Studies continue until November in Norway Pond to test the water quality.
As previously reported by The Ledger-Transcript, the Hancock Norway Pond Commission partnered with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in March to start testing the water quality issues.
Tests continue into the summer with two buoys at the deepest part of the pond. The white one with sensors collects data every hour, and the black one references the deepest point in the water.
Amy Smagula, chief aquatic biologist for the NHDES, said the white buoy in the pond has sensors on it that measure the oxygen levels in the deepest part of the pond. The results will be discovered when the buoy is retrieved in November, since the sensors are not Bluetooth.
As discussed in March, Smagula recommended the town test the water quality in Norway Pond due to internal loading, which causes the build-up of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water, creating algae and bacteria.
Fertilized soil runoff also contributes to this issue, with nutrients settling on the bottom and later released when oxygen levels drop, which creates a condition called anoxia, according to previous reporting.
Eventually, anoxia can lead to cyanobacteria, which produce harmful toxins for the environment, animals and people.
The Norway Pond Commission continues to test the shoreline water as well to compare with the findings in November.
By testing the dissolved oxygen levels in the pond over five months, the town and state will know what the next steps are to protect the water quality of Norway Pond.
