Please attend the next Quarterly Meeting May 8 at the Newfields Town Hall to discuss how towns can work together to meet MS4 requirements.
Working Together to Mend Our Watershed
Realizing the need to protect and improve the water quality of its coastal watershed, the New Hampshire legislators created the Southeast Watershed Alliance in 2009 to provide a framework for watershed communities to work together to protect and restore its water resources. The Southeast Watershed Alliance (the Alliance, or SWA) encompasses all 42 upstream and downstream communities in the New Hampshire coastal watershed. The Alliance enjoys a wide scope of activities that encompasses municipal, inter-municipal and regional planning and collaboration, watershed studies, education and implementation, including investments that affect water quality and supply, wastewater and stormwater management, septic systems, land use and conservation.
Every town in the watershed is automatically a member and has the right to appoint a representative to attend Alliance quarterly meetings where they can learn about upcoming opportunities for community technical assistance and project funding and to participate in initiatives that will help towns comply with regulations and reduce stormwater and non-point source pollution.
Has your town designated a representative to the Alliance? We encourage every community to invite a representative to join us at our next quarterly meeting, Wednesday, May 8 from 6:30 to 9:00 PM. Participating in the Alliance can help every community protect the health and well-being of their residents and neighbors by protecting and restoring our water resources.
Initiatives
Model Stormwater Standards
The Southeast Watershed Alliance has prepared draft stormwater management standards to provide a consistent level of stormwater management and water quality protection within the NH coastal watershed. Municipalities seeking assistance implementing these standards should contact Alison Watts.
Opportunity!
The Southeast Watershed Alliance has just received funding for a “pick and choose” tool kit that will include options for technical analysis, design and construction of municipal installations to reduce stormwater and runoff of non-point source pollution. The project offers communities resources to improve local policies so that towns can encourage green infrastructure that will help with MS4 stormwater permit requirements and save time, money and resources in local planning.&mbsp; For more information contact Alison Watts, SWA Project Coordinator, at watts.alliance@gmail.com.
Help Make It Happen!
The next quarterly meeting is Wednesday, May 8, 2013 6:30 to 9:00 PM at Newfields Town Hall, 65 Main Street, Newfields, NH 03856.
Make sure that your Town sends a representative! Representatives can be regular citizens or a town official.
Alliance meetings are public and open to anyone interested.
Meetings are quarterly, in the evening and held at different locations around the watershed. Date, location and time are posted in advance on the website www.southeastwatershedalliance.org.
Members are invited to attend Board of Directors Meetings (upcoming April 17 at 1:30 PM at the Hoyle Tanner offices in Portsmouth) and to contact Michael Trainque, Chairman of the Board (mtrainque@gsinet.net) with any questions about community participation within the Alliance.
Be certain that your community benefits from this coordinated approach to our shared challenges in controlling pollution and protecting our watershed resources.
Southeast Watershed Alliance, P.O. Box 22122, Portsmouth, NH 03802