What: Silver Lake Association of Madison (SLAM) has tee’d up a Watershed Management Plan Project for the Town of Madison to study the Silver Lake watershed and provide recommendations for its protection. 

Where: The study will cover the entire Madison portion of the Ossipee Watershed including streams, brooks, the Chain of Ponds, Cooks Pond, and Silver Lake. 

Why: We are experiencing higher average temperatures and extreme weather conditions more frequently. Events like the torrential rains of 2023 are washing chemicals, such as phosphorus from fertilizers, into our watershed at an unprecedented rate. Silver Lake experienced its first recorded toxic cyanobacteria bloom in September of 2023 and PFAS have recently been found around the Madison Fire Department and in our Town wells. There is concern that other pollutants in lake sediment that were left behind by the lead mine, lumber mill, or other historical operations may similarly be at risk of being introduced into our watershed. A watershed management plan will assess all such risks to the watershed and recommend mitigation steps including suggestions for managing future growth compatible with watershed protection. Importantly, having a watershed management plan will enable Madison to apply for additional state and federal funding such as Watershed Assistance 319 grants that help implement watershed conservation practices.

How: In 2024, SLAM applied for and received approval for Madison to borrow up to $100,000 from the New Hampshire Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) in the form of a low-interest loan. At the completion of the study, the loan principle is forgiven. SLAM has committed to pay the interest on the loan such that there will be no cost for the project to the Town and its taxpayers. 

Project Kick-off: In March of 2025, Madison residents overwhelmingly voted in favor of a warrant article authorizing the select board to proceed with the project. Subsequently, Madison executed a contract for the CWSRF funding and the steering committee to oversee the project was formed. The committee includes the following members:

Dave Scarborough, Chair – Madison Resident, SLAM board member

Bill Lord – Madison Resident, Co-author of CWSRF Application

Bob Newton  – Madison Resident, Groundwater Geologist and Professor Emeritus

Matt Vavro – Madison Resident, Geologist

Joe Dame – Representing the Advisory Budget Committee

Ralph Lutjen – Representing the Madison Conservation Commission

Josh Shackford – Representing the DPW

Paul Littlefield – Representing the Madison Planning Commission

In May of 2025, the steering committee posted a public Request for Qualifications and in July chose FB Environmental to perform the watershed management study. The project will take approximately 18 months to complete.