Souhegan River Instream Flow Study and Water Management Plan
 

objective statutory authority interim products related links project team contact

What's New?

• WMPAAC Meeting
  July 30 2009
  
  
  • Presentation (pdf)
    
    
    
    
• Final Protected Instream Flow Report
  February 26, 2008 (all are pdf)
  

• Executive Summary
  
  
• Glossary and Table of Contents
  
  
• Main Report
  
  
• References
  
  
• Appendix 1: Affected Dam Owners
  
  
• Appendix 2: Affected Water Users
  
  
• Appendix 3: Hydrology
  
  
• Appendix 4: Recreation Surveys
  
  
• Appendix 5: Temperature
  
  
• Appendix 6: Target Fish Community
  
  
• Appendix 7: Fish Data
  
  
• Appendix 8: Habitat Suitability Criteria
  
  
• Appendix 9: Habitat Survey
  
  
• Appendix 10: HMU Maps
  
  
• Appendix 11a: Adult Suitability Maps
  
  
• Appendix 11b: Spawning Suitability Maps
  
  
• Appendix 12: Rating Curves
  
  
• Appendix 13: Habitat Time Series Analysis
  
  
• Appendix 14: Verification of Model Transferability
  
  
• Appendix 15: Site 11
  
  
• Appendix 16: Floodplain Transects
  
  
• Appendix 17: Example Calculations
  
  
• Appendix 18: Responses to Public Comments
  

• WMPAAC Meeting
  October 16, 2007
  
  
  • Presentation (pdf)

 

Public Hearing on the Proposed Souhegan River Protected Instream Flows
March 21, 2007

• Presentation (pdf)

• Technical Review Committee Meeting
  January 3, 2007
  
  
  • Presentation (pdf)
    
    
    
• WMPAAC Meeting - Milford, NH
  July 17, 2006
  
  
  • Presentation (pdf)
    
    
    
• Technical Review Committee Meeting
  June 6, 2006
  
  
• Presentation (pdf)
  
  
  
• Final Report - "Souhegan River Protected Instream Flow Study - Instream Habitat Analysis"
  
  
  
• Technical Review Committee Meeting
  March 13, 2006
  
  
• Presentation - "Souhegan River Protected Instream Flow Study - Instream Habitat Analysis" (pdf)
  
  
• Presentation - "Hydrology and the Ability of the Existing System to Meet the PISF" (pdf)
  
  
• Presentation - "IPUOCRs Evaluated by Normandeau Associates" (pdf)
  
  
  
• Technical Review Committee Meeting
  February 13, 2006
  
  
• Presentation - "Wetland and Recreation Section for Souhegan"
  
  
  
• Technical Review Committee Meeting
  November 28, 2005
  

• Presentation - "Protected Instream Flow Studies and Water Management Plan for the Souhegan River Designated Reach"
  
  
• Presentation - "Target Fish Community Development for the Upper and Lower Souhegan River, New Hampshire" (pdf)
  
  
  
• Target Fish Community Final Report (pdf)
  
  
  
• Task 8 Hydrology (pdf)
  
  
  
• Task 2 Report - "Assessment of Well Withdrawal Impacts on Surface Water" (pdf)
  
  
  
• Regional References Reaches - Image (pdf)
  
  
  
• Technical Review Committee Meeting
  April 1, 2005
  
  
  • Presentation
    
    
• Technical Review Committee Meeting - Groundwater Assessment
  January 7, 2005
  
  
  • Presentation
    
    
• Souhegan Water Management Planning Area Committee (WMPAAC) Meeting
  22 October 2004, 1:30 - 3:30 PM at the Milford Town Hall, Milford, NH
  
  
  • Overview of Flow Dependent Resources, Water Users, Dam Owners and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) (presentation)
    
    
  • Cocheco River MCDA Example
    
    Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to Protect New Hampshire Waterways: A Case Study in Contaminated Sediments Management (pdf)
    
    Cocheco River Dredge and Disposal Project (presentation)
    
    
• IPUOCR Final Report 10/01/04 (pdf)
  
  
• IPUOCR Appendices 10/01/04 (pdf)
  
  
• Souhegan Representative Sites (pdf)
  
  
• DRAFT - Method for Assessing Affected Water User Groundwater Withdrawal (pdf)
  
  
• Souhegan Technical Review Committee Meeting
  This meeting took place on July 30, 2004 from 9:30 - 11:30 at the NH DES Auditorium on Hazen Drive in Concord. Interested parties were invited to attend and participate. UNH presented its findings on protected entities under the Instream Flow Rules and propose methods for assessing instream flows to protect these entities. Supporting information included:
  
  
• Presentation - Protected Instream Flow Studies and Water Management Plan for the Souhegan River Designated Reach
  
  
  • Parts 1 & 3
    
    
  • Part 2
    
    
• Preliminary Review Draft - July 2004 (pdf)
  
  
• Figure 2.1
  
  
• Figure 2.2
  
  
• Souhegan Representative Sites (pdf)
  
  
• Souhegan River Data (pdf)
  
  
  
• Preliminary IPUOCR list (pdf)
  
  
• IPUOCR Field SOPs (pdf)
  
  
• Habitat Reconnaissance SOPs (pdf)
  

The primary purpose of this study is to develop public policy and processes for instream flow protection on the Souhegan River. Many of the issues and methods for instream flow protection are expected to be identified and explored in the context of the studies and reports. The project team will work collaboratively with the NH DES, including frequent and concise communication as the work progresses, and to show initiative and creativity in framing scientific knowledge and quantitative methods for instream flow protection for public discussion.

• Original RFP Tasks (pdf)
  

NH RSA 483:9-c, enacted in 1988, requires the Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) to adopt rules for protected instream flows on designated rivers. Since 1990, NH DES has been working on concepts for instream flow protection. Chapter 278, Laws of 2002 (HB1449) created a pilot program for instream flow protection on the Lamprey and Souhegan rivers. This program, enacted as a significant compromise among water-using interests and conservation interests, is based on the idea of first conducting studies to develop protected flows for the IPUOCR entities identified for the river segment, and then developing a management plan for the upstream watershed that will maintain the protected flows. The legislation also established two committees to advise the Department in the pilot process. A Technical Review Committee (TRC) to evaluate technical processes and results, and a Water Management Protection Area Advisory Committee representing local interests and knowledge.

In May 2003, the Department adopted rules to implement the legislation. The New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules define the process for the work to be conducted under this Scope of Work. Funding for this project and revised deadlines were promulgated by Chapter 319 (Parts 48-51), Laws of 2003 (also know as HB4).

Env-Ws 1900 Rules for the Protection of Instream Flows on Designated Rivers
RSA 483, Chapter 278, Laws of 2002
Env-Ws 1700 Surface Water Quality Regulations
Env-Wr 700 Water Use Registration and Water Use Reporting or its successor rule.
Chapter 278, Laws of 2002

Interim Products

Field Survey Photos

• June 28, 2004
  
  
• June 29, 2004
  
  
• June 30, 2004

• NH DES Instream Flow
  
  
• Real time Souhegan River flow at Merrimack, NH

• University of New Hampshire
  
  
• Normandeau Associates
  
  
• University of Massachusetts

Tom Ballestero
238 Gregg Hall
Durham, NH 03824
Phone: 603-862-1405
tom.ballestero@unh.edu