New Hampshire’s lakes are iconic and pristine, a draw for thousands of visitors, a place to swim, fish and skate, and an economic underpinning for inns, restaurants, marinas and whole communities.
But there’s a growing threat to these treasures: This past winter’s warm temperatures, scarce lake ice, heavy rains and muddy runoff have laid the foundation for a potential fifth consecutive year of record-setting bacteria growth in our ponds and lakes. Cyanobacteria produce toxins that can cause short-term health problems like throat, nose and eye irritation, and long-term exposure has been linked to kidney, liver and central nervous system damage. Once a bloom is in place, people and pets need to stay out of the water.
Since 2003, more than 100 bodies of water in New Hampshire have been affected, last year a record 69 public health advisories were issued for blooms at 47 lakes and ponds. The blooms — usually blue-green but sometimes yellow or even black — thrive on warm water, and they feed on nutrients like phosphorus that are washed into lakes and ponds by heavy rains. In other words, cyanobacteria’s prevalence can be linked to the warm winters, higher lake temperatures and torrential storms brought about by climate change in New Hampshire.
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Passage of two bills in front of the New Hampshire Legislature now can help us at least slow the escalation of cyanobacteria.
First, House Bill 1143 would require the Department of Environmental Services to monitor, manage, and reduce the risk of cyanobacteria blooms under the Clean Lakes Program, meaning that regular annual funding would be available to provide treatments to control the bacteria. A one-time $1 million allocation in 2023 was quickly eaten up treating only a handful of projects. Early detection and the physical removal of the cyanobacteria blooms before they become dangerous — and chemical treatments and efforts to block nutrient runoff — all are expensive. A second bill would provide long-term solutions to the nutrient runoff feeding algae. The largest source of runoff comes from septic systems built too close to the water, or simply failing. House Bill 1113 requires any septic system within 250 feet of a lake or pond to be evaluated when the home is sold and if the system is found with signs of failure or is in failure, it must be replaced.
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Finally, there is the question of the much longer solution to the problem.
This winter has driven home the need for New Hampshire’s business and tourism leadership to start advocating for solutions on climate change. Skating, skiing, ice fishing, ice climbing — they are all being hit hard by the disappearance of our winters. This is not a partisan issue — it is an economic issue, a jobs issue, a quality of life issue. New Hampshire’s economy is built on New Hampshire’s snow, lakes, ice and its beauty. A recent NH LAKES study found that New Hampshire surface waters attract nearly 15 million visitor days annually, supporting between 10,900 and 17,600 full- and part-time jobs, and generate household income between $395 million and $487 million every year.
But our state is falling badly behind on measures needed to stop our climate from changing. New Hampshire is the only state in New England that will not set legally binding goals to cut carbon emissions. Unlike Vermont and Massachusetts, New Hampshire has said “no” to an eventual transition to all-electric new car sales. It is falling badly behind on an electric car charging infrastructure. And it is trailing other states on the kinds of incentives that make putting in solar and wind affordable to help us transition away from oil and gas.
Nature has supported all of us in the Granite State. We need to return the favor.
Senator David Watters (District 4) serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources, Transportation, and Capital Budget Committees. Andrea LaMoreaux is President and Policy Advocate at NH LAKES.