Was The Lake Cleaner This Year?

Slickcraft · 10-22-2009, 03:32 PM

The UNH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program has many years of data including water clarity. A link to the 2007 report can be found here:
http://www.winnipesaukee.org/unh-llmp.htm

I did not find a copy of a 2009 report, probably not available yet. If someone involved in the program reads here, maybe they could offer an opinion on this year vs past years. They are out there making measurements on a regular basis,

fatlazyless · 10-22-2009, 06:34 PM

How about all those leeches that showed up this summer? Supposedly, the leeches want colder and cleaner water. Not too sure this is a good thing?

Airwaves · 10-22-2009, 08:50 PM

As a family that has been on the lake for more than 100 years I can tell you that we used to put our water pipe out from the cottage each spring and it would be 10 feet below the water surface.

That depth provided water for drinking that was acceptable!

Clarity? Chlorine helps but kills fish.

BroadHopper · 10-22-2009, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airwaves

As a family that has been on the lake for more than 100 years I can tell you that we used to put our water pipe out from the cottage each spring and it would be 10 feet below the water surface.

That depth provided water for drinking that was acceptable!

Clarity? Chlorine helps but kills fish.

The family drank the lake water from 1898 up til about the mid 80's when Samoset Condominium was put in. We notice the turbidity of the water turn worse. We decided to put in an artesian well.

LIforrelaxin · 10-23-2009, 10:21 AM

You are all missing the point.... You see the lake was so much safer this year that people like White Rock just used there boats more? More use less crude build up on the bottom.

ok now onto my take.... I think this all depends on where in the lake you are located. White Rock Mentions Lake Port so I assume his boat is moored down in that area... all the water flows through there... The flow was high this year thus the water kept in motion and kept slime from building up.

If you are in areas of the lake where the water sees less natural movement you probably didn't notice much difference....

Thats my take and I am sticking to it......

kchace · 10-23-2009, 11:03 AM

I definitely believe the water was clearer this year. In late July I was anchoring in over 20' of water and could easily see the anchor sitting on the bottom. In past years 12-15' was the deepest I could even get a glimpse of it.

Ken

OCDACTIVE · 10-23-2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

You are all missing the point.... You see the lake was so much safer this year that people like White Rock just used there boats more? More use less crude build up on the bottom.

ok now onto my take.... I think this all depends on where in the lake you are located. White Rock Mentions Lake Port so I assume his boat is moored down in that area... all the water flows through there... The flow was high this year thus the water kept in motion and kept slime from building up.

If you are in areas of the lake where the water sees less natural movement you probably didn't notice much difference....

Thats my take and I am sticking to it......

I agree, I am up in northern part in Moultonborough by Suissvale. Frankly I did not see much of a difference at all. I still had to clean the sides daily to avoid a line (and I pull my boat every week) All white boat you see EVERYTHING... even with 15 coats of wax / polish.

I don't think that is because the lake is any less or more clean. In my cove the wind usually blows right at my dock so I get a build up of pollen as well as weeds etc when the wind is kick'n. One thing I can say for certain was the pollen in the lake early this year seemed on the higher side.

gtxrider · 10-23-2009, 07:45 PM

Here is a picture of clear water taken on Sept. 28th off in Alton Bay. In August it more of a brown tint.

Please excuse my attempt at jocularity.

Grant · 10-24-2009, 08:13 AM

From a diver's perspective, visibility was about average this year.

The biggest decline in water quality has really been over the past 25-30 years. My family has been in the same location since 1945, and still draws water from the Lake (although we stopped drinking Lake/tap water years ago). But overall turbidity has escalated dramatically in my lifetime (I'm 48, and have spent every year on Winnipesaukee, most of it snorkeling & SCUBA diving). Then again, the number of houses, lawns and boats has increased quite a bit, too. But overall, Winnipesaukee remains pretty clear.

I think temperature had a lot to do with clarity this year as well -- it never really got warm enough to spur those MASSIVE algae blooms that've become a staple of August over the past ten years or so. I saw far less green algae in open water than usual in August & September. This is a good thing, but all you need is another warm summer and it'll be back.

Rinkerfam · 10-24-2009, 08:24 AM

OCDACTIVE- I have found that some waxes actually attract the stuff that results in a scum line. As you have found, more coats doesn't necessarily provide more protection.

jrc · 10-24-2009, 09:21 AM

The lake water seem clearer to me this year. My unscientific observations:

I just pulled the boat after being in the water since May, the bottom is noticably cleaner. I slip the boat is a very protected spot, so this has nothing to do with traffic. I'm guessing the rain kept the water flushing out of our little cove more than usual.

