A Water Quality Monitoring Study of the Nissitissit River and Salmon Brook: Year One Data

This study evaluated water quality of the Nissitissit River and Salmon Brook, located in southeastern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts. Water samples were collected once a month over three consecutive months (June, July, and August – summer of 2007) at five locations in each river and analyzed for a group of chemical and microbiological parameters typically monitored to characterize water quality. Parameters measured included water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, sodium, nitrate, phosphate, total coliforms, and fecal coliforms. pH, sodium, nitrate, and phosphate concentrations were measured at levels below potable water standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Dissolved oxygen concentrations varied substantially between sites and rivers. Dissolved oxygen concentrations measured for Salmon Brook were generally lower than those for the Nissitissit River. The number of fecal coliforms also varied among sites and rivers and always exceeded potable water standards. In addition, in several samples, fecal coliform counts exceeded Massachusetts recreational water quality standards. Data collected in this study represents the first year data for an anticipated long-term water quality study conducted for the Nissitissit Land Trust and Salmon Brook Greenway Committee and will be incorporated into a companion studies designed to assess the fate of contaminants in these rivers.