Do you live on the Winnicut River, or one of its brooks or streams? Would you like to learn how to have a "better backyard," or be a steward for wildlife? Do you enjoy birding, kayaking, or trail walking? Have you got Invasive Plant Problems? Would you like to learn more about the Winnicut River and its wildlife diversity, from its treefrogs and trout lilies, to its black bears and white cedars? If you can answer 'yes' to any of the above, we need YOU. The WRWC is working hard to develop a Better Backyard campaign which promises to be a rewarding program for land/homeowners interested in protecting the integrity of the Winnicut River, its streams and brooks, and ultimately Great Bay, and the wildlife that lives and breeds here. E-mail us today to learn more at winnicut@nhrivers.org

Thursday, November 21, 2013

YOU are invited! - December 16, 2013


Good Fundraiser at Robert's Maine Grill!

Robert's Maine Grill, in Kittery, Maine, will host a “Community Supper” on November 26th and again on December 3rd to help support the Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper, a program of the Conservation Law Foundation.

The Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper is working to restore the health of our waters by being a strong, local voice for the Great Bay estuary. Sewage treatment plants, stormwater systems, fertilizing practices, shellfishing closures, and disappearing eelgrass, to name a few, require our attention today.

Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper, Jeff Barnum, says, “We all deserve clean water to live, work, and play. Livelihoods, ecosystems, and recreational opportunities are at risk. The Great Bay Estuary needs our attention now.”


Every Tuesday and Wednesday night, Robert’s Maine Grill offers a “Community Supper” starting at 4pm. The supper is $14; offering a three course menu – a mid-week “recession buster” offering. To add to the community spirit Robert’s donates a portion of the proceeds from the evening to a local non-profit. The menus are Robert’s-style in nature: Maine comfort food with an updated twist. Reservations are recommended. Robert’s regular dinner menu is also available. Upcoming Community Supper menus are posted at www.robertsmainegrill.com.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

A Public Invitation from Rockingham Planning Commission

Hello Friends and Colleagues,

[You are invited to] a public participation event hosted by NH Listens as part of Rockingham Planning Commission's Granite State Future project. The Granite State Future project is an initiative led by the nine regional planning commissions in NH to simultaneously update their regional master plans.

This is an opportunity for residents of RPC's planning region to voice their concerns, opinions and vision for the future of southeastern New Hampshire - what works, what could be better, what our future will look like. Your input will be incorporated as we prepare our new regional master plan. RPC will also hold an Open House event and other public participation events starting in June and through fall of this year.

The NH Listens event will be held from 7:00-9:00pm (check-in from 6:30-7:00pm) on Tuesday, May 14th at the Sanborn Regional High School, 17 Danville Road, Kingston, NH. Registration is encouraged - see the registration link in below.

Please forward this announcement to friends and others who live in southeastern NH communities. And if you choose attend - bring a friend a or two! We hope to see you there.

Thank you,
Julie LaBranche

Senior Planner
Rockingham Planning Commission
156 Water Street
Exeter, NH 03833
Phone: (603) 778-0885
Fax: (603) 778-9183

Monday, April 22, 2013

Happy Earth Day!

A picture of wood frog egg masses for you!

Note the bubble-like appearance they have at the water's surface.  Thanks to member, Laura B., for taking the time to search for vernal pools on local conservation land, and for forwarding the photo!


On a less than thrilling note, Laura also captured this shot of filamentous algae growing in the Winnicut River just downstream of the newly installed fishpass at Rte 33.  The Winnicut did have higher than acceptable Phosphorus levels last summer....  Not good.


Thursday, February 21, 2013

Upcoming 'MS4 Permit' Q&A Meetings

EPA will be holding four informal public meetings on the NH Draft Small MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems) Permit prior to the Public Hearing on March 14, 2013.  Newton Tedder, EPA, will present the draft permit followed by Q & A. The dates, times and locations for two of these scheduled public meetings are:

Thursday, February 28, 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Dover McConnell Center, Room 306, 61 Locust Street, Dover. The McConnell Center is located next to the Dover Library and across the street from Dover City Hall. There is a large parking lot behind the library.

Thursday, March 7th, 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Exeter Town Hall, 9 Front Street, Exeter, NH.
This is the "Old" Town Hall across the street from the Town Offices.
Designed especially for new NH Small MS4 municipalities and the public, this presentation will include the background of the NH MS4 permits and permit requirements for NH municipalities new to this permit process.

Please contact Barbara McMillan, NH DES, to register that you will be attending:
barbara.mcmillan@des.nh.gov or 603-271-7889

For more information on the permit, visit the EPA website at: http://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/stormwater/MS4_2013_NH.html.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Grant Wrap-up and Water Quality Meters


The Winnicut River Watershed Coalition, an initiative of the New Hampshire Rivers Council, has completed a 2-year grant project funded under the Coastal Zone Management Act by NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in conjunction with the New Hampshire Coastal Program.


In addition to a 2-year sampling regime that included chemical, biological and nutrient testing at 11 locations throughout the watershed, and more than 450 hours of outreach, education, and volunteer involvement, the WRWC--comprised of individuals from within the three towns of North Hampton, Stratham and Greenland--purchased its own set of high quality water testing meters in December.  Testing may now be conducted for turbidity, pH, temperature, conductivity (electrical current) and dissolved oxygen wherever and whenever!

If you are curious about your neighborhood's impact on our local waters...if would like to see attention paid to a special brook, stream, river, pond or other wetland area, or you're simply interested in learning more, contact Jean Eno, the Winnicut Project Director for the New Hampshire Rivers Council.  Volunteers are always welcomed, from Junior High students and up!







Generous additional support provided by:


The NH Charitable Foundation - Piscataqua Region

 


And by:

The Alvin T. Fuller Foundation


Many thanks to the wonderful volunteers who helped make things happen!