On the other hand I've noticed that I could see a lot deeper than usual at my favorite anchoring spots. I could consistently see 20' down behind Timber. I startled myself a few times, thinking I was off course in some familiar routes because I could see rocks, that I never noticed before. My guess is that this was because of the reduced boat traffic and calmer weather.

It's obvious that because of the gas prices last year, poor weather and recession this year, boat traffic has been down for two years.

I also feel like the weather was less windy this year. I don't have scientific data to back it up and my observations were mostly weekends. But I seem to remember more days in previous years with high winds. A lot of rain this year but not that much wind.

OCDACTIVE · 10-25-2009, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rinkerfam

OCDACTIVE- I have found that some waxes actually attract the stuff that results in a scum line. As you have found, more coats doesn't necessarily provide more protection.

Do you know what types attract the lines? I have been using this new stuff called leverage and it doesn't seem to attract the scum. My only problem is when the wind kicks up it pushes everything into my dock, weeds, pollen, etc and it causes the line. Easilty brushed off because of the wax and polish but it still happens. If you happen to know the products that attract please let me know so that I can avoid them in the future.

VtSteve · 10-25-2009, 08:12 AM

This was the first year I used Gel Coat Labs polish/sealer on the hull bottom. I slip the boat all season, and the pollen was pretty bad. With a light brush and sponge, it was far easier to get the lines and crud off at the beach than last year with no product. I do put on a coat of Flagship Premium wax, but just for the heck of it, not needed.

I do one coat of the polisher/sealer, then one more coat of the sealer alone. Boat stays pretty darn clean, and washes easily. The true test came with the squares left from the jackstands. I couldn't get to them due to poor planning. They were cray hard to get off the crud with anything.

Kracken · 10-23-2009, 11:59 AM

I noticed the water did seem clearer out near Rattlesnake, however in Alton Bay it was not. I took the boat out of the water just about every time I used it this summer and I needed to clean the hull each time.

You know what they say about…."stuff" flowing down hill. Maybe Alton Bay got all the…."stuff" from the rest of the lake.

Dave R · 10-27-2009, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

The UNH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program has many years of data including water clarity. A link to the 2007 report can be found here:
http://www.winnipesaukee.org/unh-llmp.htm

I did not find a copy of a 2009 report, probably not available yet. If someone involved in the program reads here, maybe they could offer an opinion on this year vs past years. They are out there making measurements on a regular basis,

I appreciate the fact that this UNH-LLMP does this work, but I wish they'd publish all of their annual reports in one place on the web. There's no way to tell how things are trending by studying one year's worth of data. Does anyone have any reports older than 2007?

10-22-2009, 03:32 PM	#1
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and The Taylor Community Posts: 3,303 Thanks: 1,223 Thanked 2,093 Times in 956 Posts	The UNH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program has many years of data including water clarity. A link to the 2007 report can be found here: http://www.winnipesaukee.org/unh-llmp.htm I did not find a copy of a 2009 report, probably not available yet. If someone involved in the program reads here, maybe they could offer an opinion on this year vs past years. They are out there making measurements on a regular basis, Last edited by Slickcraft; 10-22-2009 at 07:01 PM. Reason: $@&# typo*

10-22-2009, 06:34 PM	#2
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,754 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,010 Times in 736 Posts	How about all those leeches that showed up this summer? Supposedly, the leeches want colder and cleaner water. Not too sure this is a good thing? __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

10-23-2009, 10:21 AM	#5
LIforrelaxin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Texas, Lake Ray Hubbard and NH, Long Island Winnipesaukee Posts: 2,871 Thanks: 1,037 Thanked 892 Times in 524 Posts	You are all missing the point.... You see the lake was so much safer this year that people like White Rock just used there boats more? More use less crude build up on the bottom. ok now onto my take.... I think this all depends on where in the lake you are located. White Rock Mentions Lake Port so I assume his boat is moored down in that area... all the water flows through there... The flow was high this year thus the water kept in motion and kept slime from building up. If you are in areas of the lake where the water sees less natural movement you probably didn't notice much difference.... Thats my take and I am sticking to it...... __________________ Life is about how much time you can spend relaxing... I do it on an island that isn't really an island.....

