Bacteria at Weirs Beach

[fatlazyless]

So I stopped off at the public $10.00 beach at Weirs Beach today to use it as a starting point for kayaking on the Weirs channel, and first I was surprised to see that the ten dollar fee was not being collected, and second there were about six bright yellow NH DES warning signs spaced evenly along the water's edge at the water's edge of the sandy beach that warned people about high levels of bacteria. For a hot & humid day, the beach was very quiet and empty, and there were maybe five people in the water.

Doing a Google search for 'bacteria Weirs Beach' I came up with a WMUR July 2, 2010 article about bacteria at Weirs Beach, but not much else in the way of news reports. Anyone know if the beach there has been continually posted for bacteria by the NH DES since July 2 or have seen any other related news articles? Is it e coli bacteria? Is it the sandy beach or is it the water, or is it both the sand and the water?

Not having to pay the ten dollars entry fee to park a car for kayaking on the channel........what a deal....... (sarcasm light illuminated here)!

[beagle]

FLL, if you go to this site
http://des.nh.gov/media/enews/index.htm
you can sign up for email beach advisories. DEP will advise of beach closures for both bacteria and cyanobacteria.

[SAMIAM]

Thanks,Beagle I signed up.

[kauriel]

Public beach was open 7/24 & 7/25. Beaches are often closed for a few days after heavy rain until there have been a few clean readings. A lot of beaches have been closed in New England this summer, but the closings do not usually last very long.

[Skip]

HERE is a very good article in today's Citizen detailing the bacteria problem some beaches have been having this season, and some of the reasons for same.

[ITD]

From the article Skip references:

"........ there have been anecdotal reports of recreational vehicles in the area emptying their waste tanks into drainage basins with subsequent e. coli spikes later recorded in nearby lakes."

That's just gross, some people are pigs. I've also seen some, ahem, "slicks" on the lake that I thought were from boats with illegal discharge valves, I didn't want to get close enough to "verify" it, but if it looks like a duck........

[jrc]

If you see a boat you suspect is dumping call the DES and the MP. The DES guys come to the boat and test it. They check in the marinas a lot. We actually have let the DES boat use a small spare dock in our marina.

Remember NH is stricter than most states, like all states you cannot dump "black" water from toilets. But here you cannot dump "gray" water from showers and sinks either. Gray water usually exits above water. If you see dirty or soapy water exiting a boat call the DES or MP.

NH boats must not discharge gray water.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by jrc

If you see a boat you suspect is dumping call the DES and the MP. The DES guys come to the boat and test it. They check in the marinas a lot. We actually have let the DES boat use a small spare dock in our marina.

Remember NH is stricter than most states, like all states you cannot dump "black" water from toilets. But here you cannot dump "gray" water from showers and sinks either. Gray water usually exits above water. If you see dirty or soapy water exiting a boat call the DES or MP.

NH boats must not discharge gray water.

JRC is absolutely correct, and gray water discharge is one of the least understood, and all to common, inland water pollution violations.

Click HERE for a neat little fact sheet courtesy of NHDES!

[pm203]

Is the majority of the lake safe to swim in or is it just in these particular affected areas?

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by pm203

Is the majority of the lake safe to swim in or is it just in these particular affected areas?

Only where people frequent... That should tell you something...

[ITD]

I would call on a boat discharging in a heartbeat, unfortunately I've only come upon the result, with no boats within miles. Again, I'm not 100 percent sure it was sewage, didn't want to get that close, but it really did look bad.

[fatlazyless]

About twelve days straight now with the DES posted beach signs for bacteria down at the beach at Weirs Beach! Was back over there today to do some more kayaking, and lo & behold, the ten dollar collection fee was being collected by the city. Apparently, people want to go to the beach and enjoy the water, bacteria or no bacteria, because there was plenty of people, like maybe 40 or so, in the water.

One of the employees collecting the ten bucks was saying how they should get the latest DES test results back on Monday, and they are sure hoping that the bacteria test levels have fallen enough so they can lose the yellow DES signs. The state does the testing and posting of signs, and it is up to the individual town as to how it wants to run their local beach. Nobody really seems to care too much; bacteria or no bacteria, high bacteria or low bacteria; it's August, they are at the beach and they want to go get in that Winnipesaukee water, and that's what everyone is going to do, so the bacteria will just be ignored.....like, so what, big deal....bacteria....too bad! Who knows, maybe there is good bacteria, and bad bacteria, and some bacteria which is just so-so bacteria. Could be the Weirs bacteria is probably the good bacteria, or at least the so-so bacteria?

Someone was saying that it has to do with the beach at Weirs Beach being located in a shallow water area without too much circulation, and how hopefully the big winds of Friday and Saturday, plus the cooler weather would be enough to churn & burn all the bacteria down to DES acceptable levels. And, maybe it has to do with people feeding the ducks, too!

For ten dollars to park in their parking lot that's real close to the Channel, I took a pass on Weirs Beach, and headed up to the Winnipesaukee River kayak launch that's close to the Laconia City Hall. That is a no-charge, freebie, and can be used in tandem with the Winnisquam state boat launch which is further down the Winnipesaukee River, and very close to Lake Winnisquam.

[VitaBene]

Maybe we can pull the NWZ closer to get more wave action (or beach a few of those big cruisers and get them to churn the water up )

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Someone was saying that it has to do with the beach at Weirs Beach being located in a shallow water area without too much circulation

I do find it interesting though that Weirs beach has this problem with the outflow of the channel located right next to it.If any place would get flushed out,you would think this would be the one.

[ITD]

You know, I went by there on my Jet ski on Sunday and counted at least 7 or 8 dogs, that I could see on the rocks by the channel. Most of the them large. Probably many more that I couldn't see. All seemed well behaved and on leashes but maybe it's time to try a dog ban and see if the problem goes away........

