Alton Erosion

[JL Girl]

Just as you come in to Alton Bay from West Alton, to your right is an enclosed little bay with summer camps dotting the hillside in the back part of the bay. From one central piece of the hillside, there seems to be a dirt or rock area from nearly the top of the hill going down to the water. During the winter, there seemed to be some sort of a retainage net there. Have been curious for some time - was there some sort of a landslide or erosion there. Seems to me (I could be mistaken) that it wasn't always like that years ago. Finally decided to ask the Forum; am sure that wise "upthesaukee" knows the answer or gh from alton.

[ApS]

Not "upthesuakee" or "gh" here, but you might have seen a "silt fence".

In my post last week, a "silt fence" appears across the bottom of the photograph (http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showpost.php?p=18926&postcount=27). (At least parts of it appear above the mud).

A "Silt Fence" can be defined as a DES requirement to give the appearance that the state cares about mud flowing into Lake Winnipesaukee at construction sites. However, I have a collection of photographs that show the black plastic is mere "window-dressing".

The worst example shows the entire silt fence residing in the lake.

They are hap-hazardly installed: some don't even touch the ground. The ones that do touch the ground are pushed -- with mud --into the lake by rain storms. The sudden appearance of added hay bales is a sign that somebody :confused: has complained about it.

Grrr. :rolleye1:

[Onshore]

I think what you are looking at is The Alton Bay Christian Camp. About a year and a half ago there was a fire which destroyed 4 camps immediately adjacent to the water. Some of the dirt or rock that you are seeing is temporary fill placed to access the site in order to clean up and stabilize it after the fire. The same access is being used to allow the reconstruction. The "retainage net" you mention is probably one of a variety of erosion and sedimentation control methods that have been employed on site.

[upthesaukee]

I think you're right...It would be a little bay (called Back Bay) that is on the right as you are coming into the bay, about a half mile east of Sandy Point Restaurant. It is the site of the fire that destroyed the three cottages (and thankfully not more). Hopefully, the cottages will be rebuilt soon, and return that end of the inlet to its former nice view.

[JL Girl]

Thanks for the replies and now I know what happened. Have you ever driven by something a number of times and wonder what went wrong there - I think about that place every time I go by it and figured I'd get off my duff and find out from the only people who know - the Forum-ites! My memory of years back was that there were cottages on the hill not the swath of dirt. Again, thanks, all!