The objective of the NHDES’ Instream Flow Program is to collect data regarding the streamflow in designated rivers that is necessary to support their human and ecological uses. The data are used to develop protected instream flow criteria which become enforceable water quality criteria following the steps outlined in Administrative Rule Env-Wt 1900. The Program will be completing a Protected Instream Flow Study of the Warner River this year. The Study was largely based on streamflow data recorded at the USGS gage at Davisville between 2001 and the present; all project-specific streamflow measurements were calibrated to the long-term data from the Davisville gage. Without the streamflow data from the Davisville gage, it would have been impossible to perform the study. Following the establishment of protected instream flow criteria for the Warner River, the Program will monitor Davisville gage streamflow data to track compliance with the criteria and will alert water users to reduce their withdrawals when the river is out of compliance. ~DES Staff Joe Schmidl
More information about this program and the Warner River can be found at DES's website.