The past two summers have been met with increased frequencies of algae blooms in the Squam Lakes .  As a result, homeowner concern has also increased.  In response to the growing concerns, the Squam Lakes Association (SLA) will be hosting a Cyanobacteria Summit from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm at the SLA’s Resource on July 22, 2010 Center on Route 3 in Holderness. Cyanobacteria are a type of algae that have recently received a lot of press for shutting down beaches across the state, but not all cyanobacteria is dangerous; in fact algae blooms occur naturally in healthy lake ecosystems. 

Join the SLA and field experts from the University of New Hampshire and the NH Department of Environmental Services to learn why you may be seeing large amounts of black, brown or green algae in shallow areas of the region’s lakes.  Learn what these algae are, what their associated potential health risks may be and what you can do to prevent/remove them from your shore. 

This educational session will be designed as an open forum panel discussion.  Our experts will give some opening presentations about algae blooms, to be followed by a question/answer period. 

This event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served!

2009 Algae Bloom on Squam Lake .

Though algae blooms are a nuisance and may be unpleasant to swim in, they occur naturally in lake ecosystems.