In my position as the New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program Coordinator, I have had the good fortune to partner with the New Hampshire Rivers Council on several stream and watershed restoration projects across the state. The New Hampshire Rivers Council identifies both environmental protection and restoration challenges head-on, often serving as a fiscal agent, project coordinator, and advocate for individuals, communities, other organizations, and even native brook trout to give them a voice and achieve the environmental restoration or protection goals they have. The work in the McQuesten Brook watershed in Manchester and Bedford, New Hampshire, spearheaded by the New Hampshire Rivers Council is testament to the vision, commitment, resourcefulness, and experience of an organization committed to achieving success in an urban environment where multiple dams and culverts have been removed to restore habitat and stream passage for a population of native eastern brook trout. The watershed-scale work initiated by the New Hampshire Rivers Council that continues to this day resulted in McQuesten Brook being removed from the list of impaired waters in New Hampshire. Always a privilege to partner with the New Hampshire Rivers Council as it is always a value-added experience as we work to achieve common goals to protect and restore over 17,000 miles of stream and rivers in the Granite State.
Throughout my time as a board member of the New Hampshire Rivers Council (NHRC), I have witnessed firsthand the unwavering commitment and significant impact of our work to protect and restore the state’s rivers and watersheds. Of note most recently, the McQuesten Watershed Restoration has successfully removed barriers to fish migration, improved water quality, and actively engaged local communities in conservation efforts. At Greenland Central School, we installed a rain garden to manage stormwater runoff, significantly reducing pollutants like phosphorus and nitrogen from entering the Winnicut River and Great Bay. This project not only benefits the environment but also serves as an educational tool for Greenland Central School students and the community on water conservation and pollution prevention.
NHRC continues to be an advocate for robust public policies that safeguard river resources and provide educational outreach to enhance public understanding of river conservation. In particular, our annual fundraising event, the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, is a highly anticipated event not to be missed! With a volunteer board of directors contributing to every project, our small nonprofit makes a big difference with our donor’s support.
This small, statewide nonprofit does big things! It is 100% volunteer staffed, in addition to its board of directors. They work with communities to restore watersheds, provide outreach and education about the importance of watersheds, and maximize my membership dues and other gifts by partnering with other organizations to advocate and get on-the-ground work done.
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What can you say about an organization that formed nearly thirty years ago a a grassroots, bottom-up group to get state legislation passed to protect its rivers and then kept at it by being a watchdog and steward. This organization represents its members by reaching out to them with training and to get their feedback on its priorities. While other organizations might be there for its board members' or staffs' agendas, this one really represents its members and does so much with so little.
River Network has had a strong partnership with New Hampshire Rivers Council for nearly 20 years. Over that time, we have seen them become the leading advocate for the protection and restoration of all water resources throughout the state. As the corporate engagement director at River Network, I contacted NHRC four years ago to see if they would be interested in developing a volunteer event in conjunction with local Anheuser-Busch brewery employees. Not only did they enthusiastically take on this new task, they since have annually grown the scale, scope and involvement of other local agencies and organizations in this project. This on-going effort has led to better water quality in McQuesten Brook, which supports one of the state’s highest quality populations of self-sustaining wild brook trout. River Network is proud to work with New Hampshire Rivers Council, and if you care about the rivers in NH, please contact them to see how you can get involved.