Water

New Hampshire is fortunate to have an extensive network of rivers and streams. Yet the state’s waterways have continued to be adversely impacted by wastewater discharges and nonpoint sources of pollution such as urban and agricultural runoff, septic systems, stormwater from construction activities and urbanized areas, water withdrawals and atmospheric deposition. Water experts have learned that the quality, quantity and ecology of both surface and groundwater are affected by all of the activities occurring within a particular watershed. As a result, there is an increasing need to address water resources on a watershed basis through close collaboration among various state and local organizations.

There are almost 1,000 public lakes and ponds throughout New Hampshire. The complete list of lakes and ponds is available on New Hampshire’s Official List of Public Waters.