Feb 15, 2023

Cleaning Up Stormwater Pollution in New Hampshire’s Great Bay

“The rivers and streams flowing into Great Bay are being inundated with polluted stormwater every time it rains,” said Melissa Paly, Great Bay Piscataqua Waterkeeper at CLF. “The nitrogen in this stormwater runoff is harming the waterways that make New Hampshire’s Seacoast such a special place to live and visit, and it cannot be allowed to continue. Many of our communities have made great strides in reducing pollution from wastewater, now it’s time to step up and reduce pollution in stormwater.”

Great Bay
Mar 26, 2021

After Settlement, Great Bay Water Pollution Permit to Move Forward

“Nitrogen pollution is a scourge on our Great Bay estuary, including the many bays and rivers that are part of it,” said Melissa Paly, Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper at CLF. “This agreement gives the communities surrounding Great Bay flexibility in how they will reduce this harmful pollution, but also accountability to ensure real progress. We’re looking forward to working together with these communities to advance innovative solutions to combat this problem and create healthier waterways for everyone.”

Conservation Law Foundation's Great Bay–Piscataqua Waterkeeper shares a wave of good news to celebrate the power community action in 2020.
Dec 10, 2020

A Wave of Good News for the People of Great Bay

From multimillion-dollar investments to win-win collaborations, good news from New Hampshire’s Great Bay give us reasons to celebrate in 2020. Taken together, these stories remind us that when communities act boldly, we can turn the tide on pollution and restore the health of the rivers, bays, and coast in the Seacoast region and beyond.

Conservation Law Foundation's Great Bay–Piscataqua Waterkeeper shares a wave of good news to celebrate the power community action in 2020.
May 14, 2020

Report Offers Path to Cleaner Water in Great Bay

“The Seacoast’s beautiful rivers and bays are in danger,” said Melissa Paly, Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper at CLF. “Under the surface, we’re losing the meadows of seagrasses that support the fish, shellfish, and wildlife that call the waters home. Towns have made progress reducing nitrogen, but we need to get much more serious about curbing the nitrogen that flows into our waters from septic systems and stormwater every time it rains. This report gives us a path to reach that goal.”

Great Bay
Aug 06, 2019

Waterkeeper Boat Ride Leads to New Sustainability Committee in Exeter

A group of Exeter activists turned a trip on the Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper boat into a town-wide call to better protect water resources, conserve energy, and be a more sustainable community. After their boat ride last fall, the four women worked to create Exeter’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, which recently for met for the first time.

Great Bay
May 09, 2019

Waterkeeper Launches a Busy Season to Protect the Great Bay-Piscataqua Estuary

As I prepare to launch CLF’s Waterkeeper boat this season, I’m reminded that the Great Bay–Piscataqua Estuary is at the heart of what makes the Seacoast region so special. But our estuary is at a tipping point, with too much nitrogen polluting the water. Learn how you can just us to fight for clean waterways on the Seacoast this summer.

May 10, 2018

Nitrogen Denial in the Great Bay Estuary

The Great Bay-Piscataqua Estuary is an incredible place. It’s home to numerous fish and bird species and provides spectacular fishing, boating, and recreation for the people of New Hampshire, Maine, and beyond. But persistent high levels of nitrogen pollution have disrupted these waters, and while progress is being made, some municipal officials are fighting against the changes that can save Great Bay.

Photo: Great Bay Estuary | EcoPhotography
Nov 03, 2017

Conservation Matters Fall 2017

We are at a defining moment in the effort to avert the threat of climate catastrophe. President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord has put the United States on the wrong side of history. With renewed urgency, CLF is escalating our work to develop legally binding climate laws, like the one we helped create and enforce here in Massachusetts, in every New England state.

Conservation Matters Fall 2017