Water Quality Monitoring Program

Water quality monitoring of the Souhegan River was begun in 1991 by the Nashua Regional Planning Commission. As part of their goal to protect and preserve the Souhegan River, the SWA monitors 13 sites along the length of the Souhegan on a biweekly basis from June through September. The goal of this monitoring project is to inventory chemical and biological data about the river over a long period of time to see how Souhegan River water quality is changing and to find "hot spots" that need to be improved right away.

One of the tests that we do every two weeks is a test for E-coli bacteria. E-coli bacteria can cause ear infections, eye infections, and diarrhea in people who come in close contact with the water. The state of NH requires that swimming areas have an E-coli count of 88 colonies/100 ml. of water or less.

For more information on testing for E-coli and other water-borne patogens look at this site on Sanitary Water Quality created by the US Geological Survey. Note that the New Hampshire standard for safe water for swimming (88 colonies/100 milliliters of water) is more conservative than that established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (126 colonies/100 milliliters of water) for river water in general.

The density of E-coli is also related to the quantity of water flowing in the river. For information on recent river water levels see the NH USGS web page Souhegan River Flows are published.

River Quality Monitoring Begins Each Year
in June and ends in September
Volunteers Always Needed

The Souhegan River Watershed Council and the Lower Merrimack River Local Advisory Committee plan water quality monitoring once again this Summer. This program has already proven to be a very effective way to directly benefit the rivers it covers. Volunteer water samplers, drivers, and site alternates are always needed! This year the Souhegan, Merrimack, and Nashua Rivers will be monitored at a number of sites during the summer. River water samples will be collected at selected sites from June to September.

If you are interested in helping the Water Quality Monitoring Program, call the monitoring program chair, Ken Butenhof at (603) 644-3431 or send email to "kbutenhof (at) comcast (dot) net". Being a monitor requires no special skills. The most difficult part is that you have to make it to the river once every two weeks between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. (on a Tuesday) and then transport your samples to one of several drop of points before 9 a.m..

There will be a training session for volunteers on Sat., June 9th, at 8:00. We will meet at the Amoskeag Fishway's Parking lot. If you have already agreed to be a volunteer and have previous experience you do not have to attend the training. If you do not inform Ken that you will be at the training your collection materials will be delivered to your regular drop-off site by June 4th. In any case, thoroughly review the manual before sampling and call with any questions.

Past Testing Results Available

Since 1991, sponsors of the Souhegan River monitoring included the Merrimack River Watershed Council with the assistance of the River watch Network, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rivier College, the Town of Merrimack Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the NH Department of Environmental Services. Three reports on the earlier water quality monitoring work are available in most or all watershed town libraries. They are titled

"Merrimack River Watershed Council, Nashua Monitoring Project, 1991-1995 Summary Report".
Souhegan and Merrimack Rivers Water Monitoring Project, 1997 Report, A Cooperative Project of the Souhegan Watershed Association and the Lower Merrimack River Local Advisory Committee, November 30, 1997
Souhegan and Merrimack Rivers Water Monitoring Project, 1998 Report.

Please contact us if your group or library does not have copies of these reports.

Web pages by Richard Hart.
Send comments and contributions to me at harts@ultranet.com.
Or visit my family's web page.

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