The Great Bay Chapter of Trout Unlimited has established two river project committees, each one focusing on one of the 2 streams in the Great Bay area, the Lamprey and the Cocheco. The primary goal of these committees is to research and study the rivers in question, in order to establish problems, improvements and report recommendations to the TU board and it's members. In essence to create a stewardship of the river (Steward - \Stew"ard\, n. - custodian, keeper, caretaker).The committees will comprise several volunteer each. TU members are urged to participate by volunteering some time to help improve the quality of the fishery you already enjoy. Please contact one of the chairmen below if you can help out on these projects.

Committees Chairmen

Travis Johnson - Lamprey - more...
Mark Seymour - Cocheco - more...

Each of the projects will comprise the following tasks:

Liaison:
Establish contact with landowners along the river and help them understand what we at TU are doing. Hear any concerns or ideas they may have, that we can then address with NH Fish & Game. Issues such as violators (fishing, trespassing, litter etc), stream erosion on their property, access routes to the river. Anything that may concern the landowner, that we can help them address through the strength of TU and our association with F&G.

Mapping:
One of the fundamental Requirements to the river project and other projects, is the establishment of a good reference map of the target section of river. Documenting and mapping features such as river path, structure, streamside vegetation, access routes, parking, private property, posted land etc, are vital to the projects success. Knowledge of GPS and basic map and compass skills are needed for this task.

Trash and Erosion:
Trash and littering are of constant concern to us as fishermen and TU in general. Monitoring the trash level in the river and identifying problem areas are the first steps in controlling it. This aspect of the committee ties in with several others. A scheduled cleanup is underway each year on the Lamprey, but the other rivers need the same kind of attention.

Law enforcement:
While not wanting to get involved in law enforcement, it is essential that we as stewards of the river know and understand the laws and what we can do to help law enforcement protect the fishery. This task requires liaison with law enforcement so that they understand what we are trying to accomplish and how we can help. Basic information, like knowing what steps to take when seeing fish removed from a catch and release river, is needed.

Fishing activity and stocking:
This simply involves keeping a record of what fish are being caught, where and how often. A basic fishing log, from the committee member or other anglers on the rivers. How many people are fishing certain spots? The success of this activity is dependent on constant and frequent trips to the river. Knowledge of the stocking rates and times are important to know, as is information regarding hold-over rates, growth of stocked fish etc. Working in conjunction with the stream biology study, will greatly enhance our knowledge of the river.

Stream biology:
For those who have some training in biology or would like to enhance their knowledge of stream biology. All trout fishermen know the importance of understanding the biology of insects and other stream organisms. This type of information can help tremendously with understanding the health of the river, and how that pertains to the fish population. Stocking programs are expensive and it is vital that we understand what quality of the river biology before dumping random quantities of fish in the river. Liaison with F&G biologists will be a great asset to the this task.

Water Quality:
Historical and on going monitoring of water quality, such as temperature, pH and oxygen, is vital to the success of the stocking and fish management in these rivers. A wealth of data already exists for the rivers concerned, but detailed analysis of these data is required to fully comprehend the effects on our stocking program.

The project committees will meet to exchange ideas and update each other on progress and/or problems encountered. The success of these committees depends on the help and time of volunteers. If you live near one of these rivers and would like to help please contact the chairman concerned. Please don't leave these projects to the same few volunteers who do all the other club work. It's time to get involved !!!