The 2024 water quality report that is created from the sampling the PLA does through out the year with UNH is not available at this link …. Water Quality Report
The annual meeting on July 26th, at 9:00am at Edge Lake Farm (Province Lake Golf Course).
A virtual option is provided below if you are unable to attend in person.
Our guest speaker this year is James Shimansky, Program Coordinator for the Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance (AWWA). James will be speaking on the recently conducted Watershed Survey as well as our upcoming Septic Survey.
Attached, please find (.pdf) a copy of the meeting packet, which includes the agenda, information about the purpose and roles within the PLA, and bios for our Board of Director members that are up for re-election and those being newly elected.
Physical copies of the packet will also be made available at the meeting.
We look forward to seeing everyone there!
When: July 26th, 9:00am-12:00pm
In-Person Location: Parsonsfield, ME 04047 Edge Lake Farm (Province Lake Golf Course) 1804 Province Lake Road
There will be two beach clean ups this year. One in July and one in September. Mark your calendars and come meet some people, help the lake and just feel good about it.
We are sending you a quick note to inform you that NH DES has put a Research Buoy on the lake near the deep spot over toward the golf course. The picture below shows what it looks like. The purpose of the buoy is to gather temperature and oxygen levels at various depths of the lake to see if the lake ever truly stratifies and if so whether the oxygen level gets depleted at the deepest area. This will give us more information on whether phosphorus coming from the sediment at the bottom is a larger contributor to the phosphorus in the lake than we have previously thought.
There is a light on the buoy as well, so if you happen to be out at night, you will see it. Please stay away from it and tell your friends and neighbors to do the same. It is going to remain in the lake until fall of 2025, so basically a full year from now.
Again, please help us by not going near it and help spread the word.
DES did get samples yesterday and sent the following to us …..
Hi All,
Two samples were collected from Province Lake yesterday, from Ames Park and off of Bonnyman Road. Both had only low levels of cyanobacteria, 27,800 and 5,500 cells/mL of Dolichospermum.
The bloom has been reported as coming and going. For now, it appears to have passed, but may reappear! Keep us posted through the bloom report form and we’ll resample as necessary. Otherwise, the watch will remain active for a week, then we will take it off our map.
Best, Kate
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
NH DES has issued a Cyanobacteria WATCH for Province Lake. There have been some blooms seen on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. But, today the water is clear. DES will be here on Monday to get a sample. If the water looks as it does in the pictures below, a Warning will more than likely be issued. The attached pictures were from yesterday along Bonnyman Rd near Ames Park.
Bottom line of this is to keep your eyes open. It is supposed to be a beautiful weekend. If the water doesn’t look good, stay out.
After a beautiful holiday weekend, NH DES came out yesterday and sampled the water again. The Warning has been removed and the signs will be coming down. The official notice is below.
The PLA
Hi All,
The cyanobacteria warning at your lake has been removed, please see below for details.
Waterbody
Province Lake, Effingham/Wakefield
Status
WARNING REMOVED
Issued
8/2/2024
Removed
9/3/2024
Notes
Bloom conditions have passed based on sampling performed today. Four locations were sampled, and densities varied from no cyanobacteria present to 1,667 cells/mL. All samples had a fair amount of detritus, indicating that degrading material may still be present in the water.
While the bloom accumulation has dissipated, NHDES advises that lake-goers look out for discoloration or surface accumulations in the future. Please continue to monitor your individual shoreline for changing conditions.
The cyanobacteria warning signs can now be removed from public access points.
Thank you all for your communication. If you see cyanobacteria in the future, please report it through the bloom report form.
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 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
If you have been around for the last few days, this should not be a surprise as the entire lake has been green. Never seen it like this before. As a result, DES tested again today and had several areas well above the limit. See official report below.
The PLA
Hi All,
The cyanobacteria warning remains at your lake, please see below for details.
Waterbody
Province Lake, Effingham/Wakefield
Status
WARNINGremains
Issued
8/2/2024
Resampled (most recent sampling date)
8/22/2024
Cyanobacteria Taxa
Dolichospermum
Notes
The cyanobacteria density continues to exceed the state limit of 70,000 cell/mL, so the warning will remain active.The results from sampling locations are as follows:Remmick Rd, Effingham: 8,350,000 cells/mLOak Ave, Effingham: 11,000 cells/mLAmes Park, East Wakefield: 2,550,000 cells/mLBonnyman Rd @ Lilac Dr, East Wakefield: 29,600 cells/mLBonnyman Rd @ Silver Hill Dr, East Wakefield: 766,000 cells/mL
Please keep signs posted at public access points. NHDES will arrange for sampling again next week. Warning details can also be found on the Healthy Swimming Mapper. If you click on the waterbody, you can see our most recent sampling date. When warnings are lifted, the red symbol for the waterbody will no longer be on the map, and the waterbody will not be listed under “Current Cyanobacteria Warnings”.
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 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
No surprise here. The lake looks real bad .. it has been green for most of the week and blooms all around it. See the official notice below. Signs stay up for another week at least.
The PLA
Hi All,
The cyanobacteria warning remains at your lake, please see below for details.
Waterbody
Province Lake, Effingham/Wakefield
Status
WARNINGremains
Issued
8/2/2024 – reissued 8/12
Resampled (most recent sampling date)
8/15/2024
Cyanobacteria Taxa
Dolichospermum
Cyanobacteria Density (cells/mL)
1,971,133
Notes
The cyanobacteria density continues to exceed the state limit of 70,000 cell/mL, so the warning will remain active. Significant bloom conditions were reported through the week as well.
Please keep signs posted at public access points. NHDES will arrange for sampling again next week. Warning details can also be found on the Healthy Swimming Mapper. If you click on the waterbody, you can see our most recent sampling date. When warnings are lifted, the red symbol for the waterbody will no longer be on the map, and the waterbody will not be listed under “Current Cyanobacteria Warnings”.
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 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