Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership

English

UNH Scholars' Repository

Masthead LogoUniversity of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryPREP Reports & Publications Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space(EOS)1-2019Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership 2018Annual ReportPiscataqua Region Estuaries PartnershipFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/prepPart of the Environmental Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, and the Terrestrial andAquatic Ecology CommonsThis Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS) at University of NewHampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in PREP Reports & Publications by an authorized administrator of University ofNew Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationPiscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership, "Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership 2018 Annual Report" (2019). PREP Reports &Publications. 414.https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/4142018ANNUAL REPORTand Washington to promote awareness, behavior change, and increased stewardship of our region’s resources. And, of course, staying focused on the efforts we are already committed to such as growing the Piscataqua Region Monitoring Collaborative (PRMC), collecting base-line water quality and ecological habitat data, delivering focused technical assistance to our communities, progress reporting on our local policy and management practices, investing in land conservation, and seeking supplemental sources of funding that address high priority needs. Heading into 2019, we welcome you to reach out and let us know how we are doing as your partner. Are there spe-cific opportunities we can capitalize on or resources we can bring to the region in support of our collective work?  Please let us know. Or if you just want to share some ideas over a cup of coffee, we are up for that, too.Thank you for celebrating 2018 with us. We look forward to another year of creating more positive, lasting impact in partnership with all of you. Cheers,  Rachel Rouillard Executive Director, Piscataqua Region Estuaries PartnershipDear community of partners, funders, colleagues, stakehold-ers and friends: What a year!  We THANK YOU for your care and stewardship of the special places, critters, and valuable natural resources of the Pisca-taqua Region in 2018! If you can believe it, one year ago we were together at the 2018 State of Our Estuaries conference and the state’s first citizen sci-ence symposium, “Stories from the Field.”For most of us, the year flew by in the blink of an eye – we all stayed busy advancing projects, investigating new challenges, collaborating on problem-solving, and getting outdoors with each other to enjoy the places we work so hard to protect. In recognition of the work completed over a year’s time, it felt important to make note of that in a more formal way. So, I’m pleased to introduce PREP’s first annual report.  Each year we work hard to provide you with information and resources that are helpful, and enjoy championing your successes broadly through our newsletter, and social media activity.  In doing those things, we too accomplish a lot to be proud of, and some of our high-level accomplish-ments from 2018 are summarized in this brief report.As we look to 2019, we are excited about two important and exciting initiatives you’ll be hearing more about: updat-ing the 2010 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP) to identify important priorities across the water-shed for the period of 2020-2030, and introducing the Every Drop Campaign – a coordinated, branded communications campaign modeled after successful efforts in Florida, Texas, LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORRachel Rouillard, Director; Abigail Lyon, Community Technical Assistance Program Manager;  Trevor Mattera, Special Projects Coordinator; Dr. Kalle Matso, Coastal Science Program Manager 2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R T   |  1 PREP REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS2018 publications to the UNH Scholars Repository include:MEMORANDUM: Quality Assurance of 2016 Great Bay Estuary Water Quality Data and 2017 Cocheco River and Bellamy River Water Quality Data collected by UNHGreat Bay Estuary Tidal Tributary Monitoring Program: Quality Assurance Project Plan, 2018 Great Bay Estuary Water Quality Monitoring Program: Quality Assurance Project Plan, 2018Great Bay Estuary Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Monitoring Program for 2018: Quality Assurance Project PlanGreat Bay Estuary Seaweed Monitoring Program: Quality Assurance Project Plan, 2018Testing of Great Bay Oysters for Two Protozoan PathogensHampton Harbor Clam Data: Density, Green Crab Abundance, and Neoplasia Incidence (Normandeau/NextEra Clam Data Updated Through 