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Lamprey River Watershed Association


 


    Welcome to The Lamprey River Watershed Association

    “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” -Maya Angelou

    The Lamprey River Watershed Association is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to the conservation, restoration and wise use of the natural resources of the Lamprey River Watershed.

    Over the years, the LRWA has contributed to positive impacts for the river, wildlife and people of the watershed. One of our most significant achievements is working with community groups to make the Lamprey River one of the first rivers accepted into the NH Rivers Management and Protection Program in 1990. The Lamprey went on to become the first watershed-wide river in the program with an expansion in 2011.

    In a similar fashion, the LRWA worked with communities to enable Newmarket, Durham, and Lee designated “Wild and Scenic” by the US Congress in 1996. Administered by the National Parks Service, this designation brought federal funding for a river management plan and funds for many acres of land protection through conservation easements. Annual funding from the NPS continues today and is administered by the Lamprey River Advisory Committee, whose members are appointed by each town in the Watershed.

    This spring, a 2022 Survey of Lamprey River Watershed Residents, designed by Rosemary Aviste, MS, and Janet Swim, Ph.D., from Penn State, collected the responses of 192 residents in the Lamprey River Watershed on 
    -concerns about the Lamprey’s water quality, 
    -opinions on causes of water quality problems, 
    -support for policies and monitoring water quality.

    The results from this survey will help the LRWA develop programs that address the concerns of residents in the watershed and develop ongoing monitoring activities to meet the new clean water challenges that face the Lamprey and its tributaries. We will post a link when the survey becomes available.

    Water Quality Monitoring has been one of the LRWA’s annual programs that monitors the quality of the Lamprey’s water. Coordinated with the VRAP Program (administered by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services) and the New Hampshire Water Resources Research Center (NHWRR) at UNH (https://wrrc.unh.edu/), LRWA volunteers spend time each summer to monitor the quality of the water in our river through sampling at 10 locations throughout the watershed. In 2023, The LRWA is testing new water sampling equipment in coordination with NHWRR to enable more comprehensive citizen monitoring of the Lamprey

    Because the river is a resource that connects our towns, the LRWA hosted a number of seminars, workshops and public events to provide information about land management and the relationship with the health of our rivers and our watershed. This is especially important to local boards and commissions, so they better understand how local policy impacts us all.

    The LRWA is run by a board of concerned local volunteers. We celebrate the insight and vision that these leaders had thirty nine years ago and throughout the decades and for their work on behalf of a “clean and healthy watershed”.

    Follow LRWA on Instagram with lampreyriver or on Twitter @LRWA.

    Imagine A Day Without Water!!!

    Imagine a how difficult it is to not have access to not only clean water but any water at all!   How can you save water?  Download our tips.

    Conserving Water at Home – Tips from LRWA

    watershed map

    Reflections on a River – 30 Years of Protecting the Lamprey River

    See how our story began and view other videos on our YouTube channel.

    LRWA

    The Lamprey River Watershed Association (LRWA) was formed in 1983 to promote the restoration, conservation, wise development and use of the natural resources of the Lamprey River Watershed. Conserving fish and wildlife, forests, soil and water resources along with pollution abatement are key goals of the Association. Through education and research, the LRWA will work to increase the understanding among citizens about the importance of water and land conservation in the watershed.

    The Lamprey River Watershed Association works in partnership with other conservation organizations and citizen groups to maintain or improve the natural health and beauty of the watershed. The Lamprey Watershed Association, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization.

    Interested in participating in our citizen science programs? Would you like to get trained in Water Quality Monitoring, participate in community education events, help with wildlife and biodiversity projects? Let us know your interests. Send an email to carl.spang@lrwa-nh.org.  All skills can be put to good use helping to make our watershed sustainable!