Support our campaign to protect Squam for generations to come
Your gift goes directly toward restoring the 50+ sites that threaten Squam.
Squam has created memories for generations, but its future is in question. By each of us doing our part — from financial support to direct action — we can head off these threats and keep the Squam watershed healthy for generations to come.
Our Squam Lakes face fast-moving threats to water quality that will have a major impact if left unaddressed:
Harmful cyanobacteria blooms
Failing septic systems
Increased nutrient runoff
Invasive species
Legacy chemicals
Climate change
Completed restoration sites
Site priority #3: Route 113 along Cotton Cove
A reinforced stone infiltration trench was built at the base of Range Rd to capture and clean stormwater. This project will help protect the quality of the Squam Watershed by preventing sediments and nutrients from entering Cotton Cove.
Site priority #6: Coolidge Farm Road
Town of Sandwich Cleaned out and re-established infiltration and turn-out zones above and below inflow and outflow.
Site priority #8: Camp Hale
Camp Hale constructed terraced recreation areas utilizing reclaimed sidewalk and built vegetative rain gardens to redirect and clean stormwater.
Site priority #10: Sandwich Beach
Volunteers aided the SLA and the Merrimack River Watershed Council staff in reestablishing a degraded vegetative buffer to anchor the shoreline, limit erosion potential and slow stormwater.
Seven restoration sites are completed, but we're not finished!
Our next project focuses on the Ice House Creamery in Holderness along Route 3. Check out the Watershed Plan Update to see what we've accomplished and what is coming next!
This interactive map lets you explore the conservation projects we’ve completed, those currently underway, and our future plans for each site. Click on the map icons to learn more about each site, including its priority ranking, annual sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen loads, and our planned mitigation efforts.
About the campaign
Implement the watershed management plan
Reduce stormwater nutrient loading, contaminants and sediments at the 50+ sites around the lake that pose a threat to water safety.
Comprehensive testing, monitoring, and preserving the water quality of the Squam Watershed Lakes. We need equipment, tools, and resources to quickly assess what’s occurring so we can prevent problems before they arise.
Upgrade the SLA campus
✔ Complete
Efficient office and classroom spaces with green technology have been created, enhancing our ability to implement the watershed plan. The upgraded water quality lab now allows us to monitor lake health more efficiently, while also providing the public with improved access to hands-on experiences.
Improve & rebuild hiking trails
✔ Complete
Iconic and heavily used trails like Rattlesnake received necessary attention to curb erosion and improve the watershed. Other trails were selectively restored to better manage storm runoff, enhancing the overall health of the area. Additionally, we improved access to certain trail areas, providing better opportunities to educate the public on watershed health and the critical relationship between land and water.
Join your fellow community members and become a campaign supporter
Susan Gurney
Sturtevant Bay
"As we witness the changes in our climate and see new threats to the health of the lake, it is all the more imperative to protect the watershed in the place that we all treasure."
Lilah Wise
Mooney Point
"It's more important than ever to make sure we keep Squam as unchanged as nature will allow."
Lisa Lovett
Holderness
"I want the next generations of Squam to find a lake that has been well loved and cared for by their ancestors."
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We're so excited to have you join us! You will receive an email a day or two before the program with details regarding location, what to bring, and safety protocols.