2017)Eelgrass Distribution in the Great Bay Estuary and Piscataqua River for 2017MEMORANDUM: Calibration of Great Bay Estuary Hydrodynamic Model and Incremental Nitrogen Estimation, 2013 Flushing Time versus Residence Time for the Great Bay EstuaryFor a complete list of PREP’s  reports and publications,  visit http://scholars.unh.edu/prepFollowing the release of the 2018 State of Our Estuaries report and the detailed Environmental Data report, PREP began re-evaluating our monitoring program. UNH scientists initiated an effort to extend seaweed monitoring from intertidal areas into deeper waters where seaweed and eelgrass compete. Acres of seagrass in the Great Bay Estuary have remained at approximately 1,600 acres since 2009. Seaweed abundance overall has increased in the last decade compared with the 1980s, but decreased slightly in recent years. In Hampton Harbor, clam data released in 2018 indicated a significant increase in clam juveniles and adults over 2016 and 2017.PREP continues to support land conservation across the watershed with partners including the Southeast Land Trust of NH and the Great Bay Resource Protec-tion Partnership.  More than 2,300 acres were conserved in high priority areas and in Conservation Focus Areas consistent with the Land Conservation Plan for NH’s Coastal Watershed. This advances our collective effort closer to the PREP 20% goal for land conservation in the watershed. In addition, partnering with The Nature Conservancy of NH (TNC), PREP assisted in the development and facilitation of a stakeholder-driven decision-making process for their “Oyster Restoration by  Design” strategy, a near-term master plan for TNC to map oyster restoration opportunities in the Great Bay Estuary that advances PREP’s goal of 20 acres of restored oyster reef habitat by 2020.SCIE N CEPREP hosted four Board Empowerment workshops in NH (A Conversation About Takings, Buffer Options for the Bay, Floodplain Management 101, and Coastal Viewer 201), and one this fall to start the workshop series in ME (Conservation Com-mission & Plan Review). PREP and our partners in Trash Free Piscataqua (part of the US EPA Trash Free Waters Program) developed proposals for reducing single use plastic debris, pet waste, and derelict fishing gear. This fall, Stratham applied to The Recycling Partnership to purchase covered recycling carts to reduce single use plastic debris. Rollout for the 2018 State of Our Estuaries report continued with the creation of the “Stories from Our Estuaries” video series.TECHNI C AL  A SS ISTAN CERE STOR ATI ON  &  CONS E RVATI ONPRO G R AM  HI G HLI G HTS2  |  2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R TTo learn more about a specific indicator, or what you can do to help, check out stateofourestuaries.org. We’ve also created short videos designed to tell you about the many indicators of estuarine health that PREP monitors.Every five years, the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partner-ship (PREP) reports on the environmental condition of the Great Bay and Hampton-Seabrook estuaries. The 2018 State of Our Estuaries report provides an assess-ment resource managers, residents, community lead-ers, scientists, policy makers, and others can use in their efforts to understand, manage, and protect our local estuaries of national significance. The 2018 State of Our Estuaries report builds on previous status and trends SE AWEEDSPHYTOPL ANKTONMIGR ATORY FISHNUTRIENT LOADINGNON-POINT SOURCESDISSOLVED OX YGENTOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDSNUTRIENTCONCENTR ATIONSHELLFISH HARVEST OPPORTUNITIESIMPERVIOUS SURFACESCL AMS EELGR A SS OYSTERSNO TREND  Demonstrates indicators that are too new to establish trends of any type.CAUTIONARY The trend or status of the indicator demonstrates possibly deteriorating conditions, a mixture of positive and negative trends, or moderate progress relative to the management goal.NUTRIENT LOADING POINT SOURCESBE ACH ADVISORIESTOXIC CONTAMINANTSBACTERIASALTMARSHNEGATIVE  The trend or status of the indicator demonstrates deteriorating conditions, generally poor conditions, or minimal progress relative to the management goal.POSITIVE   The trend or status of the indicator demonstrates improving conditions, generally good conditions, or substantial progress relative to the management goal.reports and is sending a clear signal: our estuaries have de-clined due to stress and they have lost resilience to sustain themselves in the face of growing pressures.Of the 16 environmental indicators, 12 show cautionary or negative trends. The four management indicators are split; Conservation Lands (General) and Migratory Fish Restora-tion show positive progress toward management goals while Conservation Lands (Focus Area) and Oyster Restora-tion demonstrate only marginal headway.THE 2018 STATE OF OUR ESTUARIES3  |  2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R Tand behavioral data to regional