CALENDARWater Drawdown ScheduledFriday, October 12thThe dam will be opened on Friday,October 12th. Get your boats anddocks out early!

BIP Dam RepairsEnd of October/early NovemberKen Heinrich (893-1827) will beorganizing repairs to the dam afterdrawdown is completed. The repairswill be done on a weekend at the endof October or beginning of November.This is a great time to really get a goodlook at the dam and work with othervolunteers from around the lake.Please call Ken or email Dave Holigan(bigislandpond@essnh.com) and putyour name on the list to be calledwhen the repairs are to be done.Fisherman’s AccessThe Fishermans Access gives ourpond a limited public access. Thesmall amount we charge fishermenfor keys gives the BIPC money to paytaxes, light bills, dam repair materi-als and other needs, without dues.Because of the access, the State Fish

and Game stocks the pond with trout.In 2001, we sold about 250 keys at$15.00 each.REVISED BIPC BYLAWSSubmitted by Valjean AndersonLast year the directors of the BIPCdecided (due to the fact that thebylaws of the corporation had notbeen revised since 1988) that it wastime to bring our bylaws up to date. ABylaws Committee was appointed

and after several meetings, the com-mittee brought their suggestions tothe board concerning changes to thebylaws. These suggestions were readand discussed thoroughly among allthe directors. As a result, a ballot ofthe revisions was printed and sentout to all shareholders inside theSpring mailing of the Ponderables.During the annual meeting of theBIPC, all shareholders were given theopportunity to ask questions con-cerning the proposed revisions. Thisallowed the shareholders to becomeeducated on the reasons behind therevisions and mark their ballotsaccordingly. The shareholders haveoverwhelmingly voted in favor of therevised bylaws. If you would like acopy of the new bylaws go towww.bigislandpond.com or send aself addressed stamped envelope toPO Box 297, Hampstead, NH 03841.BIPC and the Bylaws committeewould like to thank everyone for theircontinued support.

Fall 2001 News from Big Island Pond Corporation

Derry

Hampstead

Atkinson

Inside this issue

Revised BIPC Bylaws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2What’s a Watershed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Big Island Pond Annual meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Water Quality Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Web Site update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Public Access -- Are Those Dirty Words? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410th Annual Boat Parade Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-6NH Wetlands Bureau - Commonly Asked Questions . . . . . . . .7Directors and regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Fall views of Governor’s Island, BIP. Photo courtesy of Kathy Lombard.

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LETTER FROM THEPRESIDENT2001 has come and is just aboutgone with only a couple of months togo. The water came up to sufficientlevels for us all to enjoy our lakethrough the summer season. We hada great fireworks display. The BoatParade lived through another seasonand I thank all that were involvedwith these activities. We had one controversial issueregarding waverunners. This issuecannot and should not be fought onBig Island Pond. This is a no win situ-ation for Big Island Pond and theenergy used for this issue should befought in Concord at Public hearingsand not neighbor against neighbor.The water quality this year was thebest that it has been in the last num-ber of years. Again, thanks to themany volunteers that do the testing.Recently, as everyone in this countryhas experienced, this world is chang-ing. We have gone through sadnesswith the recent events of September11, 2001. I was away on businessduring that day and ended up drivingfrom Chicago back to NewHampshire to get home to family andfriends. On the drive home, I wit-nessed flags flying everywhere frombuildings, fields , flags displayed oncars and tractor trailers. I listened toradio stations talking about theevents of the week and how peopleare trying to make sense out of thistragedy. I wanted to get home to myfamily and the safety I feel from livingon this lake.I have taken for granted living in NewHampshire and Big Island Pond. I goto work everyday, many days noteven looking out on this lake. I hopethis will change and that we allappreciate the beauty of this lake.Recently, I took a ride out on thelake. It was relatively quiet. Many cot-tages have been closed up for theseason. A few leaves have changedcolor. A few boats were out gettingthe last minute skiing in for the sea-

son. Five or six pontoon boats wereout circling the lake doing just what Iwas doing, admiring the lake andwatching people enjoy this lake. Afew Wave Runners were getting inthe last rides of the season. Manyhomes on the water have flags flyingfrom their decks. The highlight of theride was watching two hot air bal-loons passing over the lake comingdown to skim the water and proceed-ing on their journey. Life changes by the minute. Enjoywhat you have and make the most oftoday.I hope you all have a safe, happy andhealthy winter. See you in the Spring!

