Millville Lake Protective Association
Salem, NH
Salem, NH
MLPA News
July 28, 2021 - All 2021 paid MLPA members and their guests are invited to celebrate the lake at LakeFest on August 14th! We have a fun day and night of events planned for you! Membership forms will be available at the events for those who wish to join. All events are accessible from land and water. Click here for the schedule of events.
July Final Beach Results
On July 20 & 23, 2021, water samples from association and public beaches in Salem were collected and submitted for microbiological analysis to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Laboratory in Concord.
The samples were analyzed for bacteria, (E. coli), the indicator organism utilized to determine safe swimming conditions. At a freshwater beach, an advisory is posted if either two samples exceed the state standard of 88 counts or when one sample exceeds 158 counts.
Two samples were collected from each beach in accordance with the NH DES “Standard Operating Procedure for Bacteria Sampling”. The following beach sites were sampled and the results are as follows:
Location: E. coli Results:
July 20 July 23
Hedgehog Pond ------------------------------------------------ 4, 2
Shadow Lake ---------------------------------------------------- 63, 49
Captain’s Pond
Camp Otter ---------------------------------------------- 78, 52
*Camp Hadar -------------------------------------------- 51, 14
Camp Y-Wood ------------------------------------------ 32, 23
Millville Lake ----------------------------------------------------- 50, 74
Arlington Pond Arlington Pond Improvement Assoc. -------------- 99, 104 19, 13
Second Street Beach ---------------------------------- 5, 4
Griffin Beach --------------------------------------------- 27, 20
A No Swimming Advisory was issued for the Arlington Pond Improvement Association beach. This advisory has been rescinded due to the subsequent test to be in compliance.
*Camp Hadar conducted their own sampling on July 6, 2021.
All of the beaches are now in compliance.
Additional testing will be conducted in early August. Any questions, please feel free to contact:
Brian A. Lockard
Health Officer
Town of Salem
33 Geremonty Drive
Salem, NH 03079
603-890-2050
The samples were analyzed for bacteria, (E. coli), the indicator organism utilized to determine safe swimming conditions. At a freshwater beach, an advisory is posted if either two samples exceed the state standard of 88 counts or when one sample exceeds 158 counts.
Two samples were collected from each beach in accordance with the NH DES “Standard Operating Procedure for Bacteria Sampling”. The following beach sites were sampled and the results are as follows:
Location: E. coli Results:
July 20 July 23
Hedgehog Pond ------------------------------------------------ 4, 2
Shadow Lake ---------------------------------------------------- 63, 49
Captain’s Pond
Camp Otter ---------------------------------------------- 78, 52
*Camp Hadar -------------------------------------------- 51, 14
Camp Y-Wood ------------------------------------------ 32, 23
Millville Lake ----------------------------------------------------- 50, 74
Arlington Pond Arlington Pond Improvement Assoc. -------------- 99, 104 19, 13
Second Street Beach ---------------------------------- 5, 4
Griffin Beach --------------------------------------------- 27, 20
A No Swimming Advisory was issued for the Arlington Pond Improvement Association beach. This advisory has been rescinded due to the subsequent test to be in compliance.
*Camp Hadar conducted their own sampling on July 6, 2021.
All of the beaches are now in compliance.
Additional testing will be conducted in early August. Any questions, please feel free to contact:
Brian A. Lockard
Health Officer
Town of Salem
33 Geremonty Drive
Salem, NH 03079
603-890-2050
July Beach Results
An advisory is posted if either two samples exceed the state standard of 88 counts or when one sample exceeds 158 counts.
Two samples were collected from each beach in accordance with the NH DES “Standard Operating Procedure for Bacteria Sampling”.
The following beach sites were sampled and the results for July are as follows:
Location: E. coli Results:
Hedgehog Pond 2, 4
Millville Lake 74, 50
Arlington Pond 104, 99
Shadow Lake 49, 63
Second Street Beach 4, 5
Griffin Beach 27, 20
Camp Y-Wood 23, 32
Camp Otter 52, 78
Camp Hadar 51, 14
The beach at Arlington Pond Improvement Association (Shore Drive) exceeds the state’s safe swimming guidelines and a No-Swimming advisory has been posted. I plan to re-test Arlington Pond tomorrow morning. All of the other beaches are in compliance.
Camp Hadar conducted their own sampling on July 6, 2021.
