| Pemigewasset River Local Advisory Committee
(PRLAC) Products Pemigewasset Watershed Resource Co-occurrence Mapping and Analysis: download report (PDF, 6 mb), download slide presentation (PDF, 2 mb) (Note: use the Layers tab in Adobe to toggle datasets) Bristol-New Hampton Tributaries Watershed Conservation Plan:: download report (PDF, 6.5 mb), download slide presentation (PDF, 5.5 mb) Overview New Hampshire is currently the fastest growing state in New England. From 1980 to 2006, the population grew by 43 percent – more than twice the regional average of 20 percent. The growing population is putting pressure on the region’s forests, rivers, and lakes as land is converted from its natural state to developed areas. Our natural resources are also facing threats from increasing recreational use, invasive species, and pollution. Amidst these mounting land use pressures are several programs designed to address resource protection. New rules for the Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act to increase protection for our irreplaceable shorelines will go into effect July 1, 2008. New Hampshire has also recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to enact the In-Lieu Fee Program. This program will allow developers impacting wetlands to pay a ‘fee’ to the state that will in turn be used to purchase and/or restore wetland and upland habitat within the watershed. This report is designed to provide assistance to the Pemigewasset River Local Advisory Committee (PRLAC),  municipalities,
and other planning entities for identifying conservation planning
opportunities in the Pemigewasset watershed, and in four identified
subwatersheds, through the development of co-occurrence maps. The four subwatersheds evaluated in this report encompass part of the Pemigewasset River corridor, where 1,000 feet on each side of the river fall within PRLAC’s jurisdiction. The subwatersheds include: 1. Beebe River Why Conduct Co-occurrence Mapping? Co-occurrence mapping is created by layering a series of individual maps (i.e. datasets) on top of one another to create a graduated snapshot of the region. For the Pemigewasset watershed, water quality datasets were used to create a snapshot of current conditions. The end-product is a map that uses graduated colors to illustrate where the areas of highest quality waters, wetlands, and uplands are located within the watershed. This map can become the foundation for conservation planning efforts in the watershed. Purpose The purpose of this report is to provide a systematic, science-based approach to identify areas of high quality waters (surface and ground water), wetlands, and uplands for the larger Pemigewasset watershed and the Study Area. The co-occurrence results will enable PRLAC and the municipalities to make informed land use planning decisions to preserve or conserve these identified areas. Visit the PRLAC overview page. Visit the water monitoring program webpage. |
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