Acton Wakefield Watershed Alliance

AWWA – Acton Wakefield Watershed Alliance. For over 20 years, this nonprofit has contributed greatly, with minimal support from our Wakefield yearly budget, to help save Wakefield’s number one tax asset, the lakes.

The list is too long to fit on this sheet of paper, but 3 examples of their hard work are Pine River Association Boat Launch, Clearwater Lane, and Pinewood Shores. All 3 of these locations were contributing substantial erosion and, consequently, cyanobacteria. Also, 20 failed septic systems, among endless other projects.

To put it in perspective, they have used their knowledge to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to bring money from the 319 Clean Water Act of 1987 to help preserve our tax base, the lakes. We have recently been contributing $40,000 a year to AWWA, except in 2023, when it was cancelled as part of the default budget vote. AWWA has been so good at raising 319 Clean Water Act money for Wakefield that in 2019, they received $100,000 and in 2024 another $180,000, which in both cases were among the largest amounts given to any entity in NH. Unfortunately, the current presidential administration is not funding this program. For more information on the great work AWWA has done for Wakefield over the last 20 years you can go to their website via this following link: https://awwatersheds.org/

UPDATE:

The Clean Waters Act Section 319 Grant Program has been approved for 2026 by congress. Unfortunately, due to the delay in approving the budget at the federal level, the funds will be delayed in arriving to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and subsequently the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). NHDES has
posted the delay on its website since July of 2025. The timeline of the funds being granted to the groups that
apply will most likely be in the fall of 2027. Hopefully there will be 2 years of funding available at that time.

        Watershed Assistance Section 319 Grants

July 2025 Update:

The New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program is delaying the release of the 2026 Watershed Assistance Grants Request for Pre-proposals until NHDES has more certainty in the grant award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. These pass-through grant funds support statewide efforts to protect high-quality surface and drinking waters as well as restoration of waters that do not meet designated uses (swimming, fishing, boating, etc.). Updates will be posted here and on the New Hampshire Watershed Protection and Restoration Blog as they become available.

Each year NHDES solicits projects to address nonpoint source (NPS) pollution through the implementation of watershed-based plans in priority watersheds. Projects must comprehensively address NPS problems and must have a quantitative way to assess progress and determine success. The watershed-based plan must have a clear water quality goal and include the nine, minimum elements (a) through (i) required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Funded projects must make reasonable progress toward achieving the water quality goal established in the watershed-based plan.

For more information, contact:

Funds for this grant are appropriated through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. 

Links