DRAFT Water Quality Certification # 2022-485A12IV-003 for the Friends of Oak Hill- Oak Hill Nordic Ski Trail Improvement Project Storrs Pond Withdrawal- AVAILABLE for PUBLIC COMMENT

On December 16, 2022, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) received an Application for Water Quality Certification from Friends of Oak Hill (Applicant) to withdraw water from Storrs Pond to supply a snowmaking system for cross-country skiing trails Center located in Hanover, New Hampshire (Activity). In the Application, the Applicant requested a water quality certification for the Activity from NHDES as required by NH RSA 485-A:12, IV. The purpose of the certification is to provide reasonable assurance that the Activity would be conducted in a manner that would comply with New Hampshire’s surface water quality standards specified under NH RSA 485-A:8 and NH Code Admin. Rule Env-Wq 1700. NHDES proposes to grant the certification subject to certain conditions. NHDES has reviewed the application and has prepared a draft certification with conditions, which is available for public comment on the following NHDES website:

Draft WQC 2022-485A12IV-003 Storrs Pond Withdrawal   

Project Description: The certification would allow the Applicant to withdraw up to 1,000 gallons per minute (gpm) of water from Storrs Pond each year from November 15 to March 31. The withdrawn water would be used for snowmaking to cover approximately 8.4 acres of cross-country ski trails at the at the Oak Hill Nordic Ski Center located in Hanover, New Hampshire. Snowmaking will only be performed when there is insufficient snow on the ground for grooming of cross-county ski trails. To provide reasonable assurance that the Activity would be conducted in a manner that would comply with New Hampshire’s surface water quality standards, the certification includes conditions for a water intake structure, water withdrawals, recordkeeping, and reporting, among other types of conditions. For example, a withdrawal condition of the certification only allows the Applicant to withdraw water from Storrs Pond when the surface elevation of Storrs Pond is at or above a target minimum surface water elevation of Storrs Pond for each snowmaking season.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING COMMENTS: Comments will be accepted until 4 pm, April 3, 2023. Only written comments will be accepted. Comments may be sent by postal mail, or email (email is preferred).  Please include the Project name, certification number, your name, organization, mailing address, email address and telephone number with your submittal.  

By Mail:    Water Quality Certification Program (Attention: James Tilley)
                 NHDES Watershed Management Bureau
                 P.O. Box 95
                 Concord, NH 03301-0095

By email:  Send to wqc@des.nh.gov   

If you have questions about the draft certification or have difficulties accessing a copy, please contact James Tilley, Supervisor of the NHDES Water Quality Certification program at (603) 271-0699 or by email at James.Tilley@des.nh.gov.