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Thanks,
Brian A. Lockard
Health Officer
Town of Salem
33 Geremonty Drive
Salem, NH 03079
603-890-2050
Two samples were collected from each beach in accordance with the NH DES “Standard Operating Procedure for Bacteria Sampling”.
The following beach sites were sampled and the results for July are as follows:
Location: E. coli Results:
Hedgehog Pond 2, 4
Millville Lake 74, 50
Arlington Pond 104, 99
Shadow Lake 49, 63
Second Street Beach 4, 5
Griffin Beach 27, 20
Camp Y-Wood 23, 32
Camp Otter 52, 78
Camp Hadar 51, 14
The beach at Arlington Pond Improvement Association (Shore Drive) exceeds the state’s safe swimming guidelines and a No-Swimming advisory has been posted. I plan to re-test Arlington Pond tomorrow morning. All of the other beaches are in compliance.
Camp Hadar conducted their own sampling on July 6, 2021.
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Thanks,
Brian A. Lockard
Health Officer
Town of Salem
33 Geremonty Drive
Salem, NH 03079
603-890-2050
Millville Lake Drawdown
July 21, 2021 - Fred Wallace, the Director of the Salem Municipal Services Utilities Division, has informed us that "due to the weather pattern we have seen, the Millville Lake dam will be opened to begin drawdown on Sept 15th and be at winter level by Oct 15th. This has been a very wet season and to control flooding in the fall I will have to follow the procedures set up for Dam Control."
For those who will need to have their boats removed prior to the drawdown, the concrete barrier near the dam is not blocking access to the water and there is room to back in a boat trailer.
For those who will need to have their boats removed prior to the drawdown, the concrete barrier near the dam is not blocking access to the water and there is room to back in a boat trailer.
MLPA Spring Meeting Notes
July 3, 2021 - The MLPA Spring meeting notes from the June 8th meeting are now on the website for members only. Click the 'MLPA Meeting Notes Members Only' icon above to access the notes. If you are a member and cannot access the meeting notes please let us know by sending an email to info@millvillelake.org.
June Beach Results
Town of Salem fire department
Inspectional services
Health Division
890-2050
Summer Beach Testing Results
June 2021
On June 9 & 17, 2021, water samples from association and public beaches in Salem were collected and submitted for microbiological analysis to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Laboratory in Concord.
The samples were analyzed for bacteria, (E. coli), the indicator organism utilized to determine safe swimming conditions. At a freshwater beach, an advisory is posted if either two samples exceed the state standard of 88 counts or when one sample exceeds 158 counts.
Two samples were collected from each beach in accordance with the NH DES “Standard Operating Procedure for Bacteria Sampling”. The following beach sites were sampled and the results are as follows:
Location: E. coli Results:
June 9 June 17
Hedgehog Pond ------------------------------------------ 11, 10
Shadow Lake ---------------------------------------------- 20, 16
Captain’s Pond Camp Otter --------------------------- 291, 150 145, 151
Camp Hadar ----------------------------------------------- 248, 124 549, 613
Millville Lake Town Beach ---------------------------- 21, 39
Arlington Pond
Arlington Pond Improvement Assoc. -------------12, 22
Second Street Beach --------------------------------- 15, 61
No Swimming Advisories are currently in place for Camp Otter and Camp Hadar at Captains Pond.
All of the other beaches are in compliance with the guidelines established by the NH Department of Environmental Services for safe swimmable waters at this time.
Additional testing will be conducted in early July and August. Any questions, please feel free to contact the Health Officer at 890-2050.
Note: A visual inspection was conducted of these beaches to determine if Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) were present. No algae blooms were noted at these beaches.
Inspectional services
Health Division
890-2050
Summer Beach Testing Results
June 2021
On June 9 & 17, 2021, water samples from association and public beaches in Salem were collected and submitted for microbiological analysis to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Laboratory in Concord.
The samples were analyzed for bacteria, (E. coli), the indicator organism utilized to determine safe swimming conditions. At a freshwater beach, an advisory is posted if either two samples exceed the state standard of 88 counts or when one sample exceeds 158 counts.
