Protecting the Lake: The Watershed

What is a watershed? A watershed is an area that drains into a common waterway, such as a stream, lake, estuary, wetland or even the ocean. Watersheds provide our drinking water, habitat for wildlife and the streams and lakes that we use for fishing, boating and swimming.   What happens on the land within our…

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Protecting the Lake: Trees

How Trees Can Save Lakes from Algae Blooms Lake Attitash is blessed with many mature and beautiful trees around its shores. Have you ever wondered why the Conservation Commissions works so hard to protect trees and other vegetation near our lake? Why do we need to protect them? Why should we plant more trees? Trees,…

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Protecting the Lake: Keep Your Shoreline Clean

We all love living on our lake. We have seen the benefits of the 2019/20 alum treatment. The alum settles on the sediment and seals the nutrients (mostly phosphorus) that have accumulated over many decades into the sediment in the deeper parts of the lake. This alum “blanket” will prevent those nutrients from getting into…

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Protecting the Lake: Soil Erosion

Believe it or not, the biggest threat to Lake Attitash water quality is plain old dirt, washing into our streams and lake…from our lawns, roads, driveways and construction areas. What’s wrong with soil? It clogs waterways, hurts fishes’ gills, and carries a lot of nutrients from decaying vegetation, fertilizer, pesticides, oil, detergents and other chemicals…

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Protecting the Lake: Fertilizers and Lawn Care

Let’s get serious! No fertilizer of any sort can be applied within 100’ of Lake Attitash as it used as a secondary water supply for Amesbury’s drinking water.  Fertilizer use in the watershed is serious business! You need to know about the law! If you want to continue to see cleaner water in Lake Attitash,…

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Protecting the Lake: Pet Waste

What’s the Problem with Pet Waste? Pet waste left in our yards and communities can have many adverse effects on the environment and human health. Full of excess nutrients and harmful bacteria, pet waste can be a carrier of the following serious diseases: Parvo, Giardiasis, Salmonellosis and Cryptosporidiosis just to name a few. Besides the…

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