Letter in Support of Dam Removal from the Native Fish Coalition

8 Newmarket Rd,

Durham, NH 03824

February 02, 2021

Durham Town Council,

I am writing on behalf of the New Hampshire chapter of Native Fish Coalition (NFC) in support of the removal of the Oyster River Dam at Mill Pond in New Hampshire.

NFC is a 501c3 non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting, preserving and restoring wild native fish.

Native Fish Coalition strongly supports the removal of the Oyster River Dam at Mill Pond. Removal would benefit anadromous fish species by eliminating the barrier to upstream fish passage and would also address the declining water quality in Mill Pond and the upstream impoundment. This would help support the restoration of the Oyster River by bringing the river to its more natural state.

There is no viable rationale for keeping this dam as it does not produce hydroelectric power nor does it provide agriculture irrigation. It is, however, drastically impacting multiple species of wildlife including the federally endangered American eel, Atlantic salmon, shad, and river herring by preventing them from reaching their historic spawning habitat upstream.

The removal of dams such as the Oyster River Dam is increasingly recognized as a critical and responsible action demonstrated by the United States, which is now removing approximately 100 significant dams annually. The nearby Exeter River dam, removed in 2016, has seen alewife numbers increase significantly since removal. Many fishery related agencies also unanimously support dam removals as well.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this proposal.

Sincerely,

Justin Hardesty

New Hampshire State Chair, Native Fish Coalition