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Watershed Management Bureau
Rivers Management and Protection Program (RMPP)
Designated Rivers
The Lamprey River begins in Northwood,
New Hampshire, and courses 60 miles through six towns before becoming tidal
in Newmarket and emptying into the coastal estuary known as Great Bay.
The river has been designated for special protection at both the state
and federal levels.
The part of the Lamprey River designated under the NH Rivers Management
and Protection Program in June 1990, is limited to the segment of the river
that flows through the towns of Lee and Durham. A large percentage of the
land in the river's corridor is undeveloped, creating extensive wildlife
habitat, offering picturesque scenery, and yielding water of sufficient
quality to be used as a reserve water supply for Durham.
Due to this river's valued resources and importance as a tributary to
the Great Bay National Estuarine Reserve, it has also been designated into
the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers
System, a program of the National Park Service, becoming only the second
river in the State of New Hampshire to receive such designation.
History
This segment of the Lamprey River is rich in history. Early commercial
and industrial growth centered around the use of falls on the river for
saw and grist mills. The Wiswall Falls Mill Site in Durham has been placed
on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of the extensive
19th century mill complex located at this site. The mill originated as
a sawmill but was later used to produce a variety of other goods including
shoe knives, nuts and bolts, pitchforks, carriages, matches and wallpaper.
On an island below Wadleigh Falls, archaeologists have documented artifacts
over 8,000 years old that are among the earliest dated archaeological artifacts
in New Hampshire.
Wildlife and Plant Resources
As the largest tributary to the Great Bay National Estuarine Reserve,
the river executes a significant role in maintaining the overall health
of the protected bay's environment. A number of endangered and threatened
bird species have been sighted along the river which rely on the river
habitat for food and shelter. 
Among these is the federally-listed threatened bald eagle which is known
to forage in the river while wintering at Great Bay, an area noted to have
the highest abundance of eagle activity in the State of New Hampshire during
the winter. The first osprey nest known to have been built in the seacoast
region during this century was discovered within two miles of the river
in 1989. Also occurring along this segment of the Lamprey River are 12
endangered or threatened plant species, as listed by the New Hampshire
Natural Heritage Inventory. Two other notable species which inhabit the
river are the state-listed threatened spotted turtle and endangered brook
floater mussel.
Recreation
The town of Durham owns two recreational areas in the river corridor.
An 80 acre parcel at Doe Farm has extensive trails for hiking, jogging
and skiing, and the Packers Falls Recreation Area provides public access
to the whitewater for canoeing, swimming and tubing. The privately-owned
Durham Boat Company offers instruction, storage, and launching facilities
for racing shells below Moat Island. Three campgrounds located along the
river, Lamprey River, Wellington, and Ferndale Acres, provide facilities
for seasonal camping.
Boating
Canoeing is a popular activity on the Lamprey River. Although located
within 15 miles of the populated seacoast and 60 miles from metropolitan
Boston, the upper portion of the river in Lee is described in a river guidebook
as "a quiet retreat into the woods... past densely forested banks of hemlock
and hardwoods..." For the more adventurous, the guidebook recommends Packers
Falls in Durham as providing "one of the most challenging rapids in the
Piscataqua Watershed." Both public and informal launching areas provide
canoe access to the river; no boat ramps have been developed on this segment
of the Lamprey River. However, two boat ramps in Newmarket provide limited
access to portions of the lower Lamprey in Durham and Newmarket.
Fishing
The Lamprey River supports a significant fishery. Shad, alewife, and
Atlantic salmon are found up to the impassable Wiswall Dam in Durham. The
river is also part of the anadromous fish restoration program, a cooperative
state-federal restoration program which began in 1969. Naturally-reproducing
species sought by fisherman include small and largemouth bass, chain pickerel,
sunfish, American eel, and brown bullhead. The NH
Fish and Game Department regularly stocks the river with shad, rainbow,
brown and brook trout. One popular fishing site is a 3/4 mile segment of
the Lamprey River below Wiswall Falls in Durham. Fishing continues into
the winter, with ice-fishing popular along the length of the segment. To
allow access for fishermen, Salmon Unlimited has negotiated agreements
with private landowners along key areas of the river.
For Further Information about the NH Rivers Management and Protection
Program contact:
Rivers Coordinator
29 Hazen Drive, PO Box 95
Concord, NH 03302-0095
(603) 271-8801
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