The quality of the water in White Oak Pond is tested by the White Oak Pond Watershed Association (WOPWA) according to guidelines set up by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Volunteer Lake Assessment Program (NHDES VLAP). The White Oak Pond water quality data is then interpreted and published in report format by the VLAP program staff.
Appendix B of the regional reports contain the 'Best Management Practices and Resources for Pollution Control' which along with the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act are the best tools for maintaining the water quality of the pond. Every landowner is highly encouraged to read and heed the 'Best Management Practices' and to be familiar with and in compliance with the Shoreline Protection Act.
Helpful shoreline landowner information can also be found in the links in the right hand sidebar. The VLAP program's 'The Sampler' newsletter also highlights water quality topics of interest to homeowners, as well as providing information about statewide water quality issues and the VLAP program itself.
Another helpful quick checklist is the 'Best Practices for Protecting the Pond' (edited by Margie Bogdanow).
Changes were made starting in 2011 due to funding limitations to the VLAP program. Only regional reports were produced, and the individualized 'Observations and Recommendations' reports for each pond or lake were eliminated. The regional report compares the results from White Oak Pond to other similar ponds and lakes. The regional reports do not analyze the White Oak Pond data specifically (only in aggregate) so along with the regional report, there are also links to the actual data collected beginning in 2011.
2022 White Oak Pond Report and Interpretation Information
2022 Data: June, July, August - 2022
2021 White Oak Pond Report and Interpretation Information
2021 Data: June, July, August - 2021
2020 White Oak Pond Report and Interpretation Information
2020 Data:June, July, August - 2020
2019 White Oak Pond Report and Interpretation Information
2018 White Oak Pond Report and Interpretation Information
2017 White Oak Pond Report and Interpretation Information
2016 White Oak Pond Report and Interpretation Information
2015 White Oak Pond Report and Interpretation Information
2014 White Oak Pond Report and Interpretation Information
2013 Data: June, July, August 2013
2012 WOPWA Committee Report and Summary
2012 White Mountain Regional Report and appendices
2011 White Mountain Regional Report and appendices
Prior to 2011, the VLAP reports were published in 2 parts, one more general report pertaining to all lakes and ponds and a second individualized report for White Oak Pond:
2009 WOPWA Water Quality Monitoring Committee Report and Summary
2008 WOPWA Water Quality Monitoring Committee Report and Summary
2006 WOPWA Water Quality Monitoring Committee Report and Summary
2006 General Report Information
2006 White Oak Pond Observations and Recommendations
2006 White Oak Pond Graphs and Statistical Trends
Paper copies of previous years reports and data are kept by WOPWA and SLA and may be borrowed.
To obtain additional copies of any report, contact the Volunteer Lake Assessment Program (VLAP website).
Shoreline Protection Fact Sheets (erosion control, proper lawn care, vegetative maintenance,...)
Lake Biology Fact Sheets (milfoil, zebra mussels, phosphorous, ...)
Subsurface System Fact Sheets (septic system care, selling waterfront property,...)
The Chemistry of Firework Pollution
The same questions about water quality are often asked from year to year. Those questions and topics are discussed in this section. Currently, you can read about lily pads on the pond.
New Hampshire ponds and lakes are becoming infested with several species of exotic (non-native) plants. White Oak Pond is not currently known to have any infestation of these plants but has the risk of becoming infested. There was discussion at the 2010 Annual Meeting about officially joining the NHDES Volunteer Weed Watcher Program (sister program to the Volunteer Lake Assessment Program under which the water quality is current monitored).
Anyone who paddles the pond can be helpful in monitoring for these invasive weeds. To become familiar with the most common of these, NHDES has published an information sheet 'The Frightful Fourteen' that you can view and possibly print to bring along on your paddle.
Also extremely helpful is the information at nearby Lake Wicwas's web site comparing the differences between exotic variable milfoil and the similiar looking native species of bladderwort and elodea with several nice pictures and some text to point out the differences.
If you are paddling and note something you think might be an invasive plant, take a sample of it in a plastic bag and contact one of the White Oak Pond water quality monitors or the SLA.