Comprehensive Lake InventoryComprehensive Lake Inventoryfor the Pleasant Lake Protective Associationfor the Pleasant Lake Protective Association

Colby-Sawyer CollegeInstitute for Community

and Environment

Mid-Project Presentation

20052005--2006 2006 CES Third Year Project TeamCES Third Year Project Team

Matt Urban Steve Hash

Loey Kenna

Carly Rademaker

AgendaAgenda

Class Activities What are Watersheds?The Inventory ExplainedA Typical Inventory QuestionWhat is GIS?Impervious Surface ExperimentPlans for the FutureQuestions and Comments

Class ActivitiesClass ActivitiesGetting Familiar with the CommunityGetting Familiar with the Community

Elkins MeetingGetting to know the people of Elkins. Understanding their concerns and desires.

HikesExploring the watershed, establishing a sense for our surroundings.

KayakingHaving a look at the lake from a different perspective. Viewing the perimeter and inlets.

Class ActivitiesClass ActivitiesLearning about the Surrounding EnvironmentLearning about the Surrounding Environment

Flora and FaunaIdentification of species within the watershedExample:

Red maple (Acer rubrum)Black bear

Macro InvertebratesStream ecology- species collection process Example:

StonefliesMayflies

Class ActivitiesClass ActivitiesData CollectionData Collection

Flow MeasurementMeasured flow and conductivity at each inlet

TidbitsMeasuring the waters temperature at different depths and graphing the results. Observing the Lake’s turnover. Tidbits were left in the water recording every five minutes for roughly 3 months.

Tidbit ChartTidbit Chart

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5Date

Tem

pera

ture

(C)

Temperature (*C) (1 m)Temperature (*C) (2.5 m)Temperature (*C) (8 m)

Class ActivitiesClass ActivitiesExpanding our KnowledgeExpanding our Knowledge

HydrologyMichael Simpson from Antioch New England Graduate School gave a lecture and guided tour of nearby watershed of Lake Sunapee.Providing insight to how the water flows within a watershed.

Impervious Surface Literature ReviewsMethodologyStorm-water managementTypes of impervious surfacesImpacts on wildlife

What is a Watershed?What is a Watershed?

Area of land which is not separated by political boundaries that contributes runoff into a common body of water

Merrimack River

Saco River

Upper Connecticut River

Androscoggin River

Lower Connecticut River

­

Pleasant Lake WatershedWithin The

Upper Blackwater River Watershed

Major Basin

Merrimack River

Upper ConnecticutRiver

Pleasant Lake

Frazier Brook

Upper Blackwater River

Lane River

Sunapee Lake

Sawyer Brook-Stocker Brook Eastman

Lake Sunapee

Little Lake Sunapee

­Sub-watershed

­

New London

Wilmot

Springfield

Why is Watershed Management Why is Watershed Management Important?Important?

Benefits the CommunityAestheticsHistorical preservationEconomicsBest practice development

Improves Environmental HealthWater qualityBiodiversity

Watershed HistoryWatershed History

Shift in ThinkingNatural verses political boundariesImportance of environmental issuesCitizen education and actionLand use and connectivity

Pleasant Lake Protective Association (1969)Our partner in completing the Inventory

The Inventory ExplainedThe Inventory Explained

Major GoalsEstablishes baseline informationProvides standardized methods Creates starting point for future management plans

CategoriesCategories

The Inventory has three main categories...

Recreational ValueWater clarity, restrictions, shoreline features

Unique or Outstanding ValueUnique/scenic features, habitat, open space

Susceptibility to ImpairmentShallow depth, exotic species, excessive recreation

AttributesAttributes

…and ten attributes:Geographical, Spatial, and Demographic InformationPhysical WaterbodyCharacteristicsWater Quality CharacteristicsBiological/Ecological Characteristics

Recreational CharacteristicsRestrictions or Prohibited UsesUnique CharacteristicsShorelandCharacteristicsWatershed CharacteristicsVisual/Aesthetic Characteristics

ScoringScoring

Recreational ValueRanked 1 – 5, with 1 being the lowest level of recreational value and 5 the highest

Unique or Outstanding ValueRanked 1 – 5, with 1 being the least unique or outstanding value and 5 the most.

Susceptibility to ImpairmentRanked 1 – 5, with 1 being the lowest level of susceptibility and 5 being the highest.

A Typical Inventory QuestionA Typical Inventory Question

ATTRIBUTE 2. PHYSICAL WATERBODY CHARACTERISTICS

Question A. Surface water area.

Directions – The New Hampshire Lakes and Ponds Inventory provides the best and most comprehensive source of information to answer this and many of the other questions for this section. The user(s) should contact NH DES Watershed Management Bureau to obtain a copy that has the most recent information for the waterbody.

