Ossipee—March 12, 2013—Most people don’t realize that one of the biggest threats to lake water quality comes from erosion of natural soils in developed areas. Ossipee Lake is surrounded by dirt and gravel roads—roads that can be a source of erodible soil, as they are subject to the erosive power of rain and wheels.

On March 23, gravel road guru Russ Lanoie will conduct a free public workshop in Freedom on gravel road maintenance techniques that can improve performance and durability while helping protect surface water quality through properly managed drainage.

The workshop will be based on Lanoie’s gravel road maintenance manual, A Ditch in Time, and is targeted to camp operators, road associations, private land owners who maintain long unpaved driveways, and more generally, to those who contract for dirt road maintenance.

The workshop, sponsored by Green Mountain Conservation Group, is free and will be conducted at Freedom Town Hall from 9:00 a.m. to Noon, followed by a site visit to a near-by road. Please register by calling (603) 539-1859. Lavoie’s website is www.ruralhometech.com. Copies of his book will be available for purchase.