Prescribed burns help reduce the risk of wildfires and accelerate restoration of the unique pine-barrens ecosystem. Abutting property owners can receive notice of the burn dates by contacting The Nature Conservancy at (603) 356-8833.
The two layers of stop logs remain out of the north side of the dam, and there is a constant flow of water over the top boards. The south side gates are being used to make adjustments in the lake level to reduce fluctuation in lake level as we go from wet to dry and back to wet days. The bonus is that we now have a constant waterfall on the Ossipee River and flowing water over the rocks on the north side. It's a great photo op!
Former Long Sands Association president George Eisener says lake property assessments are "screwed up," and the threat the town's Selectmen holds over property owners who question their assessment is "a form of blackmail and ends up as a con game." He calls on the Select Board to restore integrity to the process by treating all property owners equally.
A lack of Old Home Week volunteers may mean no fireworks this year, according to the organization's co-chair. The fireworks display annually draws residents and visitors to the lake from all points.
The Ossipee River dam was almost completely closed down at 10 a.m. Monday morning. As for the reported lake level, it is 406.07 as of 4 p.m. yesterday and is increasing at a rate of 0.08’ per day. If nothing changes, the level will be up to about 406.6’ by this time next week. The “Operating Rule” for Ossipee Lake issued in the spring of 2005 calls for 406’ by May 1st and 407.25’ (summer level) by June 1st. So far, so good. [Click "Lake Water Level" on this page for real-time data].
The Friends of the Freedom Public Library will host "The Common Loon: Ongoing Recovery for a New Hampshire Icon" on May 2 at 6:30 p.m. John Cooley, who is senior biologist for the Loon Preservation Committee in Moultonborough, will make the presentation. Ossipee Lake Alliance annually coordinates the lake's loon census. Volunteer by contacting Susan Marks at smmarks@www.ossipeelake.org.
When you hear it at the transfer station, it must be true: the ice is out on Ossipee Lake.
Well, it's April, after all. You can watch the ice retreat on the Ossipee Lake Webcam.
Area police departments warn there have been a number of daytime burglaries in several Carroll County towns and nearby communities in Maine. Freedom police chief Josh Shackford said the suspect seems to be roaming around Freedom, Ossipee, Effingham and parts of Maine. Law enforcement has a possible suspect but they don't have enough evidence at this point to make his name public. Shackford said the suspect is being "hunted."
This NH Union Leader editorial states that the struggle to balance the budget is nothing new, but unfortunately neither is the solution. Once again, the governor and our legislators plan to dip into dedicated funds to balance the books. It’s hardly a winning strategy. Dedicated funds are those fees paid by users, or participants in certain activities, that are “dedicated” because they are designed to fund or cover costs associated with those specific activities. In state government, there are hundreds of such fees, established over time to fund specific purposes. We have posted this editorial as we believe the issue will assume increased importance to lake communities as the state increases its share of milfoil control funding.
We would like to think that our high-quality water resources and water services will always be here, that our quality of life will only improve, and that our infrastructure will always support a strong economy. But according to the Water Sustainability Commission, appointed by Governor John Lynch in 2011, New Hampshire faces water-related challenges now and in the coming years, and new approaches are needed to ensure that our state will have enough clean water for future generations.
Ossipee Lake’s dirt and gravel roads can be a source of erodible soil, as they are subject to the erosive power of rain and wheels. A free public workshop in Freedom on March 23 will highlight gravel road maintenance techniques to improve performance and durability, while helping protect surface water quality through properly managed drainage.
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