environmental indicators. The 2018 report introduced three new social indicators: Housing Permit Approvals, Stormwater Management Effort, and Stewardship Behavior.CITIZEN SCIENCEOn December 8, 2018 more than 200 participants from partner organizations, state and federal agencies, wa-tershed association groups, local river advisory commit-tees, researchers, and members of the public joined PREP for the State of Our Estuaries Conference and release of the 2018 report. In keeping with the theme, “Beyond Borders,” com-munities shared their efforts to protect water quality and natural resources beyond town borders. To celebrate citizen science in New Hampshire, five volun-teers from across our region shared inspirational, touching, and funny stories at “Stories from the Field: Celebrating Citizen Science in New Hampshire.”  Over 150 people celebrated citizen science volunteers with us over the course of the day!1 Holling, C.S. 1973. Resilience and Stability of Ecological Systems. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 4: 1–23.STRESS AND RESILIENCEOur estuaries are under stress from changing precipi-tation patterns, increasing colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), coastal acidi-fication, sea-level rise and storm surge, human population, the spread of impervious surfaces, and more. Given that our goal is healthy estuaries, we must take actions to improve the resilience of these systems. We may have little control over episodic events like extreme storms, but we can reduce the short-term and chronic impacts of these events by continuing to reduce nitro-gen levels, improve stormwater practices, conserve land, and better manage buffers along the edges of our rivers, estuaries, and coast. We must continue to invest in data collection and analysis to better understand the impacts of these stressors, track the effects of past management, and modify future strategies to be as effective as possible.SOCIAL INDICATORSOur estuaries are not only places of biological value, but also social and economic value. In 2015, PREP and our partners embarked on The Social Indicators Project to incorporate social data into the 2018 – and future – State of Our Estuaries reports. These indicators are our region’s first effort to gather, understand, and link social RESILIE NCE IS THE C APACIT Y OF  AN ECOSYSTEM TO ABSORB RE PE ATE D DISTURBANCES OR SHOCK S AND  ADAP T TO CHANG E WITHOUT CONTINUALLY DEG R ADING AND FUNDAME NTALLY SWITCHING TO AN  ALTE RNATIVE STABLE STATE .1 2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R T   |  3 4  |  2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R T2018  BUD G ETPREP is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program, a joint program between local, state, and federal agencies established under the Clean Water Act with the goal of protecting and enhancing nationally significant estuarine resources. PREP is supported in part by an EPA matching grant and is housed within the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering at the University of New Hampshire.UNH$100,000Foundation Grants$20,000Municipal$50,000NextEra$80,000State (DES)$200,000NGO Partners$150,000REQUIRED MATCH ($600K )(FOR EPA ANNUAL AWARD)PISC ATAQUA REGION MONITORING COLL ABOR ATIVE ($ 434K )State/Federal$290,000NextEra$80,000Non-Federal Grant$14,000Municipal$50,000E XPENDITURES ($1 .422M)REVENUE ($1 .422M)Science & Monitoring$852,000Restoration & Conservation$220,000Administration  & Special Projects$200,000CommunityTechnical Assistance$150,000EPA Award$600,000Monitoring$152,000Required Match(for EPA award)$600,000Non-EPA Grants$70,000Forrest Bell, FB EnvironmentalErik Chapman, NH Sea Grant/UNHJim Chase, Seacoast Science Center*Steve Couture, NHDES Coastal ProgramAnnie Cox, Wells National Estuarine Research ReserveJay Diener, Seabrook Hamptons Estuary Alliance*Ted Diers, NH Department of Environmental ServicesRayann Dionne, Town of HamptonRick Ellsmore, Natural Resources Conservation ServiceKristen Fiendel, Maine Department of Environmental Protection*Doug Grout, NH Fish and GameJohn Jones, NextEra EnergyJessa Kellogg, Town of KitteryPeter Kinner, Great Bay StewardsRich Langan, University of New HampshireWhat do our watershed and estuaries mean to you? Maybe you like to enjoy a beautiful sunset, a walk along the coast, volunteering for your favorite organization,  or fishing with your  family and friends.  Share your photos with  #shotsfromtheshed and you could be fea-tured in an upcoming edition of PREP’s news-letter, “Downstream.”J O IN  THE PRE P COMMUNIT Y  FOR  CLE AN WATE RThe Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) advises PREP on technical, science-based issues related to the estuary program, the State of Our Estuaries report, and the implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan.  