Keynote Speech
By City Manager John Bohenko
Advocates for the North Mill Pond
June 17, 2004

It is my great pleasure to be here with you this evening to celebrate completion of the Hodgson Brook Restoration Plan, and to thank everyone involved in helping us reach this important milestone.

The City of Portsmouth is proud to be part of this collaborative effort that will benefit the citizens of our City and the surrounding area today -- and for many years to come.

As many of you know, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers non-point source pollution to be the largest remaining source of the nation's water quality problems.

Indeed the City of Portsmouth has begun to tackle this issue with various improvements to its stormwater management. The City has planned over half a million dollars on innovative treatment of stormwater in conjunction with its downtown sewer separation work.

The Hodgson Brook Watershed Restoration Plan is an outstanding example of how a private and public collaboration in a small city can maximize resources to deal with an urban pollution issue.

As many of you know, the City of Portsmouth has partnered with the Advocates for the North Mill Pond, the Hodgson Brook Local Advisory Committee, and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in a two-year effort to develop the plan we are celebrating this evening.

It is the critical first step in our objective of restoring the quality of the water in the watershed, protecting it for the future, and improving the overall stream habitat for area wildlife.

But first, a little background about this environmentally significant Watershed area whose existence is probably unknown to the vast majority of our residents.

As many of you are aware, the Hodgson Brook Watershed is located in the north central part of Portsmouth. It covers 2,135 acres -- approximately one-fifth of the total area of the city - and extends into a small part of Newington.

This seven-mile long drainage network flows from the northwest corner of the Pease Tradeport through the Portsmouth Traffic Circle and into the North Mill Pond. It impacts - and is impacted by - a large portion of our city.

This is due to the fact that roadways, pavement and buildings cover an estimated one-third of the Watershed's land area. The stormwater runoff from these impervious surfaces represents the Brook's largest source of pollution.

Other sources include sewage from cross-connected storm drains and sewer pipes, trash and debris. But again, it is stormwater runoff that is having the most impact.

Ironically, it was the failed efforts of introducing eelgrass to the North Mill Pond that first gave us an indication as to the extent of the problem of diminished water quality within the watershed.

That led to the formation of the Hodgson Brook Local Advisory Committee in 2002. In March of that year, the City Council approved a $10,000 donation to the project.

I am proud to report the City is continuing to support this effort. We have contributed approximately $7,000 more through in-kind services involving work on the local advisory committee, editing and review of the group's report, and creating maps.

In addition, private citizens and local businesses have supported this effort with cash and in-kind donations of over $30,000. Some of you are here tonight, and we thank you.

The largest amount of funding involves $70,000 in Clean Water Act Section 319 funds from the Environmental Protection Agency and administered through the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

There will be more local matching of that grant in the near future. The projects outlined in this document will be completed over the next 10 years.

But tonight, we celebrate the completion of the document that will help us reach our goals of improving and safeguarding the Hodgson Brook Watershed - by restoring its water quality, protecting that water quality, improving the stream habitat, and through outreach and public education.

To be more specific:
We intend to improve the water quality of Hodgson Brook to meet New Hampshire State water quality standards via monitoring and pollutant source reduction -- and elimination -- by the year 2008.

Second, we will work to decrease the volume of stormwater runoff and at the same time, to try to improve the quality of that stormwater.

Third, this plan will use education, outreach and improved recreational opportunities to gain community support for -- and understanding of -- the Hodgson Brook Restoration goals.

And finally, we will enhance buffer, shoreline and in-stream habitats to encourage more native -- and diverse -- plant and animal populations within the watershed.

We believe implementation of this plan will provide a model for other towns in New Hampshire, and across the United States, as the nation turns its attention to the problem of non-point source pollution.

But closer to home, this ambitious plan will result in numerous benefits for our own community. These include:

The increased potential for recreational opportunities for residents of Portsmouth, and employees and visitors to the North Mill Pond area and Pease International Tradeport. This will be accomplished through the establishment and improvement of walking and bike routes near the Brook.

We also believe improving the stream corridor area will, in turn, improve the curb appeal of Portsmouth and Tradeport businesses and increase property values throughout the Watershed area.

Improving the quality of stormwater and of the water in the Brook will help protect wetlands, and the underlying sand and gravel aquifers. By doing so, we also protect the quality of the City's drinking water wells.

Water discharging from the North Mill Pond will be cleaner and freer of sediment and contaminants. This will have far-reaching effects by benefiting the health of the Piscataqua River, related estuaries, and the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition, the cleanup and restoration of Hodgson Brook will improve public health by reducing the exposure of residents to contamination within the Brook and the North Mill Pond.

The increased infiltration capacity and improved stream buffers created through restoration will improve natural flood control in the area.

The City will reduce nonpoint source pollution under Phase Two stormwater regulations with implementation of the plan.

And finally, we believe the plan will lead to increased community involvement through volunteer participation in the restoration and protection program.

To learn even more about this ambitious and important project, I would like to draw your attention to the copies of the plan available here tonight. I invite you to review this document and appreciate all of the hard work that has brought us to this point tonight.

As you will see, we have proposed 32 separate action items, to implement the plan in the areas of:

• Water Quality Restoration
• Water Quality Protection
• Habitat and Wildlife Protection
• and Outreach and Education.

These tasks will be accomplished by various parties, including state and city agencies, private contractors and volunteers.

I believe we will be successful in reaching our goals through the dedication and determination of these groups, private citizens, City of Portsmouth officials and staff, and local businesses.

By taking a leadership and stewardship role in the cleanup and protection of the Hodgson Brook Watershed, these important segments of our community will come together to protect and preserve this vital and critical area.

We have the plan. Now it's time to roll up our sleeves and begin the work. We are sure to succeed with your enthusiastic support and vision.

Thank you.

For more information on Hodgson Brook please click here

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