September 19, 2018 The Honorable, Neal Kurk, Chairman Fiscal Committee of the General Court State House Concord, 03301

and

The Honorable, James Webb Chair, House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee

and

The Honorable, Kevin Avard Chair, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

INFORMATIONAL ITEM

In accordance with RSA 214:1-g VII, Annual Report: Fisheries Habitat Account. The Department is submitting the following report for fiscal year 2018:

20-07500-21270000 Fisheries Habitat Account

Balance forward from fiscal year 2017 $ 912,219.16

Plus: Revenue – Fiscal year 2018 + 158,725.13 Habitat fees: 147,573.00 Interest: 11,152.13 Federal Funds

Less: Expenditures (see detail following) - 129,543.69

Less: Encumbrances 06/30/2018 - 13,795.04 ______

Balance available 06/30/18 $ 927,605.56

Respectfully Submitted,

Glenn Normandeau Executive Director Page 2 of 3 – Fisheries Habitat Account Report to Legislature FY 2018

Detail of expenditures for Fiscal Year 2018:

Indian Stream Restoration Project Implementation 5,590.00

Nash Stream Restoration Project Implementation 4,940.00

Nissitissit River Land Conservation Project 10,000.00

Scataquog Brook Land Conservation Project 30,000.00

Jones Pond Dam Construction 13,995.52

Cleanup after dam failure in Warren 9,842.46

Exeter Great Dam Removal Project 28,943.41

Dam Registration Fees 11,475.00

Internal Administrative Fee 14,757.30

Total Expenditures FY 2018 $ 129,543.69

Summary of public benefits derived from the disbursements from the Fisheries Habitat Account in Fiscal Year 2018:

Indian Stream Restoration Project: The Project was spearheaded and is managed by Trout Unlimited. The goals of the project are to restore instream habitat and connectivity within the watershed. In Fiscal Year 2018, the Fisheries Habitat Account was used to conduct additional restoration work in about 1.5 miles of the mainstem of Indian Stream. The project was completed in September 2017.

Nash Stream Restoration Project: Nash Stream was once renowned as a high quality native brook trout stream that provided exceptional angling opportunities. The river and its tributaries still contain wild brook trout, but not in the numbers once seen due to historic log drives, impassable culverts and a catastrophic dam breach. Fisheries Habitat Account funds were used in Fiscal Year 2018 to complete restoration work in the mainstem of Nash Stream.

Nissitissit River Land Conservation Project: The Nissitissit River is a very popular angling location in southern New Hampshire. This project conserved 78 acres along the Nissitissit River in Brookline, NH. The project also restored an eroded streambank and created a new boat launch on the River, although Fisheries habitat Account funds were not used for this part of the project. Additionally, the project also serves the restoration efforts by Department and the US Fish and Wildlife Service for river herring in the watershed.

Scataquog Brook Land Conservation Project: Scataquog Brook in Lyndeborough is one of the most productive wild brook trout streams in the state. The project conserved a 42 acre parcel along Scataquog Brook and two or its tributaries.

Jones Pond Dam Reconstruction: Jones Pond was created by damming in the 1970s as part of a development project that did not come to fruition. The area surrounding the dam was acquired by New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in 1985 as part of the ~1,500 acre Ellis Hatch Page 3 of 3 – Fisheries Habitat Account Report to Legislature FY 2018

Wildlife Management Area in Middleton and Brookfield. The 600 foot earthen dam had a 30 inch metal pipe for its outlet. The pipe corroded and caused severe localized erosion failure of the embankment and drawdown of the impoundment in 2005. After several studies to consider options for reconstructing the outlet structure, or removing the dam and reverting to natural flow of Jones Brook, the Department decided to reconstruct the dam. The engineering design was done by a private consulting firm, and in 2014, the dam was rebuilt by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Dam Bureau. The pond was refilled in late 2014. Expenditures for this project are to pay the Capital Improvement Bond for the total cost of the project.

Cleanup after dam failure in Warren: A severe flood over the 4th of July weekend caused major damage to many roads in central-western New Hampshire and destroyed the Weeks Crossing Pond Dam in Warren, which required cleanup activities to stabilize the site and ensure the long-term safety of the road crossing immediately downstream.

Exeter Great Dam Removal Project: This dam was the first dam that migratory fish encountered upon ascending the from the Atlantic Ocean. The dam was removed in 2016 and some river channel work was necessary in 2017. Work was also done in 2017 on the Department’s fish ladder on the Pickpocket Dam, which is the next dam upstream. All of this work was done to improve fish passage in the Exeter River watershed.

Dam Registration Fees: Some dams maintain water levels in many NH trout ponds and provide important benefits to fish populations as well as providing angling opportunities. These dams require annual inspections and the Fisheries Habitat Account was used to pay for these inspections (through an annual registration fee), which are conducted by New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.