A