already in effect around the country, in watersheds big and small. The MPPA has begun the process of creating a watershed action plan. Part of the process will be to collect individual and community input. While each plan is tailored to a specific watershed, most plans share these common components:
Additional Information
Center
for Stormwater Technology Evaluation and Verification
Colby-Sawyer
College Pleasant Lake Watershed Portfolio Project
Colby-Sawyer
College Lake Sunapee Watershed Portfolio Project
Limiting
Impervious Surface Cover and Protecting Water Resources
Management
Plan for the Lake Waukewan Watershed
Sunapee
Area Watershed Coalition
Sunapee Watershed Management Plan
US EPA Adopt Your Watershed Campaign
US EPA Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans
The MPPA thanks the Sunapee Area Watershed Coalition (SAWC) and the Lake Sunapee Protective Association (LSPA) for providing some of the information for this page.
Messer Pond Protective Association
P.O. Box 103
New London, NH 03257
Copyright � 2005 - 2017 by Messer Pond Protective Association