Souhegan River Local Advisory Committee

The Souhegan River Local Advisory Committee (SoRLAC) is comprised of representatives from the business, recreation, agriculture, and conservation community as well as riparian landowners and local government. SoRLAC members serve as stewards and watchdogs over any activity in the Souhegan River Corridor. Communities in the Souhegan River Corridor include Merrimack, Amherst, Milford, Wilton, Greenville, and New Ipswich.

Click here for information on 2011 Souhegan River canoe trips.

The Souhegan River Local Advisory Committee was created in 2000 after the Souhegan was designated a protected river in the State of NH. As a designated river, the Souhegan is protected under RSA 483, administered by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) Rivers Management and Protection Program.

According to State statute, one of the main tasks charged to the Local Advisory Committee is to “develop or assist in the development and adoption of local river corridor management plans under RSA 483:10…”

Regular activities of SoRLAC include reviewing development applications along the Corridor and involvement in the Souhegan River Water Quality Program each summer. With the assistance of NRPC, SoRLAC received grant funds from NH DES to develop a Souhegan River Watershed Management Plan. SoRLAC, NRPC, and the Souhegan Watershed Association worked closely with local communities to develop a Management Plan that provides comprehensive actions for the restoration, management and protection of the Souhegan River Watershed that are consistent with each community's goals.

Residents of Amherst, Lyndeborough, Mont Vernon, and Wilton can find copies of the Management Plan and associated outreach materials in their respective Town Halls. Merrimack residents can obtain these documents in the Community Development Conference Room located in Town Hall. Milford residents can access this information at the Wadleigh Memorial Library.

On April 1, 2008 the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services approved the establishment of protected instream flows for the Souhegan Designated River. The Souhegan River Instream Flow project is the first study to recommend protected instream flow values under the Rivers Management and Protection Act.

The Souhegan Designated River comprises 32 miles beginning in New Ipswich and continuing to the confluence with the Merrimack River in Merrimack. These protected instream flows apply to the Souhegan Designated River, to water users in the watershed that are required to be registered with the state, and to dam owners in the watershed with impoundments greater than 10 acres.

The Souhegan River Protected Instream Flow Report details the methods and results used to identify the Protected Instream Flows for the Souhegan Designated River. Copies of the report are available at the public libraries in New Ipswich, Milford and Merrimack and the DES file review room in Concord. Click here to view the report online. For more information please call Wayne Ives, DES Instream Flow Specialist, at 603 271-3548.

Nashua Regional Planning Commission
9 Executive Park Drive, Suite 201
Merrimack, NH 03054
Phone ~ 603.424.2240 | Fax ~ 603.424.2230