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A Citizen's Guide to Protecting East Kingston's Water Resources

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A Citizen's Guide to Protecting East Kingston's Water Resources University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and PREP Reports & Publications Space (EOS) 2010 A Citizen's Guide to Protecting East Kingston's Water Resources Julie LaBranche Rockingham Planning Commission Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/prep Part of the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation LaBranche, Julie, "A Citizen's Guide to Protecting East Kingston's Water Resources" (2010). PREP Reports & Publications. 120. https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/120 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 [email protected]. tion Comm erva iss ns ion Co A Citizen’s Guide to Protecting East Kingston’s Water Resources e ir This publication is brought to you by the East Kingston Conservation h s E p Commission with a grant from the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership a m st a Ki H www.eastkingstonnh.org 2010 ngston , New Our Natural Gem Protection of Pheasant Run Wetland Study Area is buffers and water a place for people to reconnect to quality is the nature in East Kingston responsibility of all by Julie LaBranche, Rockingham Planning Commission who live, work, and visit East Kingston East Kingston is fortunate to still have much of the rural charm that makes living in New Hampshire so special. The ability to take relaxing walks through beautiful natural areas just min- utes from your back door is one of the reasons residents love this town. Many of these open natural areas in town are on conservation land and one small parcel is getting extra atten- tion by the East Kingston Conservation Commission to make it even more accessible to residents. The Pheasant Run Wetland Study Area is a 5-acre wooded property that contains an interesting wetland with a small pool and stream. Access to the property is off of Pheasant Run Road and will be marked this year with signs bought with a grant from the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership and the Otto Haas Charitable Trust 2 Fund of the New Hampshire Pheasant Run Wetland Study Area is open year around during daylight hours. To visit the area park on the side of the road on Charitable Foundation. Pheasant Run Lane (image above). This year the area will be marked with signs that mark the boundaries of the property. Continued on page 6 Learn More on Page 2. Being A Steward Of Your Land Thirsty? INSIDE Taking care of your property is vitally important East Kingston’s streams and wetlands are directly connected to the region’s water supply, Buffers: What Are They to protect the natural resources of East Kingston. and What Do They Do? Every land owner can do their part to keep our making it even more important to work to protect these water resources with buffers. page 2 environment healthy for all citizens. East Kingston is very impor- How Wide Should A Your land is connected to your tant when it comes to water Buffer Be? water. This is a simple rule to quality in the region because page 3 keep in mind while working the town contains the head- around the house. waters of rivers that supply It All Adds Up Exeter, New Hampshire and page 3 Every time you apply fertilizer Amesbury, Massachusetts or weed killer to the ground with drinking water. there is a good chance that Rivers Run Through a portion of these chemicals About 65% of East Kings- Us will be washed away by rain ton land drains into Great page 5 and end up in a nearby stream Brook and the Little River or in a neighboring well. That which both flow to the Ex- Landscape Design eter River and the Town of is why it is so important that Process homeowners do the best they Exeter. The remaining 35% can to minimize pollution on their property and maximize the of East Kingston directs wa- page7 ability of the land to absorb and clean stormwater. ter to the Powwow River that flows through Amesbury on A Word from the East There are ways to have a beautiful landscape around your its way to the Merrimack Kingston Conservation home and be environmentally friendly. The following are River. some practical suggestions from the Piscataqua Region Estu- Commission and Plan- aries Partnership at the University of New Hampshire that will But the protection of our ning Board help protect East Kingston’s natural resources. rivers and streams does not page 8 only benefit neighboring communities. The condi- Continued on page 2 Continued on page 5 What you should know about University of New Hampshire 123 Nesmith Hall pesticides and herbicides. Durham, NH 03824 NON PROFIT ORG. Read