Freedom — July 28, 2003 — The task of collecting and processing water samples from 19 sites on Ossipee Lake continued last week as the Ossipee Lake Protection Program’s water quality monitoring initiative passed the mid-point of its summer activities.

Since mid-June, campers and staff from the lake’s children’s camps have been working with trained water monitors to collect samples from the lake’s 14 tributaries and five deep water spots. The samples are then delivered to laboratories at the University of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services where they are processed to establish baseline measurements of the health of the lake’s water.

The water monitoring program is of one of three initiatives being implemented as a partnership between Ossipee Lake Alliance and Green Mountain Conservation Group with principal funding from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. The results of the water testing will be posted on the two local organizations’ websites as they become available, with a summary report available by year-end.

The Ossipee Lake Protection Program is the most comprehensive environmental initiative ever undertaken on the lake and marks the first time the children’s summer camps have worked together on an environmental program. Details of the program may be found on the Ossipee Lake Alliance website at www.ossipeelake.org.