Marine Biology Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 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.

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.

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 …

Protecting Wildlife And Significant Habitat In Coastal New Hampshire, Nature Conservancy

PREP Reports & Publications

The Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership (“Partnership”) consists of organizations and agencies that are committed to protecting the important habitats of the Great Bay area. The Nature Conservancy has contracted with Dea Brickner-Wood of Blue Sky Associates to serve as the Coordinator of the Great Bay Partnership. The Great Bay Coordinator provided services to the overall operations of the Partnership, as outlined in this report.

Environmental Indicator Report: Land Use And Development, 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, which was most recently updated in March 2003 (NHEP, 2003). The next step is to use these indicators to produce an updated “State of the Estuaries” report by mid-2003. The TAC decided to break this task into three sections: shellfish indicators in the fall of 2002; water …

Environmental Indicator Report: Species And Habitats, 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, which was most recently updated in March 2003 (NHEP, 2003). The next step is to use these indicators to produce an updated “State of the Estuaries” report by mid-2003. The TAC decided to break this task into three sections: shellfish indicators in the fall of 2002; water …

Tracking Bacterial Pollution Sources In Hampton Harbor, Stephen H. Jones, Natalie Landry

PREP Reports & Publications

Fecal-borne microorganisms impact many shellfish-growing waters in coastal New Hampshire. Watersheds are often subject to fecal contamination by a variety of sources and efforts to improve water quality are often limited because of lack of information on which contaminant sources are most significant. Ribotyping and other microbial source tracking methods are useful new tools for providing information on the sources of fecal-borne bacterial contaminants in surface waters. New Hampshire has areas of abundant oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and clam (Mya arenaria) resources, the latter being most important in Hampton Harbor. In this study, Escherichia coli isolates (bacteria colonies) were obtained from …

Tracking Bacterial Pollution Sources In Stormwater Pipes, Stephen H. Jones

PREP Reports & Publications

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) conducted two rounds of wet weather sampling in the Hampton Harbor watershed during 2002. Samples were collected from stormdrains, tributaries, and harbor stations for bacteria and flow in order to calculate bacteria loads. This information was needed to prioritize pollution sources as part of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study of bacteria in Hampton Harbor (Trowbridge, 2003). Two of the 16 monitored stormdrain pipes were selected for microbial source determination using ribotype profiling. Stormdrain pipe selection was based on the bacteria loading data from the first wet weather sampling that occurred …

Shellfish Outreach Project, Dyanna I. Smith

PREP Reports & Publications

The purpose of the Shellfish Outreach project was to disseminate educational information to the greater seacoast community on the value of aquaculture, status and opportunities in shellfishing, and hands-on local conservation strategies in an exciting visual and experiential manner.

The entire project was designed to combine three primary methods of distributing information to the public: traveling programs, curriculum design, and field experience. Audiences for all three programs were to receive maps, updated shellfish-related information, and/or details promoting environmentally sound aquaculture practices. Subject matter covered during these programs was designed to focus on basic shellfish biology and natural history, the history …

Growing Greener Initiative, City Of Dover, Nh

PREP Reports & Publications

Using funds from this grant, the City of Dover Open Lands Committee worked in conjunction with the Planning Department and Conservation Commission to plan, promote and present a series of workshops. These workshops were designed to educate decision- makers and residents about the economic, aesthetic, and environmental benefits of open space. In addition, the Dover Open Lands Committee developed two brochures and a display to publicize the Open Lands Committee and to encourage further citizen participation.

Field Evaluation Of Wet Weather Bacteria Loading In Hampton/Seabrook Harbor, Phil Trowbridge

PREP Reports & Publications

During 2002, in and around Hampton Harbor, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) conducted two rounds of wet weather sampling of stormdrains, tributaries, and harbor stations for bacteria and flow in order to calculate bacteria loads. This information was needed to prioritize pollution sources as part of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study of bacteria in Hampton/Seabrook Harbor.