TAC membership is open and the public is encouraged to attend.Regular TAC attendees include researchers PREP works with to obtain information about the ecosystem as well as public agency resource managers, municipal plan-ners and engineers, and other stakeholders.TECHNI C AL  ADVISORY  COMMITTE EMANAG E ME NT  COMMITTE E  ME MB E R S*Regina Lyons, US Environmental Protection AgencyJim O’Brien, The Nature ConservancyMelissa Paly, Great Bay-Piscataqua WaterkeeperJennifer Perry, Town of ExeterKim Reed, Town of Rye*Cory Riley, Great Bay National Estuarine Research ReserveTim Roache, Rockingham Planning CommissionRob Roseen, Waterstone EngineeringLinda Schier, Acton Wakefield Watersheds AllianceTodd Selig, Town of DurhamRoger Stephenson, Union of Concerned ScientistsJohn Storer, City of DoverMichael Trainque, Hoyle, Tanner & Associates  & Southeast Watershed Alliance*Indicates a standing seat on the Management CommitteePREPcommunity@PREPcommunityPiscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership@prepestuaries 2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R T   |  5 2,300 acres were conserved in the watershed with PREP support.Sept 15–22 our region joined the national celebration of our estuaries for National #EstuariesWeek.52 partners from the Technical Advisory Committee joined in a discussion about our region’s monitoring plan last October.In 2017 there were 84.3 juvenile clams per m2 at the “Middle Ground” clam flat, more than any other year going back to 1983. Volunteers removed 1,500 pounds  of debris from the Great Bay  National Wildlife Refuge on September 30, 2018.Last August was officially the wettest August on record in NH —  7.29 inches  above normal.

Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership 2018 Annual Report

University of New Hampshire

Masthead Logo
University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
PREP Reports & Publications Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space(EOS)
1-2019
Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership 2018
Annual Report
Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/prep
Part of the Environmental Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, and the Terrestrial and
Aquatic Ecology Commons
This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS) at University of New
Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in PREP Reports & Publications by an authorized administrator of University of
New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership, "Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership 2018 Annual Report" (2019). PREP Reports &
Publications. 414.
https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/414
2018
ANNUAL REPORT
and Washington to promote awareness, behavior change, 
and increased stewardship of our region’s resources. 
And, of course, staying focused on the efforts we are 
already committed to such as growing the Piscataqua 
Region Monitoring Collaborative (PRMC), collecting base-
line water quality and ecological habitat data, delivering 
focused technical assistance to our communities, progress 
reporting on our local policy and management practices, 
investing in land conservation, and seeking supplemental 
sources of funding that address high priority needs. 
Heading into 2019, we welcome you to reach out and let 
us know how we are doing as your partner. Are there spe-
cific opportunities we can capitalize on or resources we 
can bring to the region in support of our collective work?  
Please let us know. Or if you just want to share some ideas 
over a cup of coffee, we are up for that, too.
Thank you for celebrating 2018 with us. We look forward 
to another year of creating more positive, lasting impact in 
partnership with all of you. 
Cheers, 
 
Rachel Rouillard 
Executive Director, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
Dear community of partners, 
funders, colleagues, stakehold-
ers and friends: What a year!  
We THANK YOU for your care 
and stewardship of the special 
places, critters, and valuable 
natural resources of the Pisca-
taqua Region in 2018! If you can 
believe it, one year ago we were together at the 2018 State 
of Our Estuaries conference and the state’s first citizen sci-
ence symposium, “Stories from the Field.”
For most of us, the year flew by in the blink of an eye – 
we all stayed busy advancing projects, investigating new 
challenges, collaborating on problem-solving, and getting 
outdoors with each other to enjoy the places we work so 
hard to protect. 
In recognition of the work completed over a year’s time, 
it felt important to make note of that in a more formal 
way. So, I’m pleased to introduce PREP’s first annual report.  
Each year we work hard to provide you with information 
and resources that are helpful, and enjoy championing 
your successes broadly through our newsletter, and social 
media activity.  In doing those things, we too accomplish a 
lot to be proud of, and some of our high-level accomplish-
ments from 2018 are summarized in this brief report.