10-23-2009, 07:45 PM	#8
gtxrider Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Piscataway, NJ Posts: 1,030 Thanks: 2 Thanked 46 Times in 24 Posts	Clear Water Here is a picture of clear water taken on Sept. 28th off in Alton Bay. In August it more of a brown tint. Please excuse my attempt at jocularity. Attached Images

10-24-2009, 08:13 AM	#9
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,500 Thanks: 375 Thanked 230 Times in 124 Posts	From a diver's perspective, visibility was about average this year. The biggest decline in water quality has really been over the past 25-30 years. My family has been in the same location since 1945, and still draws water from the Lake (although we stopped drinking Lake/tap water years ago). But overall turbidity has escalated dramatically in my lifetime (I'm 48, and have spent every year on Winnipesaukee, most of it snorkeling & SCUBA diving). Then again, the number of houses, lawns and boats has increased quite a bit, too. But overall, Winnipesaukee remains pretty clear. I think temperature had a lot to do with clarity this year as well -- it never really got warm enough to spur those MASSIVE algae blooms that've become a staple of August over the past ten years or so. I saw far less green algae in open water than usual in August & September. This is a good thing, but all you need is another warm summer and it'll be back. __________________ "When I die, please don't let my wife sell my dive gear for what I told her I paid for it."

10-22-2009, 08:50 PM	#3
Airwaves Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: I'm right here! Posts: 1,153 Thanks: 9 Thanked 102 Times in 37 Posts	As a family that has been on the lake for more than 100 years I can tell you that we used to put our water pipe out from the cottage each spring and it would be 10 feet below the water surface. That depth provided water for drinking that was acceptable! Clarity? Chlorine helps but kills fish.

10-23-2009, 11:03 AM	#6
kchace Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Brookline and Moultonborough NH Posts: 100 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I definitely believe the water was clearer this year. In late July I was anchoring in over 20' of water and could easily see the anchor sitting on the bottom. In past years 12-15' was the deepest I could even get a glimpse of it. Ken

10-24-2009, 08:24 AM	#10
Rinkerfam Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 268 Thanks: 0 Thanked 14 Times in 8 Posts	OCDACTIVE- I have found that some waxes actually attract the stuff that results in a scum line. As you have found, more coats doesn't necessarily provide more protection. __________________ Education is hanging around 'til you've caught on - Frost

10-24-2009, 09:21 AM	#11
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	The lake water seem clearer to me this year. My unscientific observations: I just pulled the boat after being in the water since May, the bottom is noticably cleaner. I slip the boat is a very protected spot, so this has nothing to do with traffic. I'm guessing the rain kept the water flushing out of our little cove more than usual. On the other hand I've noticed that I could see a lot deeper than usual at my favorite anchoring spots. I could consistently see 20' down behind Timber. I startled myself a few times, thinking I was off course in some familiar routes because I could see rocks, that I never noticed before. My guess is that this was because of the reduced boat traffic and calmer weather. It's obvious that because of the gas prices last year, poor weather and recession this year, boat traffic has been down for two years. I also feel like the weather was less windy this year. I don't have scientific data to back it up and my observations were mostly weekends. But I seem to remember more days in previous years with high winds. A lot of rain this year but not that much wind.

10-25-2009, 08:12 AM	#13
VtSteve Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,320 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 230 Thanked 361 Times in 169 Posts	This was the first year I used Gel Coat Labs polish/sealer on the hull bottom. I slip the boat all season, and the pollen was pretty bad. With a light brush and sponge, it was far easier to get the lines and crud off at the beach than last year with no product. I do put on a coat of Flagship Premium wax, but just for the heck of it, not needed. I do one coat of the polisher/sealer, then one more coat of the sealer alone. Boat stays pretty darn clean, and washes easily. The true test came with the squares left from the jackstands. I couldn't get to them due to poor planning. They were cray hard to get off the crud with anything.

10-23-2009, 11:59 AM	#14
Kracken Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Alton Posts: 223 Thanks: 46 Thanked 130 Times in 50 Posts	I noticed the water did seem clearer out near Rattlesnake, however in Alton Bay it was not. I took the boat out of the water just about every time I used it this summer and I needed to clean the hull each time. You know what they say about…."stuff" flowing down hill. Maybe Alton Bay got all the…."stuff" from the rest of the lake.