The Five Year Action Plan identifies issues and makes
recommendations for each of the 22 sub-basins.5
Listed below is a summary of stakeholder concerns drawn from public
meetings, surveys and review of resources.6
Many of the recommendations below apply to all of the sub-basins.
Water Quality
Protect high water quality in the basin.
Ensure continued protection and evaluation of fisheries,
especially cold water fisheries, throughout the watershed.
Promote extended aquifer protection through land
use regulations and acquisition.
Promote regional, sub-basin water supply and wastewater
planning.
Provide educational materials for lake and pond
associations on aquatic invasive flora and fauna.
Promote water quality improvements as recommended
in MDC, NRWA, and DEP water quality surveys and assessments.
Address water quality issues in areas with high
impervious coverage.
Implement agricultural best management practices
while supporting farming throughout the watershed.
Monitor and provide public education on combined
sewer overflows (CSO) issues and National Pollution Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) permits.
Work with communities in growth planning and water
quality protection.
Pursue sanctuary type designation for the Squannacook
and Nissitissit Rivers in NH.
Pursue Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)
nominations and stewardship committees for the north Nashua region.
Promote continued protection and completion
of the Nashua River Greenway.
Water Quantity
Provide water supply and conservation planning
for the sub-basins identified as having immediate flow stress
conditions.
Conduct additional assessment and monitoring of
those sub-watersheds which contain operational multi-month reservoirs.
Conduct follow-up assessments for habitat impacts
to flow stressed systems.
Work toward integrating wastewater discharge permit
limits with flow conditions in sub-watersheds.
Habitat, Bio-diversity,
Open Space
Promote continued protection and completion of
the Nashua River Greenway.
Facilitate greater coordination with the EOEA Interagency
Lands Committee
Protect pristine headwaters throughout the watershed.
Assist local land trusts and conservation commissions
in protecting the Nashua River main stem and its tributaries.
Coordinate with towns to complete a greenway inventory
of protected and unprotected lands.
Promote increased use of Chapter 61a and b as a
means of temporary land protection.
Protect and manage existing lands through improved
stewardship.
Protect prime agricultural lands and support active
agriculture.
Protect important habitat areas and linkages as
identified through habitat studies and assessments.
Growth Management
Implement watershed protection legislation for
protective buffer zones, protection of potential groundwater supplies,
funding for acquisition of critical land parcels.
Provide technical assistance for planning, zoning,
health and subdivision bylaw review and revision.
Promote wise land use and development.
Encourage local land use controls (bylaws, subdivision
regulations, site plan review).
Improve oversight of development and construction
for local projects as well as those which may have a regional
impact.
Local Capacity Building
Promote professional staffing and training for
planning, conservation and health boards.
Promote review and update of resource protection
and growth management tools and bylaws using the Bylaw Project
as a starting point.
Provide support to communities for development
of Phase II and III Stormwater Program.
Pilot technical assistance workshops for Phase
II implementation.
Implement recommendations in recent planning reports.
Provide support for training to local boards for
construction monitoring and erosion and sedimentation controls.
Recreation and Access
Promote additional use of trail easements and linkages
for passive recreational use.
Explore opportunities for extending/connecting
rail trails for multi-use and accessibility.
Provide opportunities for swimming and passive
recreational use of our waterways.
Promote dialogue regarding balancing multi-use
on rivers and lakes in the watershed.
Provide continued educational opportunities
for a broad audience.