Don BryantPresidentBIPC

WHAT’S A WATERSHED?Submitted by Susan Harrigan

Flushing your toi-let is a watershedevent. While oureveryday activi-ties make animpact on ourwatershed, it is

unfortunate that we don't see thatimpact until a problem develops.Even more unfortunate, we have ahabit of ignoring such problems untilor unless they affect our 'freedom' todo the things we enjoy.A watershed is an amazing thing. It'ssort of Nature's digestive system. Awatershed is a large area of land thatabsorbs and channels rain andrunoffs. Riparian zones are thebuffer areas of land within the water-shed that surround low orderstreams that run into larger streamsand around wetlands and lakes.Riparian areas store water andrelease it gradually (preventing ero-

sion). They also can trap largeamounts of sediments from runoffsand to a lesser degree, undesirablecompounds like nitrates and phosphorus.As land is developed, these bufferareas and low order waterways arereshaped or destroyed so that theyno longer provide a natural protectivefilter. Runoffs and everything theypick up on the way are carried direct-ly to wetlands and waterways. Thesedumps of nutrients and pollutantscan wreak havoc on the balance ofthe water and the life forms they sup-port. The result is accelerated algaeand vegetation growth, sedimentdeposition and a less oxygenatedenvironment for aquatic life. Overtime, the water body will gradually fillin, suffocate and die. But for manyyears before that, it will be a trou-bled, unpleasant mess.Once humans claim land, it rarelyever mimics a 'natural' state. Ahealthy watershed is Nature's firstline of defense, however we all cantake steps to be a strong second. Wehave the knowledge and the technol-ogy. Living near a precious resourcelike our Big Island Pond is a gift, andwith forethought and planning, wecan all do small things that have acumulative protective effect on theenvironment.Allow woodland areas to remain in anative state. Encourage natural vege-tation as a buffer close to the watersedge. Keep grass clippings out ofareas where they can be washed intoswales or into the pond. Monitor andmaintain septic tanks properly.Choose low phosphorus, slowrelease fertilizer and don't over fertil-ize. Choose low impact householdcleaning products. Maintain water-craft (and inspect for foreign plantsmatter too!) These are a few easyways to protect ourpond and keep ithealthy for futuregenerations as wellas for us. Don't beThe Weakest Link,or Goodbye!

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BIPC ANNUAL MEETINGThe annual meeting of the Big IslandPond Corporation was held onSaturday July 14th. We had an excel-lent turnout with almost 100 peoplein attendance. The meeting startedwith an introduction of the new offi-cers elected last fall, and a heartythanks to those past and presentofficers that have served the corpo-ration over the past 15 years.The fireworks were discussed, andeveryone thanked Brian O'Riordonfor his leadership in this effort. Brianin turn thanked his crew of volun-teers for the time and effort involvedin putting the display together. Workstarted in March with a training tripto Jaffery for several volunteers, andcontinued right up to minutes beforethe first rocket was launched in the air.Don Bryant then took the floor to dis-cuss some major events that affectedthe lake this year. The first was thevoluntary participation in the assess-ment of the use of Big Island Pond inaiding the town of Salem's flood con-trol in the event of a natural disaster.It was concluded that the water couldnot be brought down fast enough toprovide effective flood control. We still can, and do continue to helpour neighbors in Salem whenever theconditions allow. Several times in thelast few years we have kept the damclosed to ease the peak of the flood-ing. This spring we held back two feet

of water during a severe storm. Thiscannot fix the problems that Salemhas, but it does provide some help inpreventing damage.Don also reported on the conditionsthis spring. Early in the spring thequick ice out and rain brought thelevel of the lake to 4 feet and causeddamage to several docks. A few peo-ple called to complain that the waterwas too high. We should be carefulwhat we wish for! Less than a monthlater, an unprecedented drought inApril and May left us with almost nowater for Memorial Day weekend.Once again the calls came to Don,complaining that the water was toolow. Don's response combined sci-ence and religion when he replied toone persistent caller. ‘The water in thelake comes from rain, and only God,not the president can provide that.”

