Wild & Scenic Stewardship Council

The Stewardship Council protects and celebrates the diverse wildlife, deep history, and natural beauty of our free-flowing Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers and their surrounding landscapes. Through planning, partnerships, and community involvement, we bring people together to share ideas and engage in projects focused on keeping our rivers healthy, accessible, and thriving, now and for generations to come.

The next regularly scheduled Zoom meeting of the Stewardship Counci will be on:

Thursday, October 15, 2026 ​at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom

​Minutes from August 20, 2026 meeting

West Groton Dam

NSN Stewardship Council Letter to Groton Selectboard re: West Groton Dam - April 17, 2026

Video: Dam Removals in Massachusetts

Video - (31:48 min.) - produced by the Nashua River Watershed Association

To qualify for designation as a Wild and Scenic River, a river must possess at least one Outstandingly Remarkable Resource Value (ORRV). An ORRV is defined as a unique, rare, or exemplary river-related feature that is significant at a comparative regional or national scale. Due to a history of community and regional conservation efforts, our rivers have three ORRVs: biological diversity, recreational and scenic, historic and cultural.

We work to protect and enhance these ORRVs guided by the Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers Stewardship Plan, which contains an Action Plan for each ORRV with defined goals, objectives, and action steps.

Three rivers, eleven communities, two states – nature knows no boundaries.

Our Wild & Scenic rivers are nestled in north central Massachusetts (MA) and southern New Hampshire (NH), and include:

• The mainstem Nashua River from Lancaster, MA flowing north to the NH state line in Pepperell/Dunstable, MA.
• The entirety of the Squannacook River from its headwaters in Townsend, MA to its confluence with the Nashua River in Groton, MA.
• The entirety of the Nissitissit River from its headwaters in Brookline, NH to its confluence with the Nashua River in Pepperell, MA.

Is there a project in your community that aligns with the goals of our Stewardship Plan? The Council may be able to help with funding through our Community or Land Protection Grant Programs.

Click to enlarge