NH Envirothon - Aquatics Team

2015 Resources

Urban/Community Forestry

Information & Websites to Review:

Dam Safety and Dam Removal

  • NH Selective Dam Removal fact sheet; http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/db/documents/db-18.pdf
  • NH Best Management Practices for the maintenance of dams; http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/db/documents/db-13.pdf
  • Souhegan Flood Control sites; http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/db/documents/db-17.pdf
  • Dams – the advantages and disadvantages; http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/energydams.htm

Fish, Map and Riparian Information Websites and pdf’s

  • NH Fish Species – Conservation Profiles:

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/fisheries_management/fish_species_conse rvation.html

  • Fish Species Profiles for Popular N.H. Fish (freshwater):

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/fish_species_profiles.htm

  • http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/bathy_maps.htm
  • ‘Living Like a Warm Water Fish” DVD: http://youtu.be/okUIkEnvHgI
  • “Value of Riparian Buffers” by John Magee NH Fish and Game Department

http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wetlands/cspa/documents/nhfg_ value_of_riparian_buffers.pdf

  • “Forestry and the Riparian Zone” (pages 1-2; 15-18; 27-30):

https://www.umaine.edu/cfru/documents/ForestryRiparian.PDF

Macroinvertebrates

  • www.dec.ny.gov/animals/35772.html - From the NY Department of Conservation, a pictorial guide to macroinvertebrates. Students should understand the difference between the major Orders of insects. Do not be concerned about knowing the different Families within each order, but at least understand that similar insects within an order can have a variety of characteristics.

o  A secondary image based key is available through the University of New Hampshire Center for Freshwater Biology (http://cfb.unh.edu/StreamKey/html/index.html), that provides additional images that may help you differentiate macroinvertebrate types.

  • http://www.cdm.org/biosite/curriculum.html - From the Children’s Discovery Museum “BioSITE” curriculum, the Introduction to Macroinvertebrates activity. Includes brief intros to pollution tolerance, types of macros, adaptations and metamorphosis

Storm Water Solutions:

  • The NH Department of Environmental Services New Hampshire Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater Management: Do-It-Yourself Stormwater Solutions for Your Home:

§  An infiltration trench and/or dry well collect and infiltrate stormwater runoff.

·  http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/stormwater/documents/dripline-fs.pdf

·  http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/stormwater/documents/driveway-fs.pdf

·  http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/stormwater/documents/drywell-fs.pdf

§  Infiltration steps, water bars, and vegetative swales slow down, and infiltrate or redirect runoff to help reduce erosion.

·  http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/stormwater/documents/infiltration-fs.pdf

·  http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/stormwater/documents/vegetated-swale-fs.pdf

§  The project Planning worksheet include in Appendix D of this guide offers calculations that can be taken into consideration during site/property planning or management activities.

·  http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/stormwater/documents/app-d.pdf

Water Quality and Pollution Prevention

  • “Interpreting VRAP Water Quality Parameters”, from the NHDES Volunteer River Assessment Program (VRAP). Basic water quality parameter descriptions:

www.des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/publications/wd/documents/vrap_parameters.pdf

  • Best Management Practices to Control Non-point Source Pollution: A Guide for Citizens and Town Officials (NHDES). Guide to BMPs and Non-Point Source pollution. Read Section 3—“Best Management Practices By Land Use/Activity:

www.des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/publications/wd/documents/wd-03-42.pdf

Things to think about as you read through the aquatics materials

Water quality parameters: What do they measure? What do they indicate? Focus on nitrogen enrichment, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, phosphorus, temperature, chloride, conductivity, turbidity, and macroinvertebrate pollution tolerance etc.

Hydrologic cycle components: Understand the connections between groundwater, rivers, estuaries, lakes, wetlands, etc.

Watershed changes: How does water quality change from upstream of a forested area to downstream? How will the aquatic organisms be impacted by changes in land use?

Best management practices: How can pollutants from non-point source pollution be kept from entering water bodies in agricultural settings?

Topographic maps: How are watershed boundaries found by looking at a topographic map? Which way does the water flow on the map?

Shoreline buffers: How can plants prevent pollutants from entering a water body? What barriers to pollution exist along the shorelines?

The Aquatics Committee & Contact Information

Nancy Baillargeon / 271-3971 /
Tim Drew / 271-3306 /
Ken Kettenring /
Bob Craycraft / 862-3696 /
Judy Tumosa / 271-0456 /