Two samples were collected from each beach in accordance with the NH DES “Standard Operating Procedure for Bacteria Sampling”. The following beach sites were sampled and the results are as follows:
Location: E. coli Results:
June 9 June 17
Hedgehog Pond ------------------------------------------ 11, 10
Shadow Lake ---------------------------------------------- 20, 16
Captain’s Pond Camp Otter --------------------------- 291, 150 145, 151
Camp Hadar ----------------------------------------------- 248, 124 549, 613
Millville Lake Town Beach ---------------------------- 21, 39
Arlington Pond
Arlington Pond Improvement Assoc. -------------12, 22
Second Street Beach --------------------------------- 15, 61
No Swimming Advisories are currently in place for Camp Otter and Camp Hadar at Captains Pond.
All of the other beaches are in compliance with the guidelines established by the NH Department of Environmental Services for safe swimmable waters at this time.
Additional testing will be conducted in early July and August. Any questions, please feel free to contact the Health Officer at 890-2050.
Note: A visual inspection was conducted of these beaches to determine if Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) were present. No algae blooms were noted at these beaches.
Millville Lake Dam Area & Island Cleanup
June 17th 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Meet at the dam and bring a "13 GAL" trash bag.
Also, we will be sending a boat over to the island for cleanup.
Meet at the dam and bring a "13 GAL" trash bag.
Also, we will be sending a boat over to the island for cleanup.
NH Lakes Lake Smart PowerPoint Slides
June 9, 2021 - Andrea LaMoreaux's, NH LAKES President, PowerPoint slides from her LakeSmart Living presentation given at the MLPA Spring meeting of June 8th, 2021 are available below to download.
| millville_lake_association_lakesmart_intro_06-08-2021.pdf |
NH Lakes Canada Geese - The Ugly Truth
June 9, 2021 - "Canada Geese - Ugly Truth" provided by NH Lakes is available available to read here.
MLPA Spring Meeting
June 4, 2021 - We are excited to announce that there will be an in-person MLPA Spring meeting on Tuesday June 8, 2021 at the Centerpoint Community Church* 101 School St. Salem, NH. from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. This is a members-only meeting but membership forms will be available for non-members to join (yearly dues are $30.00) prior to the start of the meeting. Topics will include MLPA financials, Millville Lake dam, LakeFest, the Millville Circle town beach area trash, the NH Lakes organization, and the MLPA scholarship program.
Update: Guest Speaker Andrea LaMoreaux NH LAKES President - Lake Smart Living
* We will be following the church's COVID-19 rules - currently masks must be worn and chairs will be spaced at a safe distance.
Update: Guest Speaker Andrea LaMoreaux NH LAKES President - Lake Smart Living
* We will be following the church's COVID-19 rules - currently masks must be worn and chairs will be spaced at a safe distance.
Clean River Project Stump Removal
May 11, 2021 - Many thanks to the Clean River Project for helping to protect and improve Millville Lake. They hauled away an additional 25 stumps (6 trailer loads!) from the lake.
NH LAKES Webinar Series
May 6, 2021 - Our friends at NH Lakes are continuing their free monthly webinar series in June and July. Click here for the details.
SOLitude Lake Management Weed Treatment
April 28, 2021 - SOLitude Lake Management is scheduled to treat Millville Lake to control nuisance aquatic weed growth mid-late July. Details will be provided as we get closer to the treatment date.
Stump Removal
April 27, 2021 - The Clean River Project is on the scene today & tomorrow to remove dangerous floating stumps from Millville Lake. This one is a monster!
MLPA 2021 Dues
We are now accepting MLPA membership dues payments for 2021. The MLPA membership year is from January 1st - December 31st and dues are only $30.00. Click here to support the MLPA. As always, thank you for your support to "protect and improve Millville Lake."
Millville Lake Dam Boring Notification
April 12, 2021 - More details of the planned drilling at the Millville Lake dam scheduled for April 16th and April 19th.
NH Lakes LakeSmart Booklet
April 11, 2021 - NH Lakes provided a must-read booklet filled with helpful information on lake friendly living. Download your copy today.
| lakesmartbooklet_2019.pdf |
Dam and Lake Level Update
April 9, 2021 - As you have noticed the Millville Lake water level is down substantially. The reason for this is that the town of Salem is required by the State of New Hampshire to perform an evaluation of the condition of the dam.
A large drilling machine will be brought in to perform the required boring into the lake bed for the evaluation. The boring is scheduled to start on the morning of Friday April 16th and most likely the equipment will be left at the dam over that weekend. The boring should be completed on Monday April 19th.
After the evaluation is completed the “gates” of the dam will be closed and the lake will be allowed to fill to its normal level. In past years the dam has been closed towards the end of April, first part of May. This year we are hoping for April 20th. We will keep you informed on when the dam is closed.
