Eileen Ehman

I am in full support of SB598, which is a critical step toward developing stable, long-term funding solutions that reflect the shared responsibility of everyone who benefits from clean, healthy lakes and rivers.. I live on Lake Kanasatka in Moultonborough, NH, and I currently serve as treasurer of the Lake Kanasatka Watershed Association (LKWA), which is led by an all-volunteer Board of Directors. LKWA was the first recipient of the State of New Hampshire Cyanobacteria Mitigation Loan and Grant Fund in 2024. Our 380-acre lake began experiencing cyanobacteria blooms in 2020, and the blooms continued each year afterward. With the help of NH Department of Environmental Services (DES), our association hired an environmental consultant to write a Watershed-Based Management Plan in 2021. 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 entire lake pea green, and we realized that Lake Kanasatka desperately needed an aluminum phosphate treatment to prevent these toxic cyanobacteria blooms. The State of New Hampshire provided funding from the Cyanobacteria Mitigation Loan and Grant Fund to pay for the bulk of the alum treatment in the Spring of 2024, and we are in the process of two additional grant programs that will properly divert stormwater run-off from several private roads in our watershed. Our association is also working closely with our lake residents to improve their waterfronts; as of October 2025, 40 properties had received 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 enact stricter guidelines on products which create conditions that could lead to harmful cyanobacteria blooms. We are reaching a turning point, and we urgently request the state to take these steps toward addressing this crisis. Thank you.