Life Sciences Commons^™

Natural Resources Outreach Coalition: Coordination And Program Delivery, Frank Mitchell

PREP Reports & Publications

The Natural Resources Outreach Coalition (NROC) is a multi-organizational initiative providing technical and educational assistance to communities in New Hampshire’s coastal watersheds dealing with the effects of growth. The NROC program offered to communities includes an initial educational public presentation, Dealing with Growth, followed by a series of follow-up meetings to help the community develop an action-oriented work plan, and provide the technical and educational assistance needed to help the community meet its goals.

Gbcw Support For Shellfish Activities 2003, B Sharon Meeker, Ann S. Reid

PREP Reports & Publications

The Great Bay Coast Watch (GBCW) is a volunteer estuarine monitoring program established in 1989 that includes teachers, students, and local citizens with a diversity of backgrounds. Volunteers participate in a variety of training programs that enable them to monitor water quality parameters in Great Bay and coastal areas, sample for marine phytoplankton blooms and conduct shoreline surveys and habitat evaluations. Since 1997 the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) has relied on the ability of GBCW to recruit and train volunteers to assist with the implementation of its plan to protect, restore and manage the states estuarine systems. This year …

Support For The 3rd Annual Exeter River Alewife Festival, Exeter River Local Advisory Committee

PREP Reports & Publications

With support from the NH Estuaries Project (NHEP), the Exeter River Local Advisory Committee (ERLAC) held the 3rd Annual Exeter River Alewife Festival on May 31, 2003 in downtown Exeter. NHEP funding enabled ERLAC and the Festival Planning Committee to print and distribute posters and cards advertising the Festival, purchase newspaper advertisements and arrange opportunities for the press to learn more about the event. In addition, ERLAC members worked with area newspapers to write and print eleven articles highlighting aspects of the river and the watershed.

2002 Coastal Municipal Stormwater Infrastructure Mapping Project, Jillian E. Jones

PREP Reports & Publications

This final report describes the grant program funded by NHEP and administered by DES. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between NHEP and DES created a grant program to provide assistance to coastal communities to develop storm sewer infrastructure maps. DES issued a request for proposals (RFP), chose grant recipients, and managed the grant agreements. This report provides details on the grant projects completed by Portsmouth and Seabrook. The deadline for completion of all grant projects was December 31, 2003.

Laboratory Analyses Of Water And Shellfish From Coastal Waters And Watershed Of New Hampshire, Jayne S. Finnigan

PREP Reports & Publications

The Department of Health and Human Services-New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories (DHHS-NHPHL) has participated in providing laboratory analyses as part of the National Estuary Program since it’s inception in New Hampshire in 1995. The NHPHL has continued to carry out various actions dealing with the monitoring program as listed in the NH Estuaries Project Management Plan. Introduction: The NHPHL implemented selected actions from the NH Estuaries Project Management Plan and Year Six workplan to help address the environmental problems affecting the state’s estuarine systems.

Natural Resource Mapping And Land Protection Prioritization For Greenland, Nh, Danna B. Truslow, David Mcgraw

PREP Reports & Publications

This report describes the development of the project team, mapping criteria, and results of natural resource and co-occurrence mapping of the town of Greenland, New Hampshire. Using Geographic Information Systems mapping and analysis, natural resource characteristics were mapped and land parcels were evaluated to determine conservation priorities within the town. Outreach activities were also carried out and planned to distribute information to town decision makers, landowners and citizens and to share the results of the mapping process.

The purpose of the work was to help the Seacoast Land Trust and the Town of Greenland better identify land protection priorities in …

Evaluation Of Effects Of Wastewater Treatment Discharge On Estuarine Water Quality, Carl H. Bolster, Stephen H. Jones, Jonathan M. Bromley

PREP Reports & Publications

This report marks the completion of a two-year project focused on observed and estimated effects of wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) on estuarine water quality within the New Hampshire (NH) Seacoast region. This study was designed and carried out in an effort to help the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) and NH Estuaries Project (NHEP) evaluate the effects of WWTF effluent quality on bacterial and nutrient concentrations in New Hampshire’s estuarine waters, as well as to help NHDES/NHEP identify related WWTF infrastructure problems. An extensive database of bacterial and nutrient concentrations in effluent collected post-disinfection from 9 NH WWTFs and …