[nvtngtxpyr]

Originally Posted by ITD

You know, I went by there on my Jet ski on Sunday and counted at least 7 or 8 dogs, that I could see on the rocks by the channel. Most of the them large. Probably many more that I couldn't see. All seemed well behaved and on leashes but maybe it's try a dog ban and see if the problem goes away........

Not trolling, are you?

[ITD]

Originally Posted by nvtngtxpyr

Not trolling, are you?

Actually not, just takes a few loads of "puppy manure" left behind plus a heavy rain to cause the problems they are seeing at the Weirs. We seem to be getting the heavy rains once or twice a week this year, do the math.

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by ITD

Actually not, just takes a few loads of "puppy manure" left behind plus a heavy rain to cause the problems they are seeing at the Weirs. We seem to be getting the heavy rains once or twice a week this year, do the math.

Yea, dogs, yea that's the problem over there. Pay no attention to the 800lb gorilla in the center of the room.

Maybe some better policing of the sanitary concerns on any given day at that beach would help with keeping the water bacteria free. Floating baby diaper anyone, just one of the many issues seen when traversing the channel by boat on any given summer day.

[ITD]

Originally Posted by jmen24

Yea, dogs, yea that's the problem over there. Pay no attention to the 800lb gorilla in the center of the room.

Maybe some better policing of the sanitary concerns on any given day at that beach would help with keeping the water bacteria free. Floating baby diaper anyone, just one of the many issues seen when traversing the channel by boat on any given summer day.

Yea, that too!!

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by jmen24

Yea, dogs, yea that's the problem over there. Pay no attention to the 800lb gorilla in the center of the room.

Maybe some better policing of the sanitary concerns on any given day at that beach would help with keeping the water bacteria free. Floating baby diaper anyone, just one of the many issues seen when traversing the channel by boat on any given summer day.

Yup! Seen that more than once and it is disgusting. Any parent who let's their child go swimming in a dirty diaper needs some serious help!!

It's not the dogs, it's not the powerboats, it's not the geese, and it's not runoff from the street... It's people with no hygiene or parenting skills that cause most of this!

Dan

[Jeanzb1]

We live about seven miles south from Weirs but have bacteria of a different kind -- gloeotrichia. Yesterday (and last summer) I spoke to DES about it and was told there is definitely a level of toxicity in it but not enough research has been done on this specific bacteria as of now. It appears as white specks suspended in the water column, but upon closer inspection the white specks are actually greenish-brown spores. DES did say that it is phosphate-related.

[fatlazyless]

As of yesterday afternoon, Wednesday August 11, the half dozen NH DES bright yellow bacteria signs were still in place at the Weirs Beach beach. It's not like the beach doesn't want to lose the signs. No doubt, no one is too happy having them in place, and there is a sign placed at the ten dollar point of sale, on the gazebo, so beach goers know up-front what they are getting into before they pay for admittance.

So far, it's been about fifteen days of bacteria, sign time.

What this story needs is more information about the what, why, where, when and how come, and who knows waht & why!

Last summer, for about one week in July, the 7-acre, stream fed and dammed, 10' deep Corcoran Pond, up in Waterville Valley, was posted with similar NH DES yellow signs, and the Town of Waterville Valley closed the town beach and pond for about one week until a new test showed improved results.

Could be the bacteria at Weirs Beach is some type of naturally occurring bacteria what with the local geese and the recent high heat? What's needed is more information.

[BroadHopper]

I see them defacating the water all the time! The canadian Geese are a bit nasty!

I never experience 'duck itch' until last Tuesday. I was swimming off Union Cemetary in Laconia when a dozen ducks swam over to join us. That was funny to swim with ducks. Later when I got home I was itching all over with red rashes on my skin. After a good hot shower and aloe vera lotion, I was good to go.

And no I was not sun burned.

[fatlazyless]

Well, it looks like yesterday Friday the 13th, turned out to be the lucky day that the NH DES yellow informational signs were removed from the beach area at Weirs Beach. So, after about 2 1/2 weeks, the WARNING-BACTERIA signs are gonzo, and while the beach was never closed, the signs are gone for now. Similar signs still remain at the Laconia public beach on Lake Opeechee, which is about three miles down stream along the Winnipesaukee River from Weirs Beach and Paugus Bay, and below the large Lakeport Dam outflow.

What was not been mentioned is what was causing the bacteria, and related information? Anybody know?

[VtSteve]

DNA can confirm the source(s). The Weirs beach has had this problem on an off for many decades. Waterfowl can certainly cause a problem. After this many days, I would have expected a constant source than birds or dogs. Have any particularly large families or RV's left the area recently?

Birds are a Huge source of contamination, particularly in areas where people feed them. Given that the beach had signs posted for two weeks with limited people, I would have suspected a nearby problem upstream.

[fatlazyless]

Thursday August 19, 2010: The Town of Gilford closed its Lake Winnipesaukee beach due to the NH DES posting signs for high bacteria counts. Two neighboring towns, Laconia and Gilford react differently to the NH DES bacteria reports; one town decides to close its' beach while the other, Laconia, operates its' Weirs Beach beach, business as usual, and leaves the decision up to the $10.00/car beach visiter. Gilford town beach is 1100' long which makes it the longest single stretch of beach on the entire lake. Laconia'a Lake Opechee has been posted since about July 28 and remains open.

Understanding beaches and bacteria levels is pretty complicated stuff, and for a good explanation suggest you visit the New Hampshire Dept Enviromental Services website and its explanation for their different green, yellow, and red colored Warning-Bacteria signs that it posts, when necessary, along the waters edge of New Hampshire lakes and ponds as they get inspected.