Unfortunately, a cyanobacteria bloom has been observed in several locations around the lake today. It can look like green mats or you may see small flecks or stringers, which you may think is pollen. Photos are below. 
We cannot say if the water is safe at this time. Each individual needs to make the determination on whether to go in or not, but the guidance is to not go into the water if a bloom is present. It is particularly important to keep dogs and children out of the water when a bloom is observed.
We will be reporting this to the NH DES and will follow up as recommended.

The PLA

The loon raft/nest was launched and placed in its usual spot on April 27, 2021. Let’s hope for some activity and a successful season. As usual, please keep your distance from the nest, especially if the loons are in the area.

The PLA

The Fall Newsletter has now been posted on the website at this link.

Hello all,

A clarification that the boards (not the dam) will be removed at the lake outlet on Sunday, Oct 18. Even with the welcome rain we are experiencing now, we expect the lake level will go down when the boards are removed. Please plan on removing your boat and dock accordingly.

Many thanks,
Lorie for the PLA

Hi all,
Autumn has arrived and it’s been a beautiful September at the lake. And it’s a good time to reflect back on our summer season, which we hope you enjoyed in spite of COVID challenges.

1. LAKE HOST PROGRAM
Our Lake Host program was very successful this summer. Many thanks to our inspectors who did an excellent job. Our team had four inspectors this year (vs three last year) and we had a longer season with almost 90 more hours of inspection time at the Towle Farm Boat Ramp. We had 693 inspections this year (vs 559 in 2019). No invasive species were found and with no invasives reported by the Weed Watch Team, Province Lake remains invasive free. 

The cost of our Lake Host program, which your membership supports, was ~$9000. If you have not had the opportunity to become a member this year, we would encourage you to do so at membership so we can continue this valuable program next summer.

2. THE DROUGHT
Obviously, we are experiencing a drought and this has resulted in the lowest lake level in our recorded history. There is no flow into the lake from the tributaries and we hope to get some rain soon. The dam is still in place at the Bailey Rd outlet but it will be removed, as required by the State of NH, on Oct 18. We expect the lake level could drop another 10-12 inches at that time if the drought persists so plan to remove your boat and dock accordingly.

Several of you have noted that water is being removed from the lake by Province Lake Golf for irrigation. This is allowable by the States of Maine and NH and there is no concern that the lake will be ‘dewatered’. As the golf course is within our watershed drainage, all water removed (excluding what evaporates) will eventually find its way back into the lake.
 
3. WATER QUALITY
After inspecting several areas, we are happy to report we have not had a significant cyanobacteria bloom thus far this year. We continue to be vigilant and please report a bloom should you observe one. 

Given COVID, we have not been able to do the usual water quality sampling this year. We are planning to resume the program next year and are seeking volunteers for water/cyanobacteria sampling. If you are interested, please reply to this email and we will contact you with details. 

4. PLA BOARD- LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE LAKE
The PLA is looking for members in good standing interested in becoming a board member in 2021. If you are interested, please reply to this email and we will contact you with details. 

5. LOCATION OF PRENTICE WOODS PRESERVE
Several of you have asked about the location of the Prentice Woods Preserve off of Bonnyman Rd, Wakefield. Jill Eldredge of Moose Mountain Regional Greenway has kindly provided the following information ‘The property is approximately 17 acres lying on either side of Prentice Woods Rd in Wakefield. A rudimentary map to help you locate it as attached. Any GPS search of Prentice Woods Rd will also give adequate direction. The property lies about halfway down the road in the lowest lying area and you can identify it based on the lack of houses and some orange surveyor’s tape.’ If you are interested in the learning more and supporting MMRG and Prentice Woods Preserve, the link is help-us-protect-the-prentice-woods-preserve-in-wakefield-nh

Enjoy the fall and be well,
Lorie for the PLA

Province Lake has lost a greatly valued friend. It is with sadness we share the passing of Mary McLoughlin on Sunday, September 13^th, 2020. She was a dedicated lake steward and showed that commitment as President of our Lake Association from 2008 to 2010. Although she moved our organization forward in many ways, her most consequential effort was launching and coordinating our Lake Host Program.