As we look to 2019, we are excited about two important 
and exciting initiatives you’ll be hearing more about: updat-
ing the 2010 Comprehensive Conservation Management 
Plan (CCMP) to identify important priorities across the water-
shed for the period of 2020-2030, and introducing the Every 
Drop Campaign – a coordinated, branded communications 
campaign modeled after successful efforts in Florida, Texas, 
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Rachel Rouillard, Director; Abigail Lyon, Community Technical Assistance Program Manager;  
Trevor Mattera, Special Projects Coordinator; Dr. Kalle Matso, Coastal Science Program Manager
 2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R T   |  1 
PREP REPORTS 
& PUBLICATIONS
2018 publications to the UNH Scholars 
Repository include:
MEMORANDUM: Quality Assurance of 2016 
Great Bay Estuary Water Quality Data and 2017 
Cocheco River and Bellamy River Water Quality 
Data collected by UNH
Great Bay Estuary Tidal Tributary Monitoring 
Program: Quality Assurance Project Plan, 2018 
Great Bay Estuary Water Quality Monitoring 
Program: Quality Assurance Project Plan, 2018
Great Bay Estuary Submerged Aquatic 
Vegetation (SAV) Monitoring Program for 2018: 
Quality Assurance Project Plan
Great Bay Estuary Seaweed Monitoring 
Program: Quality Assurance Project Plan, 2018
Testing of Great Bay Oysters for Two Protozoan 
Pathogens
Hampton Harbor Clam Data: Density, Green 
Crab Abundance, and Neoplasia Incidence 
(Normandeau/NextEra Clam Data Updated 
Through 2017)
Eelgrass Distribution in the Great Bay Estuary 
and Piscataqua River for 2017
MEMORANDUM: Calibration of Great Bay 
Estuary Hydrodynamic Model and Incremental 
Nitrogen Estimation, 2013 
Flushing Time versus Residence Time for the 
Great Bay Estuary
For a complete list of PREP’s  
reports and publications,  
visit http://scholars.unh.edu/prep
Following the release of the 2018 State of Our Estuaries report and the detailed 
Environmental Data report, PREP began re-evaluating our monitoring program. 
UNH scientists initiated an effort to extend seaweed monitoring from intertidal areas 
into deeper waters where seaweed and eelgrass compete. Acres of seagrass in the 
Great Bay Estuary have remained at approximately 1,600 acres since 2009. Seaweed 
abundance overall has increased in the last decade compared with the 1980s, but 
decreased slightly in recent years. In Hampton Harbor, clam data released in 2018 
indicated a significant increase in clam juveniles and adults over 2016 and 2017.
PREP continues to support land conservation across the watershed with partners 
including the Southeast Land Trust of NH and the Great Bay Resource Protec-
tion Partnership.  More than 2,300 acres were conserved in high priority areas and 
in Conservation Focus Areas consistent with the Land Conservation Plan for NH’s 
Coastal Watershed. This advances our collective effort closer to the PREP 20% goal 
for land conservation in the watershed. In addition, partnering with The Nature 
Conservancy of NH (TNC), PREP assisted in the development and facilitation of a 
stakeholder-driven decision-making process for their “Oyster Restoration by  
Design” strategy, a near-term master plan for TNC to map oyster restoration 
opportunities in the Great Bay Estuary that advances PREP’s goal of 20 acres of 
restored oyster reef habitat by 2020.
SCIE N CE
PREP hosted four Board Empowerment workshops in NH (A Conversation About 
Takings, Buffer Options for the Bay, Floodplain Management 101, and Coastal 
Viewer 201), and one this fall to start the workshop series in ME (Conservation Com-
mission & Plan Review). PREP and our partners in Trash Free Piscataqua (part of 
the US EPA Trash Free Waters Program) developed proposals for reducing single 
use plastic debris, pet waste, and derelict fishing gear. This fall, Stratham applied to 
The Recycling Partnership to purchase covered recycling carts to reduce single 
use plastic debris. Rollout for the 2018 State of Our Estuaries report continued 
with the creation of the “Stories from Our Estuaries” video series.
TECHNI C AL  A SS ISTAN CE
RE STOR ATI ON  &  CONS E RVATI ON
PRO G R AM  HI G HLI G HTS
2  |  2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R T
To learn more about a specific indicator, or what you can do 
to help, check out stateofourestuaries.org. We’ve also 
created short videos designed to tell you about the many 
indicators of estuarine health that PREP monitors.
