1. Present: Richard Bell, Rod Zwirner, Bob Henderson, Shirley Carney, Beth Cote,David Rossiter, Ron Rogstad, Rod Zwirner, Steve Lopez, Marian Baker, Loranne Carey Block.
News from towns:
Antrim: Question : Will the railway will ever come back to Bennington, (as it did for Greenfield) or will it be converted to a trail? (Rails to Trails program). Many new houses are going in and land changing hands along the North Branch.
Rindge: Lake Host program- (talking with boats coming in about milfoil onto Contoocook Lake is manned by Contoocook Lake Association. The Lake Association met last Saturday with a speaker from Marine Patrol and discussion about speeding boats- top of 40mph. and jet skis. They did a treatment for milfoil recently. Will Cheshire pond in Jaffrey do any treatment on milfoil? Discussion followed: No swimming is allowed at Elm brook Park area in Hopkinton- due to milfoil treatment this week. Powder mill pond is filling up with milfoil. Below Bennington RR bridge, it is seriously choked. Can any of those who have dams screen out the milfoil frommoving downstream?
Rindge - large piece of land along by town boat dock is for sale which the Conservation Commission is looking into it. Bob handed out a report of Contoocook Lake monitoring which he will also send to Rindge and Jaffrey town library.
Peterborough- Water resource committee will have a talk by Catherine Owen Conning from Franklin Pierce College - on difference between buffers and setback to help clear up the lack of education in the area this Thursday evening. Cote will report back next month about this.
Hancock- They have an agressive milfoil watch that has found several boats will milfoil attached. Local riparian owners have divied up the shoreline around lake, checking every morning and evening-There is some poorly drained soil land along the river by the covered bridge for sale. Several developers interested in the site. Hancock Conservation Commission is keeping an eye on it.
Jaffrey- Fertilization of lawns along Cheshire Pond area is creating an increase in phosphates. No report on town search for water. Report is due in September.Thank Beth, Rod and Bob for helping at booth of Jaffrey Riverfest. Ron helped set it up.
Concord- Is in process of doing Natural Resource Inventory. City Council is voting tonight on bond for open space- two large farms along the floodplain of Merrimack River. Contoocook River Improvement Society got permit for outhouse by broad cove beach. River hill has canoe rental company- about 100 canoes. The site is often used. Ted will be asked to check out with Concord about coming to our committee next month. The city usually takes out water from the Contoocook each spring during high flow.
CNHRPC-Steve Lopez- The contracts are going competitive for the money each planning committee has received to assist the river LAC's. Every two years it will be reassessed. This means we have to develop a project to be provided. any help from CNHRPC or SWRPC.
Hillsboro- A citizens' task force is working on trying to deal with the Walmart proposal.
Hancock- We welcomed a new representative, Dick Bell, who lives on Powder Mill Pond along the river. There has been an influx of more people including kayakers and fishermen along the pond part of the Contoocook River.
2. Previous minutes were approved as received.
3. Website- cnbrlac.org We need a technical person. Beth will ask Chris Stephenson to help her to update site.
4. Education Grant- Flyer made. Baker will seek advice from Rich Block and Chris Stephenson on computer related items. It was approved to start by updating the riparian mailing list and writing and sending a Newsletter or mailing out to all. The newsletter and a flyer could be posted onto the website. Each representative will check over the mailing list for their own town segments.
5. Sludge- Rod Zwirner attended one meeting on sludge issues in the state. Where does your town's septage go? Where does it flow? Bring info. to next mtg. Top dressing that is put on fields, creates problems to the river if there is strong wind or rain- The state legislature is considering lowering the 250 foot regulation along the rivers. Who in town use the sludge?
6. Management plan.Zwirner reported that next Monday, the Ashuelot LAC will be presenting their new watershed plan. We decided to ask Shirley and Ron (from the upper end of the river) and Michelle Ham and Ted Hillson( from the lower end ) to bring us an outline of a suggested way to set up our revised plan.
7. Monitoring along the River. We would like to publish results of any data of monitoring along the river in our newsletters.
8. Treasurers report- 14.75-Greenfield and Stoddard are the only two towns that have not contributed this year.
9. Upcoming events:
a) National Secchi disc Dipin. Baker explained about the annual secchi disc DipIn that occurs each July. After explaining how to operate a Secchi disc, Baker handed out discs to Lorraine, Richard, Ron, and Bob who will test their respective areas along the river and report back next month.
b) Watershed course- at UNH held at Bow H.S. Bob will go and report back to us about it.
10. We proposed that next meeting we come up with a project that CNHRPC could work on to help us.
11. Next meeting. Due to mosquitoes, it was decided to meet ton July 19th at Daniel's Restaurant in Henniker. We will meet at 6Pm to stroll along the riverwalk and check out the newly breached dam in West Henniker. We will order food at 6:30 and start our meeting at 7PM. Baker will set up with Daniel's for a room to meet overlooking the river.
Meeting adjourned at 9:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Marian K. Baker, Secretary