WATER QUALITYREPORTSubmitted by Herb LippoldEarly in the year many dead fish wereobserved along the shoreline, mostlythese were sunfish. The Departmentof Environmental Services was askedto send a biologist to take oxygenreadings at various depths duringour June water testing. The results ofthe tests were excellent, with morethan enough oxygen throughout thewater column, from bottom to sur-face, to support fish life. NH Fish and

Game stated that the fish kill wasprobably due to the late date of iceout, causing a sudden change ofwater temperature during spawning.Apparently fish are very fragile duringthis period.E-coli readings were low during theyear. Taylor Brook, which showedhigher than desirable readings lastyear, was excellent this year. ShopBrook, where readings generally riseduring the year, continued to be lowthroughout. One special sampletaken at Pine Acres Beach was zero.Clarity, as measured by the SecchiDisk got better each month. Thereadings in August averaged 5meters, meeting an all time high forrecent years.Total Phosphorus and Chlorophyll-awere average with no drastic change.These are two strong indicators ofthe nutrients and algae that can ageour pond prematurely. To help, keepshoreline foliage and fertilizers away.Conductivity continues to rise. Thereisn't much we can do about it exceptkeep sewage away from the pondand ask the State and the local townsto use low salt adjacent to the pond.Overall, our pond is healthy; let'skeep it that way.Many thanks to Patty Woodman, DickJones and Terry Sullivan for their con-tinuing efforts.Fall comes to Escumbuit Island.Photo courtesy of Kathy Lombard

BIGISLANDPOND.COMUPDATEWork has been delayed on thewww.bigislandpond.com website dueto personal schedules. However thegood news is that we have a personto help this winter putting it together.John Henry from Sheep Island hashelped other non-profits with theirwebsites, and has volunteered tohelp us also. Look for an update inthe spring newsletter.Email is rapidly augmenting thephone as the method to notify organ-izations in a timely manner. Duringthe annual meeting, we collectedabout 20 emails, and our goal is tohave emails for half of the membersby this time next year. The emails willbe treated as all of the membershipinformation. It will only be used forcorporation business. Please send your email to bigisland-pond@essnh.com. We will update ourlist and keep you posted.PUBLIC ACCESS—ARETHOSE DIRTY WORDS?Submitted by Cindy LanouetteYou may have heard rumors thatBIPC is promoting additional publicaccess on our lake. Nothing is furtherfrom the truth. Having said that, weneed to discuss this issue of publicaccess and remind everyone that weALL need to be in support of publicaccess. Why!?Public access means you can go toany amount of Local, State andFederal beaches, parks, or riverwalks in the State. Ever been to theWhite Mountains, ocean beaches,Winnipesaukee or Squam Lakes toname a few? You were able to gothere because of PUBLIC ACCESS. The State of New Hampshire hasdesignated 732 bodies of water tenacres and larger as “greatponds/lakes” that are, by statute,state-owned public waters, held intrust by the General Court for use bythe public. That includes Big IslandPond. For the public to use the lakes,

they must be able to get to them. When you bought your property onthe pond, you bought only your prop-erty. You did not buy exclusive rightsto use the water. The public waters ofNew Hampshire belong to ALL theresidents of the state. So it behoovesus to have the attitude of being will-ing to share…..if only there was anappropriate place for a public access. We appear to have the spirit andintent of complying with publicaccess because of our fisherman’sramp and canoe ramp. We SHOULDNOT ever be heard saying we are notin favor of sharing something thatdoes not belong to us. Whether ornot you like being encouraged to be“politically correct”, that is exactlywhat we need to do … because it isthe State that will make the decisionabout public access on any givenbody of water. We asked the New Hampshire LakesAssociation (a statewide, non-profitorganization whose sole purpose isprotecting and preserving our lakesand ponds) whether they supportpublic access as it pertains to BigIsland Pond and this was their reply:The NHLA supports only APPROPRI -ATE public access. We are NOT for"public access, no matter what." Yourfisherman's ramp and canoe accessare appropriate for the size of yourlake and the existing amount ofdevelopment on your lake (in ouropinion). No other access would be

appropriate. Unfortunately, the NHLA does notmake the decisions regarding thekind of access that is, and is not,appropriate for each lake. We have,however, taken a stand on the issue.If you will take a look at our positionpaper (see our web sitewww.nhlakes.org) you will see thatwe take the position that the stateshould work cooperatively with localentities in determining the kinds ofaccess needed."All uses should be consistent with thesize, physical and biological character-istics and ecological health of the lake."This says in effect that the kind ofaccess that is appropriate varies fromlake to lake and may only be deter-mined by taking into consideration notonly the needs of people, but theunique characteristics of each lake.I feel that the NHLA position is veryclear - that we support only APPRO-PRIATE access as determined foreach individual lake. In conclusion, the NHLA is doing theirbest to encourage the State to haveproper guidelines in place and notjust arbitrarily create public accesson any lake. Realizing this we can seethat they are looking out for thehealth and welfare of the lakes. Theyunderstand they can either work with-in the program that the State has….or have no say at all. That goes for us,too. We need to work within the sys-tem to make the system work for us.