Peirce Island Pool Discharge Elimination, Natalie Landry

PREP Reports & Publications

The Peirce Island Pool is owned by the City of Portsmouth and serves approximately 19,000 swimmers each summer. The pool was originally constructed in the 1930s and updated in the 1970s and again in the mid 1990s. The pool’s 800,000 gallons of water were cleaned through a rapid sand filter. The filter was then cleaned through a backwash process and that wastewater was discharged directly into the Piscataqua River which is part of the Great Bay Estuary. The City sought and was awarded funds through the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) to eliminate the direct discharge to the River. The …

Environmental Indicator Report: Shellfish, Phil Trowbridge

PREP Reports & Publications

During the fall and winter of 2001-2002, the New Hampshire Estuaries Project’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) developed a suite of environmental indicators to track progress toward the NHEP’s management goals and objectives. These indicators were fully described in terms of their performance criteria, statistical methods, and measurable goals in the NHEP’s Monitoring Plan published in March 2003 (NHEP, 2003). From September 2002 to April 2003, the NHEP Coastal Scientist prepared four “Indicator Reports” that summarized the available information and results of statistical tests for each of the indicators. The TAC reviewed and commented on these reports, and then recommended a …

Bear Paw Regional Greenway-Comte Property Easement, Susan Zankel

PREP Reports & Publications

Bear-Paw Regional Greenways successfully completed the tasks as outlined in the grant application and award from the New Hampshire Estuaries Project as of August 31st, 2003 for the project titled: Natural Resource Mapping and Land Protection Technical Assistance. The project included the completion of a series of Natural Resource Inventory maps that were produced using current statewide natural resource digital data. We worked with a consultant from the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests to produce a total of 40 different large format maps using geographic information systems. The maps produced included: aerial photos, water resource maps, significant …

Freshwater Wetlands Inventory Outreach Activities, West, M, West Environmental, Inc., Carex Ecosystem Sciences

PREP Reports & Publications

West Environmental, Inc. together with Carex Ecosystem Sciences and Doucet Survey, under contract with the NH Estuaries Project, have identified and mapped potential freshwater wetland mitigation opportunities in nineteen (19) communities that border coastal or estuarine habitats.

Characterization Of Ground Water Discharge To Hampton Harbor, Thomas Ballestero

PREP Reports & Publications

The project goals were to assess inter-tidal groundwater discharge and concurrent nutrient loading to Hampton Harbor. This will include maps of suspected groundwater discharge zones and measurements of nutrient loading. The principal means of assessment was an aerial survey of the study area during low tide using thermal infrared (TIR) imagery. The TIR imagery was used to detect and locate upwelling groundwater discharge zones within the harbor. The location of groundwater discharge zones as it relates to upgradient land use can be instructive for water quality.

2001 Storm Drain Monitoring And Municipal Training Project, Andrea F. Donlon

PREP Reports & Publications

This final report describes the training sessions held for municipal officials in the Seacoast on the topic of investigating and locating illicit discharges into the storm drainage system. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between NHEP and DES established funding for this project. DES held two, half-day training sessions in January 2003, one in Dover and one in Epping. Each training session offered four presentations from DES staff. NHEP funding paid for the printing costs of an illicit discharge detection and elimination manual, handout materials, compact discs containing all of DES’s illicit discharge monitoring data in the coastal watershed, and food …

2001 Coastal Illicit Connection Identification And Elimination Grant Project, Andrea F. Donlon

PREP Reports & Publications

This final report describes a grant program funded by NHEP and administered by DES. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between NHEP and DES created a grant program to provide assistance to coastal communities to identify and eliminate illicit discharges into the storm drain system. A total of $60,000 was available for grants to municipalities. DES issued a request for proposals (RFP), chose grant recipients, and managed the grant agreements. This report provides details on the projects completed by Exeter, Dover, and Somersworth. The deadline for completion of all grant projects was June 30, 2003

