In January 2000, the New Hampshire River Restoration Task Force was formed with the common goal of exploring opportunities to selectively remove dams for a variety of reasons, including for the purpose of restoring rivers and eliminating public safety hazards. The task force is an initiative with diverse and growing representation, including multiple state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, local interests and others.
Through its work, the task force is enabling an efficient and effective process of removing dams in New Hampshire. Due to the collaborative efforts of the task force, the first New Hampshire dam removal for the purpose of river restoration was completed in Summer 2001 -- the McGoldrick Dam on the Ashuelot River in Hinsdale. The removal of this dam is a critical piece of a larger plan to restore anadromous fish to the Ashuelot River, a historically significant Connecticut River tributary for American shad, blueback herring, and Atlantic salmon. A second dam on the Ashuelot River, the Winchester Dam, was also removed in July 2002. Several additional projects are currently in the planning and permitting process.
River Restoration Task Force Members
| US Army Corps of Engineers US Environmental Protection Agency US Fish and Wildlife Service US Geological Survey US National Park Service Natural Resource Conservation Service NOAA Restoration Center NH Department of Environmental Services NH Division of Historical Resources NH Fish and Game Department NH Office of Emergency Management |
American Rivers American Whitewater Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee Coastal Conservation Association Coldwater Fisheries Coalition Connecticut River Watershed Council Conservation Law Foundation Merrimack Valley Paddlers New Hampshire Rivers Council The Nature Conservancy Trout Unlimited |