Sunrise Lake Watershed Management Plan

SRPC, in collaboration with the Town of Middleton, Geosyntec, the UNH Stormwater Center, and DK Water Resource Consulting, received a grant from the NHDES Watershed Assistance Program, to develop a comprehensive watershed plan for Sunrise Lake promoting cost-effective implementation of best management practices. The lake has experienced declines in water quality in recent years and is currently classified as mesotrophic. New Hampshire’s Watershed Report Cards rate Sunrise Lake as poor for chlorophyll-a and phosphorus, and severe for Escherichia coli, all of which have severe implications for primary contact recreation.

Reducing cyanobacteria blooms and chlorophyll-a concentration in Sunrise Lake will require reducing the amount of phosphorus entering the lake from septic systems, stormwater runoff, and other sources. The completed plan identifies and quantifies specific sources of phosphorus contributing to the lake’s water quality impairments and includes an annual phosphorus loading budget in response. This information also informs recommend reduction goals, and options for reducing phosphorus loading.

Throughout the project, SRPC collaborated with its watershed partners to select, refine, and prioritize measures to address water-quality impairments. The final implementation plan details expected pollutant load reductions; estimated project costs; potential local, state, and federal funding sources; and the parties responsible for the specified actions to achieve the desired results.