Every five years, the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partner-
ship (PREP) reports on the environmental condition of 
the Great Bay and Hampton-Seabrook estuaries. The 
2018 State of Our Estuaries report provides an assess-
ment resource managers, residents, community lead-
ers, scientists, policy makers, and others can use in their 
efforts to understand, manage, and protect our local 
estuaries of national significance. The 2018 State of Our 
Estuaries report builds on previous status and trends 
SE AWEEDS
PHYTOPL ANKTON
MIGR ATORY 
FISH
NUTRIENT LOADING
NON-POINT SOURCES
DISSOLVED 
OX YGEN
TOTAL SUSPENDED 
SOLIDS
NUTRIENT
CONCENTR ATION
SHELLFISH HARVEST 
OPPORTUNITIES
IMPERVIOUS SURFACES
CL AMS 
EELGR A SS 
OYSTERS
NO TREND  Demonstrates 
indicators that are too new to 
establish trends of any type.
CAUTIONARY The trend or status of the 
indicator demonstrates possibly deteriorating 
conditions, a mixture of positive 
and negative trends, or 
moderate progress 
relative to the 
management 
goal.
NUTRIENT LOADING 
POINT SOURCES
BE ACH ADVISORIES
TOXIC 
CONTAMINANTS
BACTERIA
SALT
MARSH
NEGATIVE  The trend or status of the 
indicator demonstrates deteriorating 
conditions, generally poor conditions, 
or minimal progress relative to the 
management goal.
POSITIVE   The trend or status of the indicator 
demonstrates improving conditions, 
generally good conditions, or 
substantial progress relative to 
the management goal.
reports and is sending a clear signal: our estuaries have de-
clined due to stress and they have lost resilience to sustain 
themselves in the face of growing pressures.
Of the 16 environmental indicators, 12 show cautionary or 
negative trends. The four management indicators are split; 
Conservation Lands (General) and Migratory Fish Restora-
tion show positive progress toward management goals 
while Conservation Lands (Focus Area) and Oyster Restora-
tion demonstrate only marginal headway.
THE 2018 STATE OF OUR ESTUARIES
3  |  2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R T
and behavioral data to regional environmental indicators. 
The 2018 report introduced three new social indicators: 
Housing Permit Approvals, Stormwater Management 
Effort, and Stewardship Behavior.
CITIZEN SCIENCE
On December 8, 2018 more than 200 participants from 
partner organizations, state and federal agencies, wa-
tershed association 
groups, local river 
advisory commit-
tees, researchers, and 
members of the public 
joined PREP for the 
State of Our Estuaries 
Conference and release 
of the 2018 report. 
In keeping with the theme, “Beyond Borders,” com-
munities shared their efforts to protect water quality and 
natural resources beyond town borders. 
To celebrate citizen science in New Hampshire, five volun-
teers from across our region shared inspirational, touching, 
and funny stories at “Stories from the Field: Celebrating 
Citizen Science in New Hampshire.”  Over 150 people 
celebrated citizen science volunteers with us over the 
course of the day!
1 Holling, C.S. 1973. Resilience and Stability of Ecological Systems. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 4: 1–23.
STRESS AND RESILIENCE
Our estuaries are under 
stress from changing precipi-
tation patterns, increasing 
colored dissolved organic 
matter (CDOM), coastal acidi-
fication, sea-level rise and 
storm surge, human population, the spread of impervious 
surfaces, and more. 
Given that our goal is healthy estuaries, we must take 
actions to improve the resilience of these systems. We 
may have little control over episodic events like extreme 
storms, but we can reduce the short-term and chronic 
impacts of these events by continuing to reduce nitro-
gen levels, improve stormwater practices, conserve land, 
and better manage buffers along the edges of our rivers, 
estuaries, and coast. We must continue to invest in data 
collection and analysis to better understand the impacts 
of these stressors, track the effects of past management, 
and modify future strategies to be as effective as possible.
SOCIAL INDICATORS
Our estuaries are not only places of biological value, but 
also social and economic value. In 2015, PREP and our 
partners embarked on The Social Indicators Project 
to incorporate social data into the 2018 – and future – 
State of Our Estuaries reports. These indicators are our 
region’s first effort to gather, understand, and link social 
RESILIE NCE IS THE C APACIT Y OF  
AN ECOSYSTEM TO ABSORB RE PE ATE D 
DISTURBANCES OR SHOCK S AND  
ADAP T TO CHANG E WITHOUT 
CONTINUALLY DEG R ADING AND 
FUNDAME NTALLY SWITCHING TO AN  
ALTE RNATIVE STABLE STATE .1
 2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R T   |  3 
4  |  2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R T
2018  BUD G ET
PREP is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program, a joint program between local, state, 
and federal agencies established under the Clean Water Act with the goal of protecting and enhancing nationally significant 
estuarine resources. PREP is supported in part by an EPA matching grant and is housed within the School of Marine Science 
and Ocean Engineering at the University of New Hampshire.
