Project partners are working to address flood risks and make our infrastructure more resilient through a proactive approach by identifying and replacing problem culverts and bridges before they can fail and cause damage. Identifying crossings for replacement that will maximize ecological benefits while addressing infrastructure safety can save money and help to restore aquatic habitat in the long run.
With approximately 20,000 stream crossings in New Hampshire, the goal is to assess and prioritize which crossings are the best candidates for replacement to improve public safety, infrastructure resilience and aquatic habitat restoration.
By implementing the NH Stream Crossing Initiative Protocols in YOUR watersheds, you can prioritize future grant application requests, populate watershed-based plans for future restoration efforts, and inform budget planning and decision making in both municipal and nonprofit realms. Data collected through the initiative is quality control vetted by professionals in the NHDES Geological Survey and other partnering agencies to assure stream crossing data is collected consistently across the state. The protocols can be viewed by visiting: https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wetlands/documents/culvert-assessment-protocol.pdf
Want to become a NH Stream Crossing Initiative Protocol team leader for the 2020 season? We invite you to participate in a full day of training at NHDES in Concord on May 29th. Following that training, there will be another day devoted to conducting the protocols at field sites. Date to be determined.
Interested? Please get in touch with Shane Csiki at the NHDES Geological Survey by emailing shane.csiki@des.nh.gov or calling him at 271-2876. I am looking forward to taking this training in May and hope to see some of our stakeholders there. This is a great opportunity to formally assess all the stream crossings in your watershed!
Want to see if stream crossings have been assessed in your watershed? Check out the Aquatic Restoration Mapper at: http://nhdes.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=21173c9556be4c52bc20ea706e1c9f5a
