Who's in charge of Winnipesaukee runoff?

[ApS]

In 1999, a microburst carried my east-neighbor's leachfield into Winnipesaukee. Oh well...stuff happens.

These most recent rains, however, carried off my west-neighbor's leachfield into Winnipesaukee. This was a recently-abandoned leachfield that a spec-built McMansion got built into — its foundation taking up about 10% of the old leachfield. The remaining 90% is now in the lake. At Winnipesaukee's highest level this past week, the shoreline waters have been a milky-white color, with about 200 feet of the shoreline's fine sand replaced by gravel.

The required "silt fence" has been knocked down about six times by rain runoff. (This spec-McMansion is now entering its third year of construction).

Presently, that McMansion's neighbor (another spec-McMansion built two years ago) shared leachfield has been eroded around its base from runoff. The source of the runoff and the spec-McMansion owner are real estate buddies, and are cozy with Town government.

To their credit, the Town's Code Enforcement has been responsive, and has repeatedly had "The Health Department look at it". However, the Health Department has never responded to my requests to call back.

DES did not return my two recent (and only) telephone messages — nor my one (and only) e-mail.

Yes, this is a big lake, and can probably take these minor environmental "insults"...

But!

[GTO]

Hey, be thankful it did not happen along the river in Lowell or Lawrence

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

Who's in charge of Winnipesaukee runoff?

It would seem the Almighty Dollar.

[Pineedles]

I think we've seen too much preferential treatment of those who are "connected". If you are taxpayer and you have a health concern about for the area surrounding your property or your property itself you should be kept informed as to what is happening. Remember, you can't see underground and what you assume to be a runoff into the lake, it could be traveling underground onto YOUR property.

Are any of our local newshounds looking for a story?

[Grant]

I think Pineedles is on to something...

Contact the Laconia Citizen, the Union Leader, etc., with details of the cases -- and let them know the background. This is incredibly negligent, and if it's happening in so many instances in one area, imagine how often it is happening around the lake. Granted, we can't do anything about "progress" (read: McMansion development), but making sure that existing codes are enforced should be table stakes.

[fatlazyless]

Don't waste your time contacting the Laconia Citizen. It's all about selling advertising and is very short on articles and editorials. However, the freebie tabloid give-a-way paper, the Laconia Sun has a much better editorial, done by a different writer in each issue. Better editorials, better letters, better articles and better classidied ads, plus it's a freebie give-a-way. They must be eating the Citizen for breakfast or something. Another crummy paper is the Meredith News....all ads and no content....just some local color. That was a better paper when it was a .50 cent stand-alone tabloid, and not a .75 cent broad sheet linked up with about five other simila NH paper owned all by the same company. Blah - blah- blah....what was the subject? Tuftonboro septc systems that were washed into the lake with the recent heavy rains. And, what could have prevented that in the first place?