A century-old dam across Black Brook created an impoundment called Maxwell Pond, which was a site for ice harvesting, fishing, swimming and other recreation. Over time, sediment from poorly managed industrial sites accumulated in the pond, which became stagnant and shallow. As a result, the NH Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) added Maxwell Pond to the 2002 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters. Stakeholders collaborated for seven years to restore water quality by reducing upstream sediment sources and removal of the dam in 2009. Once Black Brook returned to its free-flowing condition, the dissolved oxygen level rebounded and the brook could once again support its aquatic life designated use. As a result of the improvements, in 2010 DES removed the former Maxwell Pond portion of Black Brook from the state\u27s CWA section 303(d) list of impaired waters for dissolved oxygen.
Funds for this $685,000 restoration project were derived from a diverse portfolio of stakeholders that included the City of Manchester, EPA, DES, NH Fish & Game, NH State Conservation Committee, NH Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, American Rivers/NOAA, Gulf of Maine Council/NOAA, Fairpoint Communications, National Grid, Aggregate Industries, Amoskeag Fishways, Dubois & King, Inc., and Trout Unlimited. Thanks to the incredible collaboration and innovative funding strategies employed to restore Black Brook, this project was accepted as a Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program Success Story by the EPA in 2011.
In addition to the local community accolades for flood relief, elimination of a public safety hazard, and the state and federal acknowledgement of successful restoration of impaired surface waters in NH, the Black Brook Restoration Project also garnered national attention in 2010. American Rivers selected this project as one of three in the United States to be featured in their Restoring America\u27s Rivers: Preparing for the Future DVD that focused upon flooding, community decision makers, and restoration of vital habitats for fish and wildlife.
This presentation will provide attendees with an overview of the dam removal process on Black Brook, the project management and funding collaborations that lead to success, data gathered pre and post-dam removal that demonstrate the return of state and federally listed fish species (Bridle shiners, Sea lamprey, American eel, Tesselated darters, Atlantic salmon) to Black Brook, and geomorphic indicators that demonstrate ongoing channel evolution and a return to the reference condition within the former impoundment
