Country Pond Lake Association

What it reported doing in 2025

Country Pond Watershed Management Plan Implementation Phase 1: Direct Drainage Area - Newton Boat Ramp BMPs The desired environmental outcome is for Country Pond to attain designated use status for Primary Contact Recreation due to a reduction in the frequency and intensity of hepatotoxic cyanobacteria blooms and ultimately for the lake to be removed from the states list of impaired waters. The project implements highly effective non-point source pollution reductions that are estimated to reduce phosphorus loading in Country Pond by 1.8lbs yr. This project will implement an important and highly visible structural BMP identified in the 2021 Country Pond Watershed Plan Phase 1: Direct Drainage Area and as detailed in the 2020 Conceptual Design Report attached. This project is anticipated to reduce NPS phosphorus pollution by an estimated 1.8 lbs per year towards the estimated 264 lbs per year reduction needed to achieve an annual average concentration of 12ug l. The project also implements outreach and monitoring actions as outlined in the Watershed Management Plan. The project site was chosen for its high impact relative to cost and their visibility to the community. This project will demonstrate how stormwater treatment solutions can reduce erosion and site maintenance requirements while also being practical and attractive. The site for this project is the Newton Town Boat ramp located near 36 Country Pond Road where runoff from the road flows down the ramp. In addition to stormwater runoff contributing to the lakes phosphorus loading the runoff is causing severe erosion of the ramp requiring frequent maintenance. A catch basin and infiltration basin will be installed at the top of the ramp to collect runoff from the street. Overflow will be directed to a swale with riparian buffer. The swale will include periodic check dams and the buffer will be planted with low maintenance native plants. A permeable concrete paver system will be installed on a portion of the ramp reducing maintenance and making the ramp more user friendly. This project will greatly benefit the community as it is the only public ramp on the lake. The importance of education and outreach cannot be understated. Outreach programs enhance public understanding of the issues facing the pond and encourage informed engaged community-wide participation to ensure that the management actions in the watershed plan are implemented. Implementing BMPs at these two highly visible sites combined with proactive community outreach and education will increase community awareness and participation. To determine if these projects are making progress toward attaining water quality goals CPLA will track the phosphorus concentration and frequency of cyanobacteria blooms as outlined in the Watershed Management Plan through on-going volunteer water quality monitoring activities with the NHDES Volunteer Lake Assessment Program VLAP. The Construction of the ramp was completed in December. Country Pond is a valuable environmental recreational and economic resource for the towns of Newton Kingston and the surrounding area. The Town of Newton has a public beach and public boat ramp on the lake and the Town of Kingston has public conservation land bordering the lake with a cartop boat launch. Country Pond is home to Camp Tasker the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Haverhills summer day camp which serves approximately 120 children per day for nine weeks during the summer. There are four commercial campgrounds on the lake which bring nearly 1,000 summer residents to the towns of Newton and Kingston. There are also 160 private residences on Country Pond split evenly between the towns of Kingston and Newton. CPLA estimates that Country Pond offers access to recreational opportunities to over 7,000 people in the surrounding communities. CPLAs role is to ensure continued access to these opportunities by protecting Country Ponds water quality.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 73.2%; rating input score 73
• Program expense ratio: 91%; rating input score 91

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 19.5%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.46; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: Limited
• Asset growth: Limited