Save Forest Lake (Winchester, NH)

***********************************************************

UPDATE: July 26, 2024

Hello, Forest Lake community,

A Big Thank You to Everyone who has supported the Forest Lake Improvement Association (FLIA) in raising funds to rebuild our Forest Lake dam. Your generosity has been instrumental in getting us to this stage of our project, and we are deeply grateful.

We are reaching out with an important update and an urgent call to action. In the next 30 days, we need to raise $120,000 to ensure that construction on the dam can begin this year (2024) as intended. Unfortunately, the final bid quotes we received to rebuild the dam have exceeded our initial estimates from a year ago. Increased costs are common across the heavy construction industry from coast to coast. However, we are now working with a firm cost estimate for the first time.

Our Forest Lake benefits the entire community in one way or another, and restoring our lake holds precious value for all of us. We are counting on your continued support to finalize this critically important construction project. The FLIA is a 501(c)(3) federally approved non-profit charitable organization. Please donate on GoFundMe and help us spread the word to your generous friends and family. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to reaching our goal and ensuring that our Forest Lake dam can be worked on this year (2024) as planned. If you prefer other donation options, please go to our FLIA website's Donations page to donate with PayPal, credit or debit card, or make a pledge. You can also pay by check and mail it to the FLIA at PO Box 117, Winchester, NH 03470.

Thank you once again for your generous support. As a Forest Lake community working together, we can raise enough funds to start rebuilding the dam and restore our Forest Lake to its former glory for generations to come.

View the new documentary on this effort:

The Heart of Forest Lake, NH: From Disaster to Revival | Documentary

Created by: Purple Finch Photography (Matthew Michaud)

***********************************************************

PAST UPDATES:

Date: December, 2023

Thank you to everyone who has donated to help the FLIA association rebuild our dam. The matching effort period was a huge success! That said, we still have a ways to go, and any further contributions will continue to make a big difference.

Date: July, 2023

On July 9, flooding in southern New Hampshire washed out the dam that creates our beloved Forest Lake here in little Winchester, N.H.

In the midst of the storm, we had volunteers helping to sandbag the dam to save it. We filled and placed several hundred sandbags. But the water was too strong, and our efforts failed.

We need your help. We, the community, are responsible for rebuilding the dam. It will cost $300,000. The lake has been a cherished gathering place for families, offering a public beach and public boat launch, providing a safe and enjoyable environment for the children of our community to swim for wonderful bass fishing and other water sports.

The families so very much appreciate any donation here and all the people who enjoy Forest Lake in all four seasons.

Please help us to SAVE FOREST LAKE.