Dwight Baldwin
Chair, Lake Protection Committee
As can be seen in the report below, the water quality of Chocorua Lake continued to be excellent through the spring, summer and fall of 2016. Water clarity, chlorophyll-a (a measure of suspended algal growth) and total phosphorous were all well within the excellent range.
Accessory water-quality measurements also indicate that the lake is a healthy aquatic ecosystem. The pH (acidity) of the wager was about neutral (pH = 7.0), and the low specific conductance indicates low amounts of dissolved solids (either human-caused contaminants or naturally-occurring substances) in the water. The slight color is attributed to the input of dissolved organic material from the wetlands through which the Chocorua River flows before entering the lake. The low alkalinity of the water reflects the absence of soluble carbonate minerals in the bedrock that underlies the watershed.
The full report will be available through the NHLLMP web site at: https://extension.unh.edu/Volunteer/NH-Lakes-Lay-Monitoring-Program
Editors’ Note: Funding for the Chocorua Lake water quality monitoring program is provided by the Chocorua Lake Conservancy. The New Hampshire Lakes Lay Monitoring Program is administered jointly through the UNH Cooperative Extension Natural Resources Program Team and the Center for Freshwater Biology at the University of New Hampshire. The Chocorua Lake Conservancy has been participating in the Program since 1981. See the Fall/Winter 2015 CLC Newsletter for more about the life cycle of lakes, long term trends, and what makes Chocorua an oligotrophic lake.
Banner: Beneath the waters of the lake… Photo: Pen Hallowell