It was wonderful having Sara Steiner to present on our pond water quality and invasive aquatic plants commonly found in NH On September 14, 2019, at the Lodge. Sara is the VLAP Coordinator for Watershed Management Bureau at the NH Department of 
Environmental Services.
The presentation was well-attended with over twenty residents and they asked a lot of questions concerning the environment. Here are some notes that we took from the meeting.
Overall, our pond water is in good shape compared to the other lakes. The PH is slightly below average. Sara said using phosphorus-free fertilizer will help to keep the quality of the pond water. Just because fertilizer is organic, it doesn’t mean phosphorus-free.
It is important to know the capacity of your septic tank and if you have more people such as renters using your septic tank than it’s intended for, it could cause sewage runoffs. Septic tank should be pumped every 3 years and every year if your property is on the shore.
Invasive aquatic plants and animals
Chinese mystery snail is super invasive and depletes the natural organisms in the ponds. Water fleas – Asian clams
Cyanobacteria happen when the water gets warmer and it can be toxic for dogs and caused a rash on humans.
For more information about invasive aquatic plants, click on the following link to her presentation: https://eidelweissvillage.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/peaporridge-madison-20190914.pdf
