| The Sunapee Area Watershed Coalition |
| Steering Committee Minutes 7/21/05 |
| SAWC Steering Committee, July 21, 2005 |
| Newbury Town Offices, Meeting Room |
| Attendees: |
| Emma Smith, Sunapee |
| Kathryn Holmes, LSPA/Newbury |
| Ken Lawson, Lake Kolelemook/Springfield |
| June Fichter, LSPA |
| Aimee Ayers, LSPA |
| Terry Dancy, New London |
| Bill Thomas, Sutton |
| #1 ISSUE |
| The first topic addressed was the need for specific goals; the committee worked on the question: What is the top issue facing the watershed? |
| After some discussion, impervious surfaces, along with improper road design, road maintenance, runoff and erosion, won out easily as the number one issue. Rising conductivity numbers support this, as does the knowledge that our watershed has 25% impervious surfaces within 250’ of water surfaces, among other data. |
| The steering committee has decided that this is the first issue for SAWC to address. |
| Subcommittees |
| The impervious issue is one that all three subcommittees can address: |
| Water Quality----collect data available, i.e. conductivity; and present to SAWC; much of this data is available from LSPA, UV, and DES |
| Land Use—gather data available on impervious surfaces; what parts are controllable; what can we do; internet search on what other communities have done; what are the regulations on impervious surfaces; best practices such as “rain gardens” vs. culverts, LID |
| Education—uses the data for education and communications to public, presents to towns, etc. |
| Two of the subcommittee chairs were in attendance and agreed that three general guides might be: |
| 1. Find a model/example that illustrates the issue, along with how it was mitigated |
| 2. Find a good example where the issue was avoided or best practice |
| 3. Gather data on the local condition |
| 4. A time goal might be end of September for the initial impervious surface subcommittee reports. |
| #2 through #10 ISSUES |
| J. Fichter will send the SAWC priority list to the Steering Committee members, who will consider the next issues and discuss at the next SC meeting; and present to the general SAWC meeting members for discussion and input. |
| Member Packets |
| The steering committee also decided that packets of information would be helpful to subcommittee members as well as all the SAWC members. The packet would include: |
| 1. WS map |
| 2. Resources for data: |
| a. LSPA studies |
| b. UVLSRPC resources/studies |
| c. DES-website |
| 3. List of SAWC members and contact info |
| 4. Description of SAWC structure |
| 5. SAWC website |
| 6. General Watershed Plan timeline |
| 7. Conceptual Model given to DES |
| 8. Worksheet |
| Aimee Ayers agreed to lead the packet effort. Supplying such a handbook of materials was listed as part of the grant application. |
| The Steering Committee also addressed briefly the NHRWA’s offer to assist in the Watershed Plan; to be continued at the next meeting. |
| Meeting Dates: |
| The next Steering Committee will be held at 6PM prior to the SAWC meeting. |
| The SAWC meeting for August will now be held at the last Thursday, August 25, Ivey Science Center. |
| J. Fichter will email all SAWC members the meeting minutes and ask for their interest in serving on the subcommittees. |
| SAWC: The link between land use and water quality |