2001 Coastal Municipal Stormwater Infrastructure Mapping Project, Andrea F. Donlon

PREP Reports & Publications

This final report describes a mapping project and grant program funded by NHEP and administered by DES. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between NHEP and DES provided funding to map outfall pipes in the coastal area and created a grant program to provide assistance to coastal communities to develop storm sewer infrastructure maps. As part of the mapping project, DES collected global positioning system (GPS) readings of all outfall pipes in New Castle, Newington, Portsmouth, and parts of Durham and Madbury. For the grant project, DES issued a request for proposals (RFP), chose grant recipients, and managed the contracts. This …

An Education And Monitoring Program For An Ongoing Estuarine Habitat Restoration Project, Teri W. Grizzle

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.

Pilot Conservation Commission Circuit Rider Program, Rockingham Planning Commission

PREP Reports & Publications

The purpose of this pilot project was to increase the effectiveness of the three Conservation Commissions in the Exeter River watershed. The Towns of Kensington, Kingston, and Sandown were selected based on their interest in the program and their need for professional planning assistance. Rockingham Planning Commission staff attended monthly meetings of each Conservation Commission to discuss and implement short-term and long-term projects. The three Conservation Commissions selected two natural resource protection projects to work on with RPC assistance. The scope of these projects ranged from very basic, such as establishing a process for record keeping in Kingston, to more …

Technical Assistance And Outreach Program For Landowners And Municipalities In The Upper Reaches Of The Exeter River Watershed, Rockingham Land Trust

PREP Reports & Publications

The Rockingham Land Trust (RLT) is nonprofit organization founded in 1980 to protect land and water resources in Exeter and surrounding communities. Recently, the Board of Directors of the RLT voted to expand the organization’s service region to include all the communities in Rockingham County. This action was taken due to an increased demand for the Trust’s services by municipalities and landowners.

The purpose of this project was to increase awareness of the Land Trust in towns in the new service area and to work with interested community officials and landowners to increase the amount of land protected by conservation …

Arsenic Concentrations In Private Bedrock Wells In Southeastern New Hampshire, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Epa New England), New Hampshire Department Of Environmental Services, New Hampshire Estuaries Project, Nh Department Of Health And Human Services

PREP Reports & Publications

The quality of drinking water obtained from private wells in New Hampshire is not regulated; consequently, private wells are often not sampled for arsenic unless individual well owners choose to do so. To provide private well owners and Federal and State environmental and health officials with accurate information on arsenic concentrations from private wells in this region, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted an arsenic occurrence and distribution study, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA New England), New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), New Hampshire Estuaries Project, and with the New Hampshire Department of Health and …

Stratham (Nh) Well Survey, Theresa Walker, George Miller

PREP Reports & Publications

At Town Meeting in 1996, Stratham residents authorized the establishment of a Water Commission in response to the proposal of the first commercial large volume groundwater withdrawal within the Town. The Stratham Board of Selectmen appointed members to the Commission in the spring of 2002 and charged the Commission with monitoring current water issues and forecasting the future water needs of the community. With no municipal water and sewer system, Stratham’s 7,500 residents and numerous commercial and industrial sites rely on wells to supply water. Very little data existed on these existing wells, making it difficult for the Water Commission …

Storm Drain Stenciling To Build Stormwater Awareness In Nh’S Estuarine Communities, Julia Peterson

PREP Reports & Publications

Storm drain stenciling is a community-based activity during which volunteers paint stenciled messages on the street next to stormwater grates indicating where the water entering those storm drains discharges. One of the biggest threats to water quality nationwide is stormwater runoff which enters storm drains and flows untreated to local water bodies. The purpose of this project is to educate stenciling volunteers, neighborhood residents and passers-by about the environmental connection between neighborhood streets and local waterbodies.