Mary will always be remembered for her love of Province Lake and the joy she always found here! Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

The PLA Board

Thank you all for a very successful beach clean up. We removed over a ton! of cement blocks, several radiators, lengths of chain, a 45 pound barbell weight, 2 pallets, several boards, 6 bags of trash, half a boat hull of fiberglass and miscellaneous other stuff. We appreciate those who moved the debris from the water to the beach, our pick up crew of 20 folks from our three townships, and the Towns of Wakefield and Effingham Transfer Stations. Our combined efforts go a long way to keeping our lake the gem that it is. Thank you all!
The PLA

Members around the lake have been asking about a baby loon this year, here is a quick update.

We had a pair traveling about the lake this summer, and a third loon was observed a few times.  The nesting raft was put out in the Northwest corner of the lake in early May, and the pair visited it often, for about 6 weeks.   Finally, on June 27, they laid an egg, and proceeded to spend most of the time with one adult loon incubating, or nearby.  Sadly, however, during the overnight of July 2 – 3, something happened to the egg, and the next morning the loons were no longer sitting on their nest, or in the vicinity.  Speculation about what happened is that either they left the egg unattended for a while and a predator (e.g. muskrat, turtle, 3^rd loon) was involved, or the egg lacked shell integrity and just broke.  But that is speculation.  We will never know.

Hello Everyone,

The PLA Invasive Weed Watch program needs your help in keeping Province Lake invasive weed free, now and into the future. We currently have 14 weed watch volunteers who visually inspect for invasive weeds along the entire lake shoreline but we are in need of more volunteers to ensure the lake remains invasive weed free. Please consider becoming a weed watch volunteer.

The weed watch program entails using a kayak, a canoe, or a boat to patrol assigned areas each month from June until September looking for invasive weeds. The methods used are either a zigzag method going from the shoreline toward the main lake body and back to the shoreline or a back and forth method going along the shoreline and going back and forth deeper toward the main lake body. We have found that visual inspection is easier in low sunlight and is best in the early morning or late afternoon.

Please consider volunteering for this important task by contacting me at tavye@msn.com or calling 603-475-5691.

Tucker Vye
PLA Invasive Weed Watch Coordinator

Hello PLA Members,

We hope you are weathering this time of COVID-19 as best possible given the challenges and uncertainties it brings. The PLA Board believes health should be our primary focus and it would be best to have a virtual Annual Meeting this year. In light of that, we will not be meeting on Saturday, July 18 at Edge Lake Farm. Although we will miss seeing you in person, we believe the virtual meeting approach will accommodate as many as possible and meet all our goals while providing you with the information that is necessary to keep our organization and lake healthy and vibrant during this time.

As a first order of business, the Board is proposing the following slate of candidates for election to the 2020-2021 Board (PLA Slate of Officers attachment). As at the annual meeting, we are soliciting names of those who would like to be considered to serve on the Board – a virtual “from the floor” nomination that we typically do. To be nominated for a position on the PLA board, the nominee must be a member in good standing (i.e. current year dues paid by July 1) and meet the following expectations:

Please nominate names by Monday, July 6, 2020 to provincelakemembers@gmail.com or president@provincelake.org. 

We will compile the final slate of candidates to be voted on. This vote, and the vote to approve the 2019 Annual Minutes (attached) will be done by Survey Monkey and will be sent only to current members (paid as of July 1, 2020). The Survey Monkey will be sent on July 10, 2020 and your vote must be received by July 15, midnight. 

The Board will share the result of these two votes and our annual reports by video recording for you to view at your convenience. It will be posted on our website Provincelake.org on July 20, 2020. 

You may then submit any questions regarding the Annual Meeting to the Board by email to provincelakemembers@gmail.com  or president@provincelake.org by Aug 1, 2020.  We will post the questions and answers on our website by Aug 8, 2020.  

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. Many thanks for your generous and continuing support as we move forward together. Have a great July 4th holiday and be well.

Lorie for the PLA