UNH
$100,000
Foundation Grants
$20,000
Municipal
$50,000
NextEra
$80,000
State (DES)
$200,000
NGO Partners
$150,000
REQUIRED MATCH ($600K )
(FOR EPA ANNUAL AWARD)
PISC ATAQUA REGION MONITORING 
COLL ABOR ATIVE ($ 434K )
State/Federal
$290,000NextEra
$80,000
Non-Federal Grant
$14,000
Municipal
$50,000
E XPENDITURES ($1 .422M)REVENUE ($1 .422M)
Science & Monitoring
$852,000
Restoration 
& Conservation
$220,000
Administration  
& Special Projects
$200,000
Community
Technical Assistance
$150,000
EPA Award
$600,000
Monitoring
$152,000
Required Match
(for EPA award)
$600,000
Non-EPA Grants
$70,000
Forrest Bell, FB Environmental
Erik Chapman, NH Sea Grant/UNH
Jim Chase, Seacoast Science Center
*Steve Couture, NHDES Coastal Program
Annie Cox, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve
Jay Diener, Seabrook Hamptons Estuary Alliance
*Ted Diers, NH Department of Environmental Services
Rayann Dionne, Town of Hampton
Rick Ellsmore, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Kristen Fiendel, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
*Doug Grout, NH Fish and Game
John Jones, NextEra Energy
Jessa Kellogg, Town of Kittery
Peter Kinner, Great Bay Stewards
Rich Langan, University of New Hampshire
What do our watershed 
and estuaries mean to 
you? Maybe you like to 
enjoy a beautiful sunset, 
a walk along the coast, 
volunteering for your 
favorite organization,  
or fishing with your  
family and friends.  
Share your photos with  
#shotsfromtheshed 
and you could be fea-
tured in an upcoming 
edition of PREP’s news-
letter, “Downstream.”
J O IN  THE 
PRE P 
COMMUNIT Y  
FOR  CLE AN 
WATE R
The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) advises PREP on technical, science-
based issues related to the estuary program, the State of Our Estuaries report, and 
the implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan.  
TAC membership is open and the public is encouraged to attend.
Regular TAC attendees include researchers PREP works with to obtain information 
about the ecosystem as well as public agency resource managers, municipal plan-
ners and engineers, and other stakeholders.
TECHNI C AL  ADVISORY  COMMITTE E
MANAG E ME NT  COMMITTE E  ME MB E R S
*Regina Lyons, US Environmental Protection Agency
Jim O’Brien, The Nature Conservancy
Melissa Paly, Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper
Jennifer Perry, Town of Exeter
Kim Reed, Town of Rye
*Cory Riley, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Tim Roache, Rockingham Planning Commission
Rob Roseen, Waterstone Engineering
Linda Schier, Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance
Todd Selig, Town of Durham
Roger Stephenson, Union of Concerned Scientists
John Storer, City of Dover
Michael Trainque, Hoyle, Tanner & Associates  
& Southeast Watershed Alliance
*Indicates a standing seat on the Management Committee
PREPcommunity
@PREPcommunity
Piscataqua Region 
Estuaries Partnership
@prepestuaries
 2018 A N N U A L  R E P O R T   |  5 
2,300 
acres were 
conserved in 
the watershed 
with PREP 
support.
Sept 15–22 
our region joined the 
national celebration 
of our estuaries 
for National 
#EstuariesWeek.
52 partners 
from the Technical 
Advisory Committee 
joined in a discussion 
about our region’s 
monitoring plan last 
October.
In 2017 
there were 84.3 
juvenile clams per 
m2 at the “Middle 
Ground” clam flat, 
more than any other 
year going back to 
1983. 
Volunteers 
removed 1,500 
pounds  of debris from 
the Great Bay  National 
Wildlife Refuge on 
September 30, 2018.
Last 
August was 
officially the 
wettest August on 
record in NH —  
7.29 inches  
above normal.


https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1415&context=prep

Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership 2018 Annual Report

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New Hampshire