NH Lakes Water Quality

Lake Quality in the NH Lakes Region- Guide

 

COLOR (Water Clarity)

Clear 0-25 / Light Tea-Color 25-40 / Tea Color 40-75

PLANTS

Sparse growth (SG)- few emergent plants; Scattered (SP)- small patches or shoreline growth; Common plants (CP)-plants around the shoreline; Abundant (AG) shoreline growth with thick surface patches visible; Very Abundant (VG) ½ the surface area covered

TROPHIC CLASS is a designation of a lake according to algae production, rooted plant growth, water clarity and bottom dissolved oxygen levels

Highest: OLIGO TROPHIC, Medium: MESOTROPHIC, Declining/Poor: EUTROTROPHIC

 

OLIGO – Minimal Support for algal blooms or rooted plant growth. Aesthetically these lakes are the best of the three ratings and include most of the larger and deeper lakes.

MESO – Moderate Support of algal production in these lakes and phosphorus production is low.

EUTRO – High Support of algal production – lowest lake rating

Water level ph, phosphorus and alkalinity are available upon request.

Body of Water Acres Max. Depth Color Trophic Town Plants
             
Ashuelot Pond 299 23′ 30 MESO Washington cp
Beech Pond, Lower 154 49′ 10 OLIGO Tuftonboro cp
Blaisdell Lake 158 43′ 11 OLIGO Sutton sg
Bow Lake 1,160 75′ 14 MESO Strafford, Northwood sg
Crescent Lake 148 21′ 20 OLIGO Wolfeboro sg
Crystal Lake 364 54′ 24 OLIGO Enfield sp
Crystal Lake 441 51′ 26 OLIGO Gilmanton sg
Dan Hole Pond 408 131′ 20 OLIGO Tuftonboro sp
Eastman Pond 334 40′ 23 MESO Grantham cp
Franklin Pierce Lake
(Jackman Reservoir)
519 30′ 30 OLIGO Hillsboro sp
Gregg Lake 195 36 12 OLIGO Antrim sp
Goose Pond 553 33′ 18 OLIGO Canaan sp
Grafton Pond 320 65′ 15 MESO Grafton cp
Great East Lake 1,706 102 N/A N/A Wakefield sp
Half Moon Lake 280 20 18 MESO Alton, Barnstead cp
Hermit Lake 176 49 15 MESO Sanbornton vg
Highland Lake 210 47 20 MESO Andover sp
Highland Lake 711 29 30 MESO Washington cp
Hills Pond 137 42 30 MESO Alton cp
Island Pond 202 55 15 OLIGO Washington sp
Jenness Pond 243 28 8 MESO Northwood, Pittsfield cg
Lake Kanasatka 371 40′ 8 OLIGO Moultonbourogh sp
Kezar Lake 181 26′ 15 MESO Sutton sp
Kolkelemook Lake 98 22′ 10 OLIGO Springfield sp
Little Sunapee Lake 471 43′ 10 MESO New London, Springfield sg
Loon Pond 121 45′ 10 MESO Gilmanton cp
Loon Lake 111 29′ 17 MESO Plymouth sp
Lovell Lake 537 41′ 15 OLIGO Wakefield sg
Manning Lake 202 53′ 20 OLIGO Gilmanton sg
Mascoma Lake 1,114 65′ 25 MESO Enfield sg
Massasecum Lake 401 49′ 14 MESO Bradford cg
Mendum’s Pond 252 52 39 OLIGO Nottingham sg
Merrymeeting Lake 1,111 135′ 0 OLIGO New Durham sg
Mirror Lake 377 43′ 25 MESO Tuftonboro, Wolfeboro cg
Mountainview Lake 104 22′ 16 OLIGO Sunapee sp
Newfound Lake 4,105 182′ 0 OLIGO Alexandria, Bridgewater,
Bristol, Hebron
sp
Northwood Lake 686 24′ 24 MESO Northwood, Deerfield, Epsom sp
Opechee Bay 426 61′ 5 OLIGO Laconia sp
Ossipee Lake 3091 50′ 21 OLIGO Freedom, Ossipee sg
Otter Pond 184 24′ 12 MESO Sunapee cp
Pine River Pond 593 42′ 10 MESO Wakefield sp
Pemigewasset Lake 241 28′ 38 MESO Meredith, New Hampton ag
Perkins Pond 156 8′ 10 OLIGO Sunapee sp
Pleasant Lake 493 65′ 0 OLIGO Deerfield sg
Rust Pond 210 40′ 7 MESO Wolfeboro sp
Sawyer Lake 79 15′ 17 OLIGO Gilmanton sp
Shellcamp Pond 148 15′ 70 MESO Gilmanton vg
Silver Lake 216 19′ 9′ MESO Belmont, Tilton vg
Silver Lake 994 164′ 12 OLIGO Madison sg
Spectacle Pond 107 18′ 15 OLIGO Enfield cg
Sunapee Lake 4,090 104′ 5 OLIGO Newbury, New London, Sunapee sp
Lower Suncook Pond 216 15′ 18 MESO Barnstead cp
Upper Suncook Pond 362 41′ 28 OLIGO Barnstead sp
Sunrise Lake 250 man made lake     Middleton  
Sunset Lake 205 77′ 15 OLIGO Alton sg
Squam Lake 6,764 99′ 0 OLIGO Holderness, Sandwich,
Center Harbor
sg
Swain’s Lake 405 21′ 33 MESO Barrington cg
Lake Waukewan 912 70′ 13 OLIGO Meredith, New Hampton sg
Webster Lake 612 38′ 7 OLIGO Franklin sp
Lake Wentworth 3,017 82′ 11 OLIGO Wolfeboro sg
Wickwas Lake 328 35′ 22 MESO Meredith vg
Wild Goose Pond 98 21′ 20 OLIGO Pittsfield cp
Lake Winnepocket 226 66′ 7 OLIGO Webster sg
Lake Winnipesaukee 44,585 180′ 0-14 OLIGO Alton, Center Harbor,
Gilford, Laconia, Meredith,
Moultonboro, Tuftonboro, Wolfeboro
sg
Lake Winnisquam 4,264 150′ 7 OLIGO Belmont, Laconia, Meredith, Sanbornton, Tilton sg
Lake Winona 154 47.9′ 12 MESO New Hampton sg

 

Additional lake quality support information websites

NH LAKES is a statewide, nonprofit, member-supported organization dedicated to protecting New Hampshire’s lakes, which are integral to the quality of life and economic health of the State. Official NH Lakes Website

NH Department of Environmental Services, water division\
http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/index.htm

New Hampshire Water Quality Reports
http://nhwatersheds.unh.edu/quality.html