Often dubbed New Hampshire’s “hidden coast,” the Great Bay is unique because it is both a saltwater and freshwater system, or estuary, set apart from the coastline. The Piscataqua River brings salt water into the bay with the tides, an essential element for the growth of plant and animals that live in estuaries. Water levels in the bay are heavily influenced by these daily tides, which expose mudflats at low tide, providing important feeding grounds for birds. In recognition of Great Bay’s beauty, diversity and productivity, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has afforded special protection to it as one of only 28 “estuaries of national significance.”
Hot Topics
- Public Notice - Great Bay Nitrogen Non-Point Source Study Available for Public Comment; Comments will be accepted until 4 pm on June 17, 2013
- Coastal Watershed Map
- Great Bay Dialogue Initiative
- Piscataqua Region 2010 Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan
- 2013 State of the Estuaries Report
- Green Spaces BMP to Protect Water Quality Project
- Stormwater
- Stormwater Management for Homeowners
Publications
- Great Bay Nitrogen Non-Point Source Study
- Analysis of Nitrogen Loading Reductions for Wastewater Treatment Facilities and Non-Point Sources in the Great Bay Estuary Watershed
- Appendix A: Watershed Nitrogen Loads to the Great Bay Estuary
- Appendix B: Nitrogen Loading Thresholds for the Great Bay Estuary
- Appendix C: Watershed Nitrogen Loads for Different Permitting Scenarios for Wastewater Treatment Facilities
- Appendix D: Quality Assurance
- Appendix E: Capital and Operation/Maintenance Costs Associated with Nitrogen Removal at 18 Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities Discharging to the Great Bay Estuary
- Appendix F: Responsiveness Summary
- Appendix A: Watershed Nitrogen Loads to the Great Bay Estuary
- Nitrogen Assessment for the Lamprey River Watershed September 7, 2010
- Independent Peer Review of Nutrient Criteria Proposal for the Great Bay Estuary, June 29, 2010
- 2009 State of the Estuaries Report October 16, 2009
- Amendment to the NH 2008 Section 303(d) List Related to Nitrogen and Eelgrass in the Great Bay Estuary August 13, 2009
- PREP Environmental Indicators Report June 30, 2009
- Numeric Nutrient Criteria for the Great Bay Estuary June 10, 2009
- Piscataqua Region 2010 Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan September 20, 2010
- Great Bay in the Media
Related Programs
- Coastal Program
- Stormwater Program
- Surface Water Quality Assessments [305(b) and 303(d)]
- Total Maximum Daily Load Program (TMDL)
- Wastewater Engineering Bureau
- Watershed Assistance Section
Partnerships
- Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
- EPA
- Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- Great Bay Stewards
- Great Bay Waterkeeper
- Lamprey River Hydrologic Observatory
- New Hampshire Regional Stormwater Coalitions
- Southeast Watershed Alliance
Resources/Links
- Call to action report by State-EPA nutrient innovations committee
- Great Bay Matters
- The USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program national assessment on nutrients in streams and groundwater
Contact Us
- Philip Trowbridge, P.E. Coastal Scientist/Water Quality Standards Program Manager
NH Department of Environmental Services
29 Hazen Drive; PO Box 95
Concord, NH 03302-0095
(603) 271-8872
philip.trowbridge@des.nh.gov - Ted Diers, Administrator
Watershed Management Bureau
NH Department of Environmental Services
29 Hazen Drive; PO Box 95
Concord, NH 03302-0095
(603) 271-3289
ted.diers@des.nh.gov
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