Fecal bacteria advisory-Ellacoya State RV Park, Gilford NH
 

Tuesday, June 28, 2022, 5:04-pm ....... NHDES_Beaches .... http://www.twitter.com/NHDES_Beaches...90392198627330

So what could be the cause? Is it the Canada geese visiting the sandy beach at the $47 rv campground? Probably cannot aim the blame at people's pet dogs, here, because .... "Pets are not allowed, and anyone with a pet will be asked to leave." .... from the Ellacoya State RV Park list of rules

This is fecal bacteria which must be different than the cyanobacteria around Bear Island? The cyanobacteria is a green/blue streaky film atop the Lake Winnipesaukee water while the fecal bacteria is probably on the natural sandy Ellacoya beach with unknown appearance unless greenish goose poop is present? Greenish goose poop is like their Canada goose business card ..... they like to spread it around!

Believe that http://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/st...oya-state-park in Gilford is hooked up to the sewer line which goes to the treatment facility in Franklin, NH so is probably not a septic leak issue but one can never be too sure?

The Canada goose is a strong smart large bird capable of ice, snow, cold temps, wind, rain, sun and aggressive bald eagles, and will keep it going till age-20, or so. On Jan 15, 2009 a flock of Canada geese brought down US Airways Flight 1529 over the Hudson River in New York City in what became known as "the miracle on the Hudson."

They can run a test for species.

Regardless of the cause I would like to see a semi-annual one week massacre of Canada geese.

Bring forth all the weapons available and go medieval on those traveling poop dispensers.

Let them know they are no longer going to use our turf for their potty needs! :fire:

Tuesday, June 28, 2022, 7:51-am: Seabrook NH; ... http://www.twitter.com/NH_StatePolic...51118493093895 ..... so cute, a daddy and a mama goose crossing the road, there, with their six young geese .... and don't forget ..... they are not Canadian geese .... they are Canada geese ... aka honkers ... honk-honk-honk to that!

Canada geese are monogamous and can live for twenty years, and will weigh 10 to 15-lbs. So, maybe they like to stop and hit the sandy beach at Ellacoya RV Park en route from feeding on the nearby green grass lawn? Is a beautiful place.

Could just outlaw turf near the lakes.

How far back from the water would the no turf zone need to extend?

Feeding
 

But what would all the tourists in Meredith feed then

Depends on what they placed near the water.
Just a hedge row with a zag pattern can make geese a bit uneasy.

But you get geese all the way to Middleton because of the link between Winni and Waukewan. Of course a big turf area with nice long sight lines between two water ways is going to do that.

Outside the Shoreland Protection Zone...250'

Having a lawn on lakefront property is irresponsible. Period.

Having a lawn on lakefront property can be fine. Semi-colon.


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Well, as it starts to fill in and everyone has one... we'll have to wait and see.

June 30, 3-pm ... https://twitter.com/NHDES_Beaches/st...83998207098883 ...... Fecal bacteria advisory REMOVED st Ellacoya State RV Park ....... so, could be that said goose poop was removed and the sandy beach got raked, or something, IF this reported fecal bacteria was actually a result involving suspect Canada geese ....... honk-honk-honk? ..... cause is unknown? .... :D

Mama and papa goose and all the young teen-age gooses say honk-honk-honk ....... thank-you! ..... https://twitter.com/NH_StatePolice/s...51118493093895 ..... to the helpful state trooper in Seabrook, NH.

And don't forget ...... these are not Canadian geese ..... these are Canada geese! .... :eek2:

I don't want to get all "judgey" on this, but there's really no question that the best way for a shorefront owner to care for the lake is to leave at least 50' of natural plant buffer across most of their waterfront, stay away from fertilizers, and make sure your septic is properly maintained. If you "must" use fertilizer, look for phosphate-free (the middle number in the 3 number code will be zero).

Lake Winnipesaukee Association and DES both have more on their web sites. Last year LWA was doing free home visits to provide specific advice. I got one--it was really helpful and they were very friendly. I don't know if they are still doing this, but you could give them a call

My post was just a tongue-in-cheek response to dickie’s use of “Period” to indicate that there can only be one opinion. The latest fad term for this has been the nonsensical “Full stop”. I take no position on the lake lawn debate. [emoji3]


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We can thank all the lake front owners for the pollution.

Avoiding phosphate... which is easy to do... doesn't help anymore as the additional nitrogen run-off will still result.

I think we'd agree that the best thing to do is use no fertilizer. Ten or so states have banned phosphorous in fertilizer because it is especially bad for the water--promoting milfoil, cyanobacteria, and other harmful growth in lakes

Water quality
 

https://www.treehugger.com/phosphoru...-lakes-4856639

The large birds... Cormorants...Geese...and yes Loons are major phosphorus producers....they poop all day about 2 pounds per adult.

