Shoreline areas at the Georges Mills Town Beach and on Little Lake Sunapee were restored over the summer with help from community volunteers and a grant from NH LAKES. The work uses “nature-based solutions” to filter stormwater runoff, which can improve water quality, according to the organization’s press release.
The projects, funded by a $50,000 grant, used native plants to stabilize the shoreline and provide a natural buffer between developed areas and the water, according to NH LAKES.
“It was great to partner with the Town of Sunapee on this water quality improvement project, and I am grateful to all the individuals who volunteered their time to plant nearly 400 native shrubs and perennials,” Geoffrey Lizotte, Lake Sunapee Protective Association watershed director, said in a statement on the NH LAKES website.
“The transformation that occurred over several weeks from an eroded shoreline to one stabilized with plants and a stone support system was very satisfying to see. These measures will prevent additional soil and excessive nutrients from washing into Lake Sunapee,” Lizotte wrote.
The Lake Sunapee Protective Association worked with the Town of Sunapee and Little Lake Sunapee Protective Association to complete the projects. Funding came through the American Rescue Plan Act and was granted by NH LAKES in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in 2024.
The Sunapee projects were among six that received $400,000 in funding to reduce pollutants that can degrade water quality and create conditions that fuel harmful cyanobacteria blooms, according to NH LAKES. Blooms can result in public health advisories and can affect drinking water, property values, tourism and local economies, the organization wrote.