page 5 U.S. POSTAGE PAID Postal Customer DURHAM, NH East Kingston, NH 03827 PERMIT NO. 2 2 Buffers: What Are They and What Do They Do? From Clean Drinking Water To Flood Protection, Buffers Provide Many Services To East Kingston by Dave Kellam, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership A buffer is simply the lush, vegetated The word “buffer” is defined as some- Built structures, like roads and build- impacts. For all of these reasons, buf- area next to a body of water or a wet- thing that reduces shock or damage ings, inevitably reduce the land’s abil- fers are important. land. The best ones contain only na- due to an impact or disturbance. In ity to perform its natural functions, But what are buffers able to do? The tive plants and are not mowed, cut, the case of a wetland and shoreland like filter pollutants from stormwater, list of benefits to us is long, but here or sprayed with herbicides. They cer- buffer, the impacts being reduced are transport surface water to groundwa- are a few: tainly do not contain roads, parking from development and other activi- ter areas, or provide habitat for wild- lots, or buildings. ties that remove trees and vegetation life. The closer the structures are to or disturb soil. waterways, the greater the negative Pollutant Removal Buffers clean rainwater and melt- Natural Buffers Clean Water ing snow of pollutants such as nitro- gen, bacteria, and pesticides. Natural Buffers remove pollutants chemical reactions occurring in the from rainwater, reduce soil and plant roots neutralize many harmful contaminants. In fact, expen- erosion, and help sive water filtering systems actually recharge groundwater. mimic what buffers do naturally and for free. Water pollution, especially dissolved nitrogen, is a significant problem in Great Bay, which is fed in part by the Exeter River that flows though East Kingston. According to the State of Lush, Natural Vegetation Filters Water Polluted Runoff the Estuaries Report published in and Lets It Soak Into The Ground From Roof 2009, nitrogen levels have increased by 44% in the last 28 years - due pri- marily to increased development. Buffers throughout the watershed will help reduce nitrogen and reverse this troubling trend. Groundwater Recharge Since nearly everyone in East Kings- ton relies on well water in their homes, A Pond, River, Marsh, the benefits of buffers to groundwater Or Other Wetland quality is very important. When stormwater is slowed by buf- SOAKS IN fers, the water is allowed to soak into the soil where then much of it enters the groundwater. According to U.S. Groundwater EPA studies, one acre of buffer can ab- sorb up to 1.5 million gallons of water! The ability of buffers to pull water into groundwater, coupled with the No Buffers = Polluted Waters filtering properties of buffers, shows why lush buffers are so important to When buffers are removed, maintaining sustainable drinking wa- ter for East Kingston residents. pollutants are washed into local waters. Flood Control Buffers not only protect rivers and streams from buildings and roads, but they also protect these structures from the damage caused by flooding. Oil, Nitrogen, And Other Pollutants Buffers act very much like a shock Are Washed From Roofs, Once 10% of the land absorber during times of heavy rain. Roads, And Parking Areas is covered in buildings, Research shows that damage from roads, and other surfaces spring flooding is greatly reduced impervious to water, the when buildings and roads are kept ecological health of nearby 200 feet or more from waterways. waterbodies declines. Read more on page 3. Polluted Runoff Banks Stabilization Increases The thick, deep root layer of a lush buffer holds soil in place and prevents it form being washed downstream. Buffers prevent the loss of land due to erosion. The mud that is stopped by buffers on land prevents aquatic ani- mals from being suffocated by heavy Water Is Polluted sediment and pollution. Temperature Control Trees along streams and rivers play a Groundwater very important role in keeping water Continued on page 3 3 It All Adds Up Many of the harmful pollutants that damage water resources come from stormwater that washes over streets, parking lots, and homes. Any one spot may not add much pollution to our waters, but together the impacts are far-reaching. Many of the harmful pollutants that There are three major factors that af- pollutants are not filtered. Research Plants are damage water resources come from fect the amount of damage stormwater suggests that a 150 foot vegetated buf- the best filters stormwater that washes over streets, will do the environment: the amount fer is generally what is needed to filter parking lots, and homes.
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