rivers

Regulators are planning new efforts to keep the state’s rivers from running dry, and they’re taking public input on which rivers to study next.

The state’s instream flow studies will look at how much water runs through a river under different conditions – say, in drought – and at how animals, plants and people like to use that water.

The Nashua River is one step closer to federal protections that are decades in the making.

Federal lawmakers from New Hampshire and Massachusetts introduced legislation Thursday to designate the river as "wild and scenic."

The designation would add scrutiny for federal projects that impact the river and two of its tributaries, and would help fund future preservation work.

Residents of Warner and surroundings towns have requested to place the Warner River under a state environmental protection program. 

The Warner River is a favorite location for trout fisherman and kayakers. Joining New Hampshire's River Management and Protection Program would mean that people who live near the river will have a say in conserving it.

We spoke with National Geographic Traveler Magazine editor-in-chief Keith Bellows about what makes a great beach town, and he gave us some idea locations all across the country. This inspired us to make a list of New Hampshire summer spots, with particular attention to one of the state’s specialties – lakes.  We’ve also squeezed a couple rivers in here as well.

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Why was the Colorado River named the most endangered river of 2013?

                                                                                                   -- Missy Perkins, Jenkintown, PA

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

Henry David Thoreau's death 150 years ago has inspired memorial events in Concord - the Massachusetts Concord - but Thoreau passed through our Concord on a trip by boat and foot that led to his first book.

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: How is it that dams actually hurt rivers?-- Missy Davenport, Boulder, CO

Dams are a symbol of human ingenuity and engineering prowess—controlling the flow of a wild rushing river is no small feat. But in this day and age of environmental awareness, more and more people are questioning whether generating a little hydroelectric power is worth destroying riparian ecosystems from their headwaters in the mountains to their mouths at the ocean and beyond.

You learned a remarkable property of H2O back in High School chemistry. Remember?

Normally, the density of compounds decreases as temperatures increase and molecules spread out. When temperatures fall, density increases as molecules become more tightly packed. Not true for ice – in fact, the exact opposite occurs!

In liquid form, each water molecule’s hydrogen is bonded to 3 other water molecules. In ice form, each molecule’s hydrogen bonded to 4 others. These hydrogen bonds form an open arrangement that is less compact than liquid water.