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Thom Gregsak gets in one last Fall ski, photo courtesy of Kathy Lombard

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FIRST PLACE

SPACE 2001Dan Wells and AlSandler’s familiesjoined forces andblasted off into firstplace in the Barges division.The captured re-entry capsulewas a nice touch.

10TH ANNUAL BOAT PARADE o o oo o o BARGES

THIRD PLACEWIZARD OF OZFaillia Family, a firsttime entry, gave theArsenaults’s a run forthe trophy. Despitethe heat, the lion, scarecrow,tin man, Dorothy, Munchkinsand Toto (too) all skippeddown the yellow brick road tothird place.

SECONDPLACE

BOYS ‘R’ USAndy, Brad and MarkArsenault and theircousin Steve Rattiedid it again. These boys ‘r’ win-ners! There are times when wecould use a towing service likethis on the lake.

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FIRST PLACE

BUMBLE BEEThe Grant’s buzzedthe lake, without fearof the Marine Patrolstopping them.

These two-time winners havean eye for detail. The matchingshirts were just enough tobump them into first place inthe boat division.

THIRD PLACE

MEDIEVALTIMES

The Hillis family fromWhitney Grove werewell protected from

bumble bees, as well as, lionsand tigers and bears, oh my!Nice job on their fortress!

SECONDPLACE

RED, WHITE& BLUE

Patsy and AlGoodridge, (2nd place in 1993the barge contest), cruisedinto second place showingtheir patriotic side.

10TH ANNUAL BOAT PARADE o o oo o o BOATS

NH WETLANDS BUREAU-- COMMONLY ASKEDSHORELINE QUESTIONSQ. Q. How long may a dock be?

A.A. On shoreline frontage of at least75 feet in length, on smaller lakes(less than 1000 acres), a standardseasonal dock size is 6 feet wide by30 feet long. On shoreline frontageless than 75 feet long, the standardsize for a dock is 4 feet wide by 24feet long.

Q. Q. What can I do to stop erosion ofthe shoreline?

A.A. Water runoff should be divertedaway from steep slopes and anyexposed soils should be quickly cov-ered with fiber matting and seeded.To prevent erosion, maintain or planttrees and shrubs which provide agood root structure to stabilize thebank as well as provide cover for thesoil. Rock rip-rap may be permittedby DES only where waves or changesin water elevations render othermethods ineffective.

Q. Q. Can I install a piling or crib dock?

A.A. Seasonal docks are the leastimpacting type of dock construction.Permanent docks are permitted onlyin areas where wind or wave condi-tions prevent the use of a seasonalpier on the frontage.

Q. Q. Can I dredge the area around adock?

A.A. Permits may be obtained fromDES to remove rocks that are naviga-tional hazards. A rock is considered a

navigational hazard to the owner if itis within a boatslip or approach to adock and within 3 feet of the watersurface and within 50 ft. of theshoreline.

Q. Q. Do I need a permit for a boat lift ora jet ski lift?

A.A. YES! A permit is needed to installall boat lifts or jet ski lifts, includingseasonal ones. A boat lift equals oneboatslip.

Q. Q. Can I get a permit for a canopyover a boatslip?

A.A. Canopies may be permitted inareas where they do not obstructviews from adjacent properties.Canopies must be constructed of aremovable frame, and the fabric cov-ering must be removed during thewinter.

Q. Q. Is it okay to put sand on a beach?

A. A. A permit is required for replenish-ment of sand. Sand on existingbeaches may be replenished onceevery 6 years with a permit from theWetlands Bureau. Sand may beplaced only on land above the highwater line. The DES encourages theperching of existing beaches with theinstallation of a structure to retainsand on the beach and prevent sandfrom being eroded into the lake.Sand carries phosphorus into ourlakes, which causes algae growth,turns the water green, and acceler-ates the aging of lakes.