Exeter, A Special Place, Theresa Walker, Gwen English

PREP Reports & Publications

Through the Exeter, A Special Place initiative, a $3 million bond for open space protection was passed at the March, 2003 town meeting, with support from 73% of the voters. Prior to the vote, the bond received 100% approval from the Select board. The success of this initiative was due in large part to the public education and outreach campaign conducted for this project. A brochure and four newsletters were developed to increase public awareness of open space issues in Exeter. A number of media articles were written to publicize the efforts of the Special Place committee, and encourage citizens …

Unh Great Bay Coast Watch Involvement In The New Hampshire Estuaries Project, Bonnie S. Meeker, Ann S. Reid

PREP Reports & Publications

The Great Bay Coast Watch (GBCW) is a volunteer estuarine monitoring program established in 1989 that includes teachers, students, and local citizens with a diversity of backgrounds. Volunteers participate in a variety of training programs that enable them to monitor water quality parameters in Great Bay and coastal areas, sample for marine phytoplankton along coastal New Hampshire and conduct shoreline surveys and habitat evaluations. Since 1997 the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) has relied on the ability of GBCW to recruit and train volunteers to assist with the implementation of its plan to protect, restore and manage the state’s estuarine …

Nhep Year 8 Workplan, New Hampshire Estuaries Project

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.

Water Quality Outreach, Phyllis E. Duffy

PREP Reports & Publications

The Town of Exeter was interested in creating an education program for nonpoint source pollution. Exeter was not designated as a small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) with the first group of Seacoast towns, but realized we had some of the same concerns and may be designated in the future. We partnered with other seacoast towns to create a video on storm water runoff. The video is an excellent tool for storm water education. We wanted to supplement the video with a hands-on activity. Storm drain stenciling created an excellent opportunity to get the public involved. The grant provided …

Squamscott Project Newfields Open Space Committee, Tracy Degnan

PREP Reports & Publications

Through the Newfields Open Space Committee (NOSC) the objectives under the Squamscott Project were to educate the citizens of Newfields on conservation options and estate planning, the goals and objectives of the NOSC, and to finalize a natural resource prioritization for critical areas in town in need of protection efforts. The NOSC contracted with the Rockingha m County Conservation District to assist with these efforts, and to provide assistance with the coordination of conservation projects and the preparation of funding applications to leverage the existing open space bond fund.

Restoration Strategies For Oysters And Soft-Shell Clams, Phil Trowbridge

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.

Squamscott Project Stratham Ad Hoc Conservation Bond Subcommittee To The Conservation Committee, Tracy Degnan

PREP Reports & Publications

Through the Stratham Ad Hoc Conservation Bond Subcommittee to the Conservation Committee (Ad Hoc Committee) the objectives under the Squamscott Project were to educate the citizens of Stratham on conservation options and estate planning, and to create a natural resource prioritization and criteria ranking for critical areas in town in need of protection efforts. The Ad Hoc Committee contracted with the Rockingham County Conservation District to assist with these efforts and to provide assistance with the preparation of funding applications to leverage the existing open space bond fund.

Ambient Water Quality And Shellfish Tissue Monitoring In New Hampshire Estuaries 2001 And 2002, Natalie Landry

PREP Reports & Publications

The Department of Environmental Services received funding from the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) to conduct monitoring activities in 2001 and 2002. The monitoring activities involved water monitoring in tidal tributaries and estuarine waters and tissue monitoring of mussels, clams and oysters. These monitoring activities were a direct result of recommendations made by the NHEP Technical Advisory Committee and the Monitoring Plan and were completed with the overall purpose of improving the understanding of water quality trends and the concentrations of toxic contaminants in shellfish tissue. The Department of Environmental Services, in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire Jackson …

Nh Department Of Environmental Services Shellfish Program Activities, January 2002 – June 2003, Chris Nash

PREP Reports & Publications

This report summarizes the activities of the NHDES Shellfish Program for the period of January 2002 to June 2003. The NHDES Shellfish Program conducts a number of activities to minimize the health risks associated with consuming shellfish, and to continue to comply with National Shellfish Sanitation Program guidelines. Basic program functions included program administration, routine water quality monitoring (more than 700 samples collected at over 70 sites in 2002), “red tide” monitoring at two sites (49 weekly samples in 2002), pollution source identification and evaluation (233 properties inspected, and 106 new potential pollution sources identified in 2002), and a number …