NH Department of Environmental Services

Lake Monomonac Resource Support – NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES)

Cyanobacteria status — clear

The MLPOA works in partnership with NHDES to help preserve and protect the health of our lake. NHDES was formed in January 1987 with a mission to help sustain a high quality of life for all citizens by protecting and restoring the environment and public health in New Hampshire. Protecting and wisely managing the state’s environment are the main goals of the agency. Their stated goal of lake management is to balance the multiple uses of lakes and ponds while also protecting the health of the lake. For example, wildlife viewing and boating are important to many New Hampshire residents and visitors, but boating near loon nests endangers the birds. The interrelation between human activities and environmental quality places unique and complicated demands on lakes and ponds, and these demands often conflict. Lake management proposes compromises that allow multiple uses of our lakes. 

The NHDES Water Division is tasked with protecting the numerous lakes, ponds and rivers in the state, as well as its valuable groundwater. The division conducts a variety of programs designed to ensure the protection of these waters in a variety of areas, such as public water systems, private water wells, source water protection, wetlands, wastewater engineering, septic systems, river and lake monitoring and healthy swimming.

The NHDES Voluntary Lab Assessment Program (VLAP) is a statewide community and state effort to help the State of New Hampshire understand water quality trends in its more than 900 lakes and ponds.

Currently, over 500 volunteers across the state monitor over 180 lakes and ponds. Over the years, a comprehensive data set has been developed from which long-term water quality trends can be discerned. The invaluable data set serves as a community planning resource and is used to maintain federal lake funding support.

MLPOA participates in the VLAP program as a key part of its mission to protect and maintain the health and water quality of Lake Monomonac. Learn more

Another cornerstone of the Lakes Program is the technical assistance NHDES provides to private interests and the general public on lake-related issues. Lake coordinators are available to meet with private citizens, lake associations and municipalities across the state to provide guidance on water quality, shoreland development and lake management. Among the tools developed by the Lakes Program to assist the public with lake management are two guidance documents. These two documents depict how to conduct a lake inventory and use that information to develop a lake management and shoreland protection plan. They are designed to provide municipalities and lake associations with the information needed to develop and apply grassroots lake and watershed management plans. The process of developing a management plan leads to the creation of cooperative partnerships between federal, state and local agencies, as well as between lake associations, municipalities, landowners and the general public. Developing a management plan can also promote environmentally responsible use of a watershed’s land and water resources.

Over the past several years, Chief Aquatic Biologist Ms. Amy P. Smagula has served as the NHDES Lake Coordinator for Lake Monomonac (Amy.Smagula@des.nh.gov). She acts as the point of contact for coordinating actions needed to preserve the quality of our lake. Among other things, she authors an annual variable milfoil assessment called the Long-Term Variable Milfoil Management Plan. Its goal for Lake Monomonac is the reduction of overall biomass and distribution of variable milfoil in the system. Generally, small coves and shoreline segments—areas of higher population and, consequently, increased shoreline recreational activities—are targeted for management. Over the past few years, Ms. Smagula has worked with the MLPOA to reduce the size of heavy milfoil concentrations that require treatment with approved herbicides. Today, smaller/less dense areas exist. Ms. Smagula has recommended the MLPOA hire divers on retainer who are licensed to monitor those areas and manually remove the invasive plants. Doing so reduces the need to treat with herbicides. Routine diving (2–3 days per month during the growing season, as needed) will reduce the likelihood that milfoil will rebound quickly in areas prone to its growth.