Hi Folks,
Unfortunately, as reported late last week, the lake has not been looking that great for the last week or so. DES came yesterday, one of the worst days we have had and sampled the water. The results are below, but basically the lake is under a warning and we are sharing that with you now. DES also said that they are targeting to return next Wednesday to sample again.
As always, keep your eyes open and if the water doesn’t look good, stay out. Per our previous email in regards to the vegetative buffer, we are trying to make some progress on reducing the phosphorus that gets into the lake and hopefully we can get the lake to turn a corner. Of course, that doesn’t happen overnight. The best way to help is to get involved. Join the PLA to get info, check out the important info section of our website for things that homeowners can do, and join in to an event as we had on Tuesday.
We will keep you posted.
Regards,
The PLA
———- Forwarded message ———
From: DES: Harmful Algal Bloom Program<DES.HAB@des.nh.gov>
Date: Wed, Aug 13, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Subject: Cyanobacteria WARNING issued – Province Lake
To: DES: Harmful Algal Bloom Program <DES.HAB@des.nh.gov>
Hi all,
The status of the cyanobacteria bloom has been elevated at your waterbody, please see below for details.
| Waterbody | Province Lake, Effingham/Wakefield |
| Status | WARNING |
| Issued | 8/13/2025 |
| Bloom Description | Green surface scums accumulating along the shorelines. |
| Notes | Minor bloom conditions were first observed on 8/8 but developed into a more severe bloom over the weekend. NHDES staff collected multiple samples from around the waterbody on 8/12 that had cyanobacteria present at densities too numerous to count. Please report through the Bloom Report Form so we can monitor bloom conditions. |
Please visit the Healthy Swimming Mapper for the most current information about bloom location, status, and severity.
Cyanobacteria reports depict only what an observer sees in the water. The report may reflect a waterbody wide perspective if they boated around the waterbody and made observations, or it could be a single sighting from the shoreline. One sighting does not indicate that a watch or warning is necessary, but it does indicate that those on or around the waterbody should be aware that cyanobacteria have been observed beyond what is natural, and that they should be on the lookout for shifting bloom conditions and report them via theBloom Report Form. Reports will be removed from the Healthy Swimming Mapper after one week if no further reports are received.
Watches are issued when samples are evaluated and cyanobacteria are in higher abundance than normal background levels at multiple locations, but that densities are below 70,000 cells/mL or when clear photographic evidence indicates a bloom is occurring.
Warnings are issued when samples are evaluated microscopically, and cell counts exceed 70,000 cells/mL and the bloom is widespread or extends to multiple locations on the waterbody. A warning does not close the waterbody to recreational use. The warning is intended as a precautionary measure to inform the public of the potential health risks associated with cyanobacteria blooms. Please see our updated FAQs for more information.
NHDES advises lake users to not swim in or near the vicinity of where bloom material is visible. Please also keep pets and livestock out of areas where bloom material is observed. It is suggested that local authorities post the 2025 cyanobacteria sign at public access points while a warning is in place to alert the public of current conditions.
Please forward this email to other residents / community members who may benefit from this information. If they would like to be added to the email distribution list, please have them sign up to be directly included on future communications from NHDES. If you prefer to no longer receive these sampling updates, simply respond, and indicate “unsubscribe”.
Best,
The CyanoHAB Team
Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Bloom Program
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 hab@des.nh.gov