The Town of Pelham, NH, is seeking qualified technical consultants to assist in the development of a comprehensive watershed management plan for Long Pond. This 121-acre pond is a vital natural resource, with 45 acres located in Pelham, NH, and the remaining 76 acres spanning the Massachusetts towns of Dracut and Tyngsboro. Pelham has a public beach on Long Pond located at Veterans Memorial Park that is frequented by residents and children for the summer camp. In 2023, Long Pond experienced a 70-day long cyanobacteria bloom that contributed to the need for creating a watershed management plan. The project aims to address water quality concerns, protect ecological health, and ensure sustainable use of this shared resource. In addition, it will assist the Town of Pelham in meeting some of the required 2017 NH MS4 General Permit requirements. The Long Pond Watershed Plan will be an EPA nine-element (a-i) watershed-based management plan. Activities will include targeted investigations of critical priority areas to identify pollution sources, determine load estimates, and calculate reductions needed to remove the lake from the 303(d) NH List of Impaired Waters and prevent cyanobacteria blooms. Sub-watershed assessments will be conducted to determine sites requiring mitigation for stormwater, erosion, infiltration, culvert upgrades, etc.