Loons and Cormorants eat fish all day, geese prefer plants.

Geese are major spreaders of Giardia and love phosphorus fed grass where they poop all night like Center Harbor. Some forum members think this is all funny...another alarmist misinformation campaign but it's not funny when you are locked in the bathroom for a week. I don't think it would be funny if your beachfront was covered in BG algae...might even entice you to sell.

No water quality no party. Pretty soon Braun Bay will have BG algae too. Property values tubulate when you can't swim. A good example is St.Albans Bay on Lake Champlain. Collectively it's all too much of a good thing.

The birds are a problem. Don't swim where geese congregate. Encourage young kids to try not to ingest lake water.

The lake is taking a beating. Blue green algae was on Kanasatka 3 years ago and the only place to go was Blackey's Cove.

Early ice out and warmer summers translates to algae blooms. It's the new normal. Kind of like back when you could say there's no Eurasian Milfoil on Winnipesaukee.

Just restating the obvious. For the sake of tourist dollars and property taxes you would think NH would take these problems on aggressively....or maybe it's too late.

So are you saying we should start hunting loons?


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Birds
 

If Loons are nesting in plain view in the channel they are doing well. It's a good thing they don't have 8 chicks.

I'm saying see them for what they are....large birds with big appetites that poop a lot.

Bird poop is one of the contributing factors in algae growth and disease. It all goes hand in hand if you think the lake is healthy and the status quo is fine you are as right as anyone who posts. Beach shutdowns for e coli and blue green algae speak for themselves. Weirs was actually as bad when sewage was going in the lake and large boats were discharging. Winnisquam in the 60s had large gobs of green algae on the beaches you could make into a ball and throw.

Happy 4th all... enjoy the best holiday in 3 years and stay safe.

Middleton Meredith sells only Bonide (or did) because Bonide uses bromide instead of phosphorous in anything but starter fertilizer. It was also why they did not sell an all-in-one product. By selling the starter separately we could take the time to explain to the customer how important it was to not over do it and have the extra end up in the surrounding lakes.

But I find none to be the best.
By mixing clover into the grass... the clover sets the nitrogen.

The birds have been here naturally for decades. Turfgrass and open area around the lake is the result of a human disturbance.
Two things you can't fight, capitalism and mother nature. Both are self-regulating - so our inputs have certain consequences.

This is not correct. Back in the 70’s 80’s and 90’s it was rare to see geese here if at all.

You are exactly right.

Rare... but they existed.
Their increase is due to the build out of habitat that suits them and a reduction in the predatory threats.

We also have environmental controls that reduce loss of eggs and young; as we no longer spray with certain items that get into the lakes and food supplies.

So better habitat and less predators equals more geese.

The problem is the lawns.

.... what about dogs and dog-walkers?
 

At this Ellecoya State RV Park beach ....... is it the Canada geese causing the recent fecal bacteria positive test or is it something else?

Everyone immediately aims their blame at the Canada gooses ..... but, WHO KNOWS, but maybe it came from dogs that get walked along that beach coming from the next door neighbor, Lake Shore Park dog-walkers, who are in the habit of walking their beloved pet doggie along that beautiful and very empty stretch of sandy beach.

This dog walking place-to-go could be the dog poop and dog urine reason why the beach tested positive by the NH-DES for fecal bacteria.

One of the rules for the Ellacoya State RV overnight campground, $47/night-use, is "Pets are not allowed, and anyone with a pet will be asked to leave." .... so, it's not the RV campers with their doggie, out there on the beach.

But it could be dogs and their human dog-walkers who go walk the RV-beach from nearby Lake Shore Park?

Whatever the cause, the NH Beach Inspector ... https://twitter.com/NHDES_Beaches ... REMOVED ... their fecal warning beach notice just one day later, so's it must have been quickly cleaned up, or someone got out there and raked the sandy beach, or something.

Am totally counting on the LaDaSun to hit the beach with a totally thorough news report, there, to get the scoop on this local beach poop! Is it the geese, or is it the dogs, or what is it?

The State can test for species.
It just doesn't go over well when it isn't the geese.

If it's the dogs from LSP, than why is the waters at LSP never at any dangerous levels? Constant dogs peeing and crapping along these shores!! And a dog beach right on the beach with everyone else swimming.
Just an observation from this side of the fence.

I don't think they know what it is from... if they had done the DNA sampling, I think they would have stated so.
But only State beaches are tested on a monthly basis during swim season.

Municipal and Private beaches have access to the Beach Monitoring program, but have to pay a fee and send the samples to be tested in. I believe that Laconia opted out a few years ago, and the State made them take down the signs that suggested it had been tested and was safe.

Laconia was geese. They had put in a nice big lawn area surrounding the Cove... which is ''deadwater''. It has no real current as I think Opechee was actually mostly a swamp before the Avery Dam was built to power the Belknap Mill.