Rationale – Surface water area is an important consideration when developing a management plan, as larger waterbodies will often require more complex strategies and innovative solutions for long-term protection or restoration of its natural resources. Also, it is important recognize the waterbody’srelative size as compared to other New Hampshire lakes and ponds.

A Typical Inventory QuestionA Typical Inventory Question

Evaluation Question

Comments, Actual Values or Computations

Evaluation Criteria Rec. Out. Sus.

A) Surface water area (acres excluding wetlands) Source of information

and date of survey:

1) 10 – 50 acres2) 51 – 100 acres3) 101 – 250 acres4) 251 – 1,000 acres5) > 1,000 acres

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One question may have fall into two evaluation categories

Evaluation Question

Comments, Actual Values or Computations

Evaluation Criteria Rec. Out. Sus.

A) Total resident population w/in 30 mile radius Source of information

and date of survey:

1) < 100,000 people2) 100,000 – 250,0003) 250,000 – 500,0004) 500,000 – 1,000,0005) > 1,000,000 people

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The Write The Write -- UpUp

Process Followed: Consulted the New Hampshire Lakes and Ponds Inventory Lake Trophic Data for Pleasant Lake.

Finding and Analysis: The surface area of Pleasant Lake is 605.90 acres.

Evaluation Criteria:Score:1.) 10 – 50 acres 12.) 51 – 100 acres 23.) 101 – 250 acres 34.) 251 – 1,000 acres 45.) >1,000 acres 5

Sources: New Hampshire Lakes and Ponds Inventory, Pleasant Lake. Lake Trophic Data.

Department of Environmental Services, 1997.

Assessment of Question: This question is adequate as stated.

Map ExampleMap Example

Some questions may require a map which will appear immediately after the write-up in the inventory

Waterbody Location in StateAttribute 1: Question A

­

Miles0 2 4

LegendPleasant Lake

New London Boundary

Digital data in NH GRANIT represent the efforts of the contributing agencies to record information from the cited source materials. Complex Systems Research Center (CSRC), under contract to the Office of State Planning (OSP), and in consultation with cooperating agencies, maintains a continuing program to identify and correct errorsi in these data. Neither OSP nor CSRC make any claim as to the validity or to any implied uses of these data.

Waterbody Location

What is GIS?What is GIS?

GIS = Geographic Information SystemA system for

CapturingManagingManipulatingDisplayingand Analyzing…Spatial Data

Data is input in layers, which can be overlaid or joined

GISGIS

We are using GIS to address many questions in the inventory:

Shoreland/Watershed development and land use.Shoreland/Watershed ownership.Protected lands within shoreland/watershed.Shoreland/Watershed topography (slope).Shoreland/Watershed geology and soils.Percents of impervious surface with the shoreland/watershed.

GISGIS

We are using GIS to address many questions in the inventory:

Shoreland/Watershed development and land use.Shoreland/Watershed ownership.Protected lands within shoreland/watershed.Shoreland/Watershed topography (slope).Shoreland/Watershed geology and soils.Percents of impervious surface with the shoreland/watershed.

Pleasant Lake

Pleasant Lake

250 ft. Buffer

Pleasant Lake

250 ft. Buffer

Buildings

Pleasant Lake

250 ft. Buffer

Buldings

Impervious SurfacesImpervious Surfaces

Defined:“Any material that prevents the infiltration of water into the soil” (Arnold & Gibbons 243)

Parking lots, lawns, roofs, roads, etc…

Associated problemsNon-point source polluter

Potential to increase turbidity, conductivity, pH

Decline in infiltration/percolationImpact wildlife

Threshold of DegradationThreshold of Degradation

% Impervious Surface Waterbody Status

Less than 10 percent Protected

10-30 percent Initial degradation/Impacted

Greater than 30 percent Heavily degraded

Brabec, Elizabeth, Stacey Schulte, and Paul L. Richards. "Impervious Surfaces and Water Quality: A Review of Current Literature and Its implications for Watershed Planning." Journal of Planning Literature May 2002

Our ExperimentOur Experiment

Percent imperviousnessThe role of slope on an impervious surfaceData collectionMaterials/Methodologies

Plans for Next SemesterPlans for Next Semester

Finalizing the Inventory Impervious Surface experiment and analysisRate of development

Bringing Together all the InformationFinal assessment of Pleasant Lake Watershed

Communicating FindingsFinal presentation in MayPublished project portfolio

The Third Year Project Team would like to thank the members of the Pleasant Lake Protective Association

for their help and input.

Special thanks to Kittie Wilson for all of her assistance with our project.

Questions?