CONTACT:
Dianne Timmins: 603-271-2501
John Magee: 603-271-2744
October 30, 2024

Concord, NH – Today, the Governor and Council approved a contract for $50.8 million to build a state-of-the-art New Hampshire Fish and Game Department fish hatchery in New Hampton, NH. This includes the construction contract with MWH Construction, Inc., of Plaistow, NH, for $47.3 million. All of the funding is derived from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). New Hampshire’s Division of Public Works Design and Construction (DPW), the state’s entity responsible for large construction projects, will manage the revitalization project with demolition scheduled to begin in late fall. This work is in response to more stringent US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water quality permit limits implemented at the Powder Mill State Hatchery in New Durham, necessitating a reduction in production at that facility. Construction at New Hampton is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.

This project started after a lawsuit occurred involving high phosphorus levels found in the Powder Mill Hatchery’s discharge water (effluent). After several modifications were made to operations in an effort to reduce the amount of pollutants being discharged, it was determined that the only way to meet the new permit limit at Powder Mill was to treat the effluent. A year-long assessment was conducted by HDR Engineering, Inc. (HDR) to determine the feasibility and costs of achieving EPA compliance at the Powder Mill Hatchery, as well as to evaluate the conditions and capacities at all six Fish and Game hatcheries. The study found that all of NHFG’s facilities needed extensive maintenance and repairs. These reports can be viewed at https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/fisheries-management-new-hampshire/new-hampshire-fish-hatcheries/nh-fish. The study also found that it was not cost effective to treat the thousands of gallons of water used per day at Powder Mill and meet the permit limit, but it was much more feasible to expand operations while meeting NPDES limits at the New Hampton State Fish Hatchery.

“The Inland Fisheries Division is excited to share with the public that the first upgrade of our hatchery system of this magnitude is now underway at the New Hampton State Fish Hatchery,” said Inland Fisheries Chief Dianne Timmins. “This effort will address years of needed modernization and improvement to our infrastructure and operations. We can now focus on increasing production quality and efficiency while safeguarding the aquatic environments in the communities surrounding the hatchery, a key component of this project. The modernization will also provide a safer environment for employees to work and a better platform for educational opportunities. Several of our New England neighbors have already implemented modernizations such as these. Now it is New Hampshire’s turn to improve our environment and our product for anglers who enjoy fishing the state’s freshwater rivers, lakes, and ponds.”

NHFG was originally founded in 1865 to address declining fish populations due to overfishing in the state. Its stocking program has existed since the late 1800s, and the hatchery program began in the early 1900s. The six current facilities are located in New Hampton, New Durham, Carroll, Warren, Milford, and Berlin and produce over 1 million fish for stocking in state waters each year for an estimated 228,000 anglers.

For more information about the current NHFG hatchery program and the modernization project, visit www.wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/new-hampshire-fish-hatcheries.

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