Q. Q. Is it okay to build a deck, patio, orsimilar structure along the shore?

A.A. Repairs to legally existing struc-

tures require a permit before anywork begins. The N.H. Comprehen-sive Shoreland Protection Act (RSA483-B) does not allow the placementof accessory structures within 20feet of the shoreline and limits thesize of any accessory structure with-in 50 feet of the shoreline to a maxi-mum of 150 square feet.

Q. Q. Can I expand my docking facilityto accommodate my new boat?

A.A. Docking facilities in excess ofstandard dimensions may be permit-ted when the applicant has demon-strated that at least one of the fol-lowing is present:

A safety hazard due to wind orother weather conditions Conditions such as shallow waterdepth would prevent the use of thewaterfront by any motorized boatThe applicant has a permanentdisability that requires largerdimensions in order to safely usethe waterLess environmental impacts resultto the shoreline and waterbody ifstructures are clustered

Q. Q. Can I use pressure-treated lumberfor my dock?

A.A. The Department of EnvironmentalServices advises against using pres-sure treated wood in any waters ofthe state due to possible effects onaquatic ecosystems. However, thereis currently no law or regulation thatprohibits pressure treated lumberfrom being used for a dock. Sawingthe boards, however, should be doneaway from the lake so that no saw-dust enters the water. Sawdust frompressure treated lumber becomespart of lake sediments and is harm-ful to fish and wildlife if it becomespart of the food chain.

Q. Q. Is it okay if I cut vegetation alongthe shoreline?

A.A. The Comprehensive ShorelandProtection Act requires that ahealthy, well-distributed stand oftrees, saplings, shrubs, and groundcover be maintained within 150 feetof public waters.

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6 Hazen Drive, P.O. Box 95, Concord, NH 03302-0095, (603) 271-3503Mission ...to protect, maintain and enhance environmental quality and public health in New Hampshire.Public Information and Permitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pip@des.state.nh.usWater Biology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bio@des.state.nh.usDam Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . damsafety@des.state.nh.usWetlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . wetmail@des.state.nh.us

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

Big Island Pond CorporationP. O. Box 297Hampstead, NH 03841

YOURDIRECTORS& REGIONSThe bylaws of BigIsland Pond Corp.call for a board ofdirectors of 32 mem-bers, with two mem-bers from each of the16 areas. YourDirector is your pri-mary contact to theBoard and youshould make yourviews on matters per-taining to Big IslandPond known to them. Officers are electedby the Directors, Directors are elected by the shareholders intheir area. If no election is held, a shareholder may volunteerand be appointed by the board.

President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Don BryantVice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cindy LanouetteCorresponding Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David HoliganTreasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dale AndersonRecording Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Ann CaseyRegistrar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Val Anderson

Area 1 Hemlock Heights Susan Harrigan 329-4500Patsy Goodridge 329-5822

Area 2 Lobster Cove David Holigan 329-6534Bill Roberts 329-8125

Area 3 Boulder Cove Tom Schwandt 329-6877Kay Wooldridge 329-5815

Area 4 Conley’s Grove-Atkinson Mary Ann Casey 893-4964Herb Lippold 898-9248

Area 5 Conley’s Grove-Derry Sal Gioe 898-9453Ken Heinrich 893-1827

Area 6 Chase’s Grove Eric Schoneberger 893-5214Bob Soboleski 898-1025

Area 7 Dixon’s Grove Herb Dixon 893-3826Rick Wickson 898-9178

Area 8 Lakewood Estates Nancy Cobban 893-8717John Svitak 893-1988

Area 9 North Shore Brian O’Riordan 893-1415Terry Sullivan 894-5520

Area 10 Germantown Arthur Rother 893-6229Alice Ward 898-2993

Area 11 Collette’s Grove Bob Fowler 216-1537Regine Bley 893-5110

Area 12 Pine Acres Bob Green 329-4390Dick Jones 329-5081

Area 13 Sanborn Shores Rick Taylor 329-8140Westy Longshore 329-6043

Area 14 No. Hampstead Shore Don Bryant 329-4327Jeff Grant 329-5940

Area 15 So. Hampstead Shore Dale & Val Anderson 329-8180Al Sandler 329-4611Cindy Lanouette 329-6560

Area 16 Governor’s Island Mary Lou Williams 329-5078Wally WIlliams 329-5078

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED