I. Introduction
The Isinglass River is located in coastal drainage of New Hampshire. It begins at the outlet of Bow Lake Dam in Town of Stafford and, after flowing through the Town of Barrington, empties into the Cocheco River in the City of Rochester. The Isinglass River Protection Project (IRPP), a group of citizen volunteers, nominated the Isinglass River for designation into the New Hampshire Rivers Management and Protection Program (RMPP) in June 2001. The Department of Environmental Services has reviewed the nomination and recommends the Isinglass River for designation into the RMPP.
The Rivers Management and Protection Act (RSA 483) was passed by the General Court in 1988. The Act states in part: "It is the policy of the state to ensure the continued viability of New Hampshire rivers as valued economic and social assets for the benefit of present and future generations. The state shall encourage and assist in the development of river corridor management plans and regulate the quantity and quality of instream flow along certain protected rivers or segments of rivers to conserve and protect outstanding characteristics including recreational, fisheries, wildlife, environmental, cultural, historical, archeological, scientific, ecological, aesthetic, community significance, agricultural, and public water supply so that these valued characteristics shall endure as part of the river uses to be enjoyed by New Hampshire people."
The Act directs the Department of Environmental Services to receive and evaluate nominations for the designation of rivers or river segments into the RMPP to protect outstanding values and characteristics. Nominations approved by the Commissioner must be forwarded to the next session of the General Court for review and approval. In fulfillment of this statutory directive, the nomination of the Isinglass River is hereby forwarded to the General Court.
The Department of Environmental Services recommends that the Isinglass River be designated into the RMPP and classified as a "natural" and "rural" river as described in the recommendations contained in this report, thereby affording it the full benefit of the applicable protection measures outlined in RSA 483. The outstanding statewide and local resource values and characteristics that qualify the Isinglass River for designation are described in this report.