A large drilling machine will be brought in to perform the required boring into the lake bed for the evaluation. The boring is scheduled to start on the morning of Friday April 16th and most likely the equipment will be left at the dam over that weekend. The boring should be completed on Monday April 19th.
After the evaluation is completed the “gates” of the dam will be closed and the lake will be allowed to fill to its normal level. In past years the dam has been closed towards the end of April, first part of May. This year we are hoping for April 20th. We will keep you informed on when the dam is closed.
Look for the Zero
From our friends at NH Lakes -
LOOK FOR THE ZERO! Before buying lawn fertilizer, check the bag for a set of three numbers showing the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Buy a bag with a "0" in the middle.
LOOK FOR THE ZERO! Zero in the middle means phosphorus free and that means….
ZERO POLLUTION! Phosphorus pollution is one of the leading causes of unhealthy lakes in NH. Even if you live far from the water, excess phosphorus from your lawn can wash off and pollute lakes and streams, harming fish and ruining boating and swimming.
ZERO WASTE! Why pay for a chemical your lawn doesn't need? Generally, only newly established lawns in NH need phosphorus. Phosphorus applied to a lawn that doesn't need it won't be used and can cause water pollution.
ZERO TROUBLE! In NH, fertilizer can't be used within 25 feet of a lake. Between 25 ft and 250 feet of the lake, only low phosphorous, slow release nitrogen fertilizers can be applied. Check to see if your town has more restrictive guidelines.
LOOK FOR THE ZERO! Before buying lawn fertilizer, check the bag for a set of three numbers showing the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Buy a bag with a "0" in the middle.
LOOK FOR THE ZERO! Zero in the middle means phosphorus free and that means….
ZERO POLLUTION! Phosphorus pollution is one of the leading causes of unhealthy lakes in NH. Even if you live far from the water, excess phosphorus from your lawn can wash off and pollute lakes and streams, harming fish and ruining boating and swimming.
ZERO WASTE! Why pay for a chemical your lawn doesn't need? Generally, only newly established lawns in NH need phosphorus. Phosphorus applied to a lawn that doesn't need it won't be used and can cause water pollution.
ZERO TROUBLE! In NH, fertilizer can't be used within 25 feet of a lake. Between 25 ft and 250 feet of the lake, only low phosphorous, slow release nitrogen fertilizers can be applied. Check to see if your town has more restrictive guidelines.
MLPA 2021 Dates at Chaser's Poker Room
February 9, 2021 - The MLPA will be the featured charity at Chasers Poker Room 7 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, Salem, NH 03079 on the following 2021 dates. 35% of the day's take will go to the MLPA.
Monday April 5th - Wednesday April 7th
Sunday September 5th - Saturday September 11th
We hope that all of you will encourage your friends and neighbors to visit Chasers during these dates. It means a lot to the MLPA. Our relationship with Chasers provides an extremely important source of funds that will allow us to continue the improvements we have made to Millville Lake.
Monday April 5th - Wednesday April 7th
Sunday September 5th - Saturday September 11th
We hope that all of you will encourage your friends and neighbors to visit Chasers during these dates. It means a lot to the MLPA. Our relationship with Chasers provides an extremely important source of funds that will allow us to continue the improvements we have made to Millville Lake.
Clean River Project Lake Cleanup
November 5, 2020 - The MLPA Board of Directors took advantage of Millville Lake being at such a low level and hired Rocky Morrison and his Clean River Project to do a cleanup. They collected ~1,000 pounds of trash and “bagged and tagged” all debris which was brought back to their office to be sorted and recycled. Here's an inventory of what they picked up on 11/28 and 11/29.
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They also installed a channel marker buoy on a boulder that is a navigational hazard located at the entrance to a cove that sees a lot of boat traffic.
Check out some photos of the cleanup and channel marker installation here.
Check out some photos of the cleanup and channel marker installation here.
A Message From MLPA President, Jim Falls
October 26, 2020 - Please read an important message from the MLPA President, Jim Falls, on our blog.
Don’t Let Leaves Litter Lakes
October 24, 2020 - Read an article from out friends at NH Lakes on the importance of keeping leaves out of the lake by clicking here.
Lakeside Fall 2020 Edition is Available
Click here to read the fall 2020 edition of Lakeside from NH Lakes.
