[Lakegeezer]

The article linked to by Merrymeeting shows how good we have it here in the Winnipesaukee watershed basin. Much of Lake Winnipesaukee is pristine with algae blooms infrequent and widely scattered. We have a good watershed, and are a head water source of the Merrimack watershed, leading out to the sea.

Within our lifetimes, this could change. Traffic, population and building growth will add additional stress to the ecosystem. Without widespread use of best practices, the result is additional silt to fill up the lake and nutrients to promote plant growth.

You can tell how your part of the lake is doing by looking at the bottom. If it is sandy, you are probably in good shape. However, as the lake ages, additional parts change from a sandy bottom to a mucky one. Once the muck gets more than a few inches deep, it is difficult to recover large areas back to a pristine nature.

Hopefully we will learn about any tipping points well ahead of time. With local support, it might be possible to sustain the Winnipesaukee watershed as pristine until the end of the century. That's only 86 years away.