ABOUT THE WATERSHED
From its start in Franklin, N.H., the Merrimack flows through eight of New Hampshire’s ten largest cities, including Manchester, Nashua and Concord. The river continues into Massachusetts, running through Lowell and Lawrence to its mouth at Newburyport. The Merrimack River watershed — the land area that ultimately drains to the river — totals about 3,275 square miles or 2.1 million acres, divided almost evenly between New Hampshire (54%) and Massachusetts (46%). Despite being highly developed, the Merrimack Valley still contains critical terrestrial and aquatic habitats and contributes to the larger Gulf of Maine marine ecosystem. The watershed’s 2.6 million residents directly depend on the Merrimack watershed for drinking water, local food and forest products, and close-to-home outdoor recreation.
ABOUT THE MERRIMACK CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP
In 2010 the Merrimack River was identified by the US Forest Service as “one of the most threatened watersheds in the nation” in terms of projected loss of private forest land over the next twenty years. This designation inspired a broad partnership of environmental organizations and public agencies in New Hampshire and Massachusetts to embark on an ambitious effort to develop a conservation plan that would focus and accelerate land conservation in the Merrimack River watershed. Working together, the Merrimack Conservation Partnership developed a science-driven, consensus based, land conservation plan that integrates the best-available natural resource data with expert judgment to prioritize land protection in the Merrimack River valley.
ABOUT THE 2014 CONSERVATION PLAN
The Merrimack Conservation Plan is the final product of two years of effort by the Merrimack Conservation Partnership, representing 33 private organizations and public agencies in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In early 2012, this broad partnership committed itself to an ambitious effort to develop a conservation plan that would focus and accelerate land conservation in the Merrimack River watershed of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Working together, the group developed a science-driven, consensus land conservation plan that integrates the best-available natural resource data with expert judgement to prioritize land protection to protect water quality (especially drinking water supplies), preserve aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, conserve the region's working farms and forests, and provide recreational open space.
ABOUT THE ONGOING PROCESS TO UPDATE THE PLAN IN 2024
As part of the Merrimack Conservation Partnership, we are working to update the Merrimack Valley Strategic Conservation Plan. Centering community input, this plan will identify opportunities in communities located along the Merrimack River corridor to improve water quality, climate resilience, and green spaces.
MORE RESOURCES
Maps
Conservation Focus Areas Map (conservation land not shown) (9.5 MB PDF)
Conservation Focus Areas Map (conservation land shown) (9.5 MB PDF) - see above
Data tables
Visit this page on the Merrimack Conservation Partnership website.
Franklin, New Hampshire, where the Pemigewasset River (Left) and Winnipesaukee River (right) converge to form the Merrimack River. (Photo: Jerry Monkman)
A wastewater treatment plant on the banks of the Merrimack River in Concord, New Hampshire. (Photo: Jerry Monkman)
A historic mill building on the Merrimack River in Lowell, Massachusetts. (Photo: Jerry Monkman)
I-93 crosses the Merrimack River in Hooksett, New Hampshire. (Photo: Jerry Monkman)