Eileen Ehman

I am in full support of HB1301 which will provide vital funding for the Cyanobacteria Mitigation Loan and Grant Fund. I live on Lake Kanasatka in Moultonborough, NH, and I currently serve as treasurer of the Lake Kanasatka Watershed Association (LKWA). Our all-volunteer association was the first recipient of the Cyanobacteria Mitigation Loan and Grant Fund in 2024. Our 380-acre lake began experiencing cyanobacteria blooms in 2020. LKWA reached out to NH DES to learn about next steps. Our first step was hiring an environmental consultant to write a Watershed-Based Management Plan. This 10-year plan (available on our website, www.kanasatka.org) is a multi-faceted approach to addressing cyanobacteria blooms. We began implementing the steps outlined in the Plan starting in 2022. In the fall of 2023, a lake-wide cyanobacteria bloom turned the water pea green, and we realized that Lake Kanasatka desperately needed an aluminum phosphate treatment to prevent these cyanobacteria blooms. We kicked off a Capital Campaign in November 2023 and applied to the Cyanobacteria Mitigation Loan and Grant Fund for assistance. This grant program covered the bulk of the cost of the alum treatment, for which we are eternally grateful. Our lake residents also gave generously in our Capital Campaign, and many have stepped up to improve their waterfronts, with 40 properties receiving Lake Smart status. We are aware that there are many other lakes in NH that are experiencing cyanobacteria blooms, a danger to health, commerce and tourism. While lake associations work with homeowners to prevent stormwater run-off and encourage septic system maintenance, the state must do its part to provide funding for large capital costs, including alum treatments. We are reaching a turning point, and we urgently request the state to take these steps toward addressing this crisis. Thank you.