Let’s Make Sure Memorable Moments Don’t Become Distant Memories
The health of our lake is under threat and, together, we decide its future. At LWA, we provide programs and support for residents, business and visitors to help.
The Lake Needs Your Help.
Advocate
LWA advocates for public policy by promoting conservation, preservation and protection for Lake Winnipesaukee and it’s surrounding watershed. As part of our advocacy efforts we track new bills that are being proposed to the New Hampshire State Legislature, provide updates on bill status and encourage the public to voice their opinions to their state representatives.
Legislative Updates
1/23/2025: Read the Latest Update
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Speak Up!
You can express your support in 2 ways.
1.) Attend a Hearing in Person (preferred)
Before a bill can move to the full House or Senate, it undergoes discussion in committee. These public hearings provide an opportunity for representatives to hear testimonies, pose questions to the bill’s sponsor and other stakeholders, including the public. If you plan to attend a hearing, please sign-in when you enter the hearing room. Be sure to specify your stance, in favor or opposed, and express your desire to speak on the bill if you’d like. When addressing the full committee please be sure keep it brief, around 3 minutes, and speak how the bill benefits or threatens the region and the environment as well as potential negative impacts if it is not passed.
2.) Submit Remote Testimony Online
Use the remote sign in form to also share your support for this bill:
Step 1- Fill in your personal information
Step 2- Select the date of the hearing
Step 3- Select the bill
Step 4- Indicate your support and upload your testimony.
Step 5- Review and submit.
Your testimony, in person or online, should include the following:
1.) Introduce yourself and explain why you are writing in a polite and respectful manner.
2.) If you are contacting them to discuss a specific legislation include the title of the bill in the subject line.
3.) In the first sentence or two, state whether you support or oppose the bill and why.
4.) Consider adding a personal anecdote and include how the bill would affect you and your community.
5.) Include your contact information: name, phone number, address and email.
Submit Your House of Representatives Online Testimony
Submit Your Senate Online Testimony
View Senate Committee Contacts
*Please note that you will not be able to submit your online testimony until a public hearing date has been set*
How a Bill Becomes a Law in NH
| Bill Number | Bill Title | Sponsor | Topic/Issue(s) of Interest | LWA Position | Synopsis from NH LAKES | Status | Committee/ Hearing Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB105-FN | creating a new conservation license plate and directing the additional fee to the cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund. | Rosemarie Rung (Prime) | Cyanobacteria Mitigation (funding) | Support | This bill creates the "Love NH Lakes" number plate and directs that the residual amount of the special fee for the plate and royalties and proceeds from the commercial use of its design be deposited in the cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund. | Committee Voted: OTP (15-1) This bill was referred to the Ways and Means Committee on 2/6/2025, Referral Waived by Committee Chair, Senate Hearing TBD | Floor Decision 2/6/2025 |
| HB416-FN | prohibiting the intentional disposal of yard waste into the surface waters of the state. | Rosemarie Rung (Prime) | Water Quality | Support | This bill prohibits the intentional disposal of yard waste into the surface waters of the state and provides a penalty for doing so. | Committee Voted: Retain (15-1) | Bill will stay in committee and be worked on over the summer by the prime sponsor and NHDES |
| HB422-FN | increasing penalties for violations of the shoreland and water quality protection act. | Rosemarie Rung (Prime) | Watershed Protection | Support | This bill increases penalties for violations of the shoreland and water quality protection act. | Committee Voted: ITL (9-7) | Committee Voted ITL aka to Table the Bill |
| HB332 | allowing for the establishment of a village district to protect and remediate surface waters. | Rosemarie Rung (Prime) | Watershed Protection | Support | This bill allows for consistent environmental policies for towns that share a body of water. | Committee Voted: ITL (9-7) | Committee Voted ITL aka to Table the Bill |
| HB291 | removing certain penalties for incorrect application of fertilizers. | Erica Layon (Prime) | Water Quality/Enforcement | Oppose, Needs Amendment | This bill provides that violation of the statute regulating application of fertilizers on urban turf and lawn shall be a violation, rather than subject to the criminal penalties and fines otherwise applicable to the subdivision. | Bill Amended on 1/29 Committee Voted: OTP (15-1) | TBD |
| HB397 | establishing a multi-agency task force chaired by the Department of Safety | Will Darby (Prime) | Boating Safety/Watershed Protection | Support | This bill establishes a multi-agency task force to identify solutions to increase law enforcement presence and patrols on New Hampshire waterways. | Hearing Date 1/24/2025 | The committee has not yet announced when it will make its recommendation on the bill. |
Volunteer
If interested in finding out more about volunteer opportunities with LWA, please fill out the form!
Volunteer
Everyday Actions
Small Acts Make Big Changes
- Wash cars and boats away from the lake.
- Inspect your boat and trailer for invasive animal and plants.
- Never feed the ducks and geese.
- Never rake leaves or dump sand into the lake.
- Inspect and pump septic systems regularly.
- Put a bilge sock in your boat.
- Eliminate or reduce the use of household hazardous products.
- Stabilize soil with native plants and/or mulch to prevent erosion.
- Aid our lake protection efforts – become a member or donate to the LWA.
- Use phosphate free fertilizers and cleaning products.
- Keep the natural vegetation and buffer along the shoreline.
- Educate your friends and neighbors.
- Enjoy the beauty. It’s why we live here.
Here are some additional tips to enjoy the lake to its fullest:
- Simple actions can have a big impact!
- Be a clean boater! Use a bilge sock and follow clean boating practices.
- Use proper care when fueling your boat – do not top off the tank.
- Do not wash your boat in the lake – only at approved wash stations or away from the lake. Use nontoxic, chlorine and phosphate free cleaners.
- Use Pump Out Stations – it is illegal to discharge untreated sewage into the lake.
- Clean, drain, and dry your boat when trailering to help prevent the spread of invasive species from one waterbody to another.
January
Anything you throw into a river, stream, or even a storm drain is going to end up in the lake. Those tiny cigarette butts are litter too. Dispose of garbage properly and, yes you are going to hear it again, “Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!” and the fourth ‘R’ – Repair! Start the New Year off making a greater effort to reduce your trash output and increase your recycling.
Save yourself time and set up a few containers in your garage to sort recycling. You may want to sort your recycling as you go along or maybe it is easier to keep a smaller container under your sink and throw all recyclables in it until it is full and then sort it in the garage or wherever you choose to place your sorting center. It’s easy. It’s simple. It’s stupid not to do it.
February
Don’t be the stink of the neighborhood! Make sure your septic system is not leaking or overflowing by having the system inspected every three to five years and pumped whenever necessary (a recommended 2-3 years for permanent residents and 5-6 years for seasonal residents). If you do not take care of your tank properly, settled solids might wash into and clog your leach field as well as contaminate groundwater. Not only yucky but also very expensive to fix!
March
Time for spring-cleaning! Buy eco-friendly cleaners such as Seventh Generation/Harmony, Ecos, Earth Rite, Ecover, and Life Tree. Dispose of any hazardous household chemicals properly, not down sewer or storm drains. By reducing the amount of chemicals going into your septic system, your system will stay balanced and avoid the risk of groundwater contamination that may poison your well water and the lake. Storm drains run directly into the lake so it is important not to “pour” oil or any other hazardous chemicals into the drain. In the Lakes Region, Household Hazardous Waste Day is held on the last Saturday in July. For more information on where and when to dispose of your hazardous waste, contact your local town office or the Lakes Region Planning Commission (603-279-8171).
April
Celebrate Earth Day! Plant trees, shrubs, and flowers on shorefront property (vegetative buffers) as well as on other exposed areas near drainage systems. Vegetative buffers help remove sediments and other nutrients from runoff before entering the lake. Runoff traveling down driveways and camp roads directly into the lake may be diverted through the woods or into a vegetated buffer.
For examples of species that work well as vegetative buffers in New Hampshire environments, refer to the UNH Cooperative Extension’s “Landscaping at the Water’s Edge” publication or the “The Best Plants for New Hampshire Gardens or Landscapes”, both available through UNH Cooperative Extension. Belknap and Carroll County Conservation Districts hold an annual tree & shrub sale in April (ordering deadline is usually in Feb/Mar) which offer a large variety of native plants to choose from. Call BCCD at (603)527-5880 or CCCD at (603)447-2771 for details.
May
It’s time to build little Johnny that float you told him he could swim to once he was old enough. Construct docks and floats with environmentally friendly materials. Pressure treated and painted wood have chemicals proven to be harmful to living organisms. Cedar, redwood, cypress, recycled wood/plastic, and aluminum are all safe materials to use for dock and float construction.
June
Quack! Quack! You may be tempted to throw those cute waddling ducks a cracker, but think twice before you do. There is plenty of natural food for the ducks to feed on. Feeding them anything not naturally occurring in the watershed will put unnecessary amounts of nutrients (duck poop) in the lake. The excess nutrients (duck poop) act as excess fertilizer, which can result in algae blooms, not to mention increasing the chances of getting duck itch.
July
Are your neighbors not talking to you because they are utterly disgusted at the fact your lawn is brown? Well good for you! Grass is supposed to turn brown over those hot dry periods. Don’t worry, your grass isn’t dead; it’s just dormant. The grass is taking a nap and will turn green once again when the conditions are right.
If you are using fertilizer, do not try dumping more and more fertilizer on your lawn to turn it green. Most likely there is more than one reason for your lawn not being healthy. Have your soil tested by the UNH Soils Analytical Laboratory to find out how much fertilizer and what type you really need (for more information contact the UNH Cooperative Extension nearest you). If you don’t test your soil, try adding some lime to the lawn to counteract acidity and allow the nutrients present to be absorbed by the grass. A few other tips for keeping your lawn healthy are:
– Aerate the soil with an aerating machine.
– Leave grass clippings on your lawn to act as a natural fertilizer and irrigate your lawn.
– Keep grass long (at least 2 inches) to promote deeper roots and shade to discourage weeds.
– Make sure your lawn mower blade is sharp (if the tips of the grass are jagged after mowing, you need a sharper blade).
August
Going on vacation to enjoy the last few weeks of the summer sun? Bringing your boat with you? Don’t forget to make sure you are not transporting any nuisance species such as milfoil into our lake or into any other lake. Inspect your boat and trailer, particularly on the rollers of the trailer and on the boat motor. Put any plant material or anything else you find in a trash bag and dispose of properly. It is also recommended to wash your boat with very hot water away from the lake, flush the motor, and let it dry for two days before launching it into another body of water.
September
Don’t do it in the lake! Using soap or phosphorus-containing detergents to bathe, wash boats, or anything else for that matter may cause algae blooms by increasing phosphorus levels in the lake. Wash your car and boat over grass instead of paved driveways or concrete.
The grass and soil will help filter out the phosphorus instead of allowing it to run directly into the lake. And whether in the city or the country, cleaning up after “Benji” is a must so that we don’t end up swimming in his manure.
October
Wouldn’t it be so easy to just rake the leaves from the yard right into the stream behind our house? No mess, right? Wrong! Vegetative material will add phosphorus and other nutrients directly into the lake as well as create excellent habitat for leeches at your personal swimming area.
Keep leaf piles and brush piles at least 250 feet from the shoreline or 50 feet from any other drainage. Never dump leaf or brush piles into the lake or any other drainage area such as a stream, river, or storm drain.
November
Be like the pilgrims and serve a free-range turkey for Thanksgiving. It’s better for you and it’s better for the turkey. Gobble! Gobble!
Be thankful for the lake; join LWA and support our efforts in protecting the lake and surrounding watershed.
December
Are you tempted to buy one of those tacky frosty white artificial Christmas trees just like you had growing up? You may think an artificial tree is eco-friendly because you will use it year after year, but studies show that most people get rid of their fake trees after 6 years where they end up in a landfill. Artificial trees are also made with petroleum-based products, nonrenewable resources, which produce pollution during collection and synthesis of the products. Buy a real Christmas tree grown on a tree farm where the trees benefit wildlife habitat, stabilize soil, buffer water supplies, provide oxygen, and spread holiday cheer. For more information on Christmas trees go to realchristmastrees.org.