E. coli Count Millville Lake Town Beach 2020
SOLitude Lake Management 2020 Lake Maintenance
August 8, 2020 - SOLitude Lake Management performed lake treatment on Monday August 3rd. More information can be read by clicking here.
MLPA Salem High Scholarship Recipients
May 26, 2020 - We are pleased to announce the recipients of the two MLPA sponsored Salem High School scholarships. The well-deserved senior recipients are Salem residents, Emma Liptrap and Philip Breton.
Emma is going to attend Syracuse University where she plans to major in Environmental Civil Engineering. Philip will be attending the University of New Hampshire and plans to major in Civil Engineering/with an interest in environmental issues.
Emma and Philip each received $1000.00 towards their college educations. Congratulations to Emma and Philip and we wish you success in your scholastic endeavors. Also, thank you to the Salem High Scholarship Committee who handled the entire selection process.
The MLPA BOD hopes to award these scholarships on a yearly basis.
Emma is going to attend Syracuse University where she plans to major in Environmental Civil Engineering. Philip will be attending the University of New Hampshire and plans to major in Civil Engineering/with an interest in environmental issues.
Emma and Philip each received $1000.00 towards their college educations. Congratulations to Emma and Philip and we wish you success in your scholastic endeavors. Also, thank you to the Salem High Scholarship Committee who handled the entire selection process.
The MLPA BOD hopes to award these scholarships on a yearly basis.
Clean River Project Lake Cleanup
May 26, 2020 - The MLPA has again contracted with Rocky Morrison's Clean River Project to do a Millville Lake shoreline cleanup. Check out the highlights of their visit here.
Update: Rocky recently returned to the lake to remove a large, floating tree stump with his Bobcat. The stump had washed ashore at the Millville Circle beach area near the dam.
Update: Rocky recently returned to the lake to remove a large, floating tree stump with his Bobcat. The stump had washed ashore at the Millville Circle beach area near the dam.
Maintaining a Healthy Lake
With all the “stay at home” time we have been doing, you might have some overdue projects around your yard. There's tons of great information on what you can do in your own yard to make and keep Millville Lake healthy in the "Maintaining a Healthy Lake" section of this website. Most important is keeping phosphorus out of the lake. Phosphorus just feeds the weeds. Also, there’s much you can do to stop sediment erosion from excess storm runoff. Click here, read and learn.
SOLitude Lake Management 2019 Water Quality Testing
March 20, 2020 - SOLitude Lake Management performed Millville Lake water quality testing on August 29, 2019 and September 27, 2019. I received the August water quality results, reviewed them and nothing popped out to me as bad or out of the ordinary. I did not receive the September results until late October (due to a billing mix up), so I did not want to report back to you with only one set of results. When I finally received the September results I reviewed them again and again saw nothing of concern. Our Fisheries Biologist (Ben German) reviewed both sets of results and for the most part he also saw no red flags. He did however feel like it was worth mentioning that the Conductivity was a little higher than he would expect for a water body in this region/geography. Conductivity is a measure of water’s capability to pass electrical flow. This ability is directly related to the concentration of ions in the water. These conductive ions come from dissolved salts and inorganic materials such as alkalis, chlorides, sulfides and carbonate compounds. Compounds that dissolve into ions are also known as electrolytes. The more ions that are present, the higher the conductivity of water. (definition taken from: https://www.fondriest.com/environmental-measurements/parameters/water-quality/conductivity-salinity-tds/.)
Ben's opinion was that the slightly elevated conductivity was possibly due to road salts from the winter. There is no harm at all with the readings seen (330-350 umhos/cm), as they fall well within the acceptable range to support diverse aquatic life (100-1,000 umhos/cm.)
All water quality results looked good, with no reason for concern.
Peter Beisler SOLitude Environmental Scientist
Ben's opinion was that the slightly elevated conductivity was possibly due to road salts from the winter. There is no harm at all with the readings seen (330-350 umhos/cm), as they fall well within the acceptable range to support diverse aquatic life (100-1,000 umhos/cm.)
All water quality results looked good, with no reason for concern.
Peter Beisler SOLitude Environmental Scientist
March 16, 2020 - The SOLitude Lake Management 2019 Lake Treatment Final Report can be read here.
MLPA Fall 2019 Meeting Notes Available
October 16, 2019 - The MLPA Fall Meeting Notes for the October 8, 2019 meeting are now available to members by clicking on the 'MLPA Meeting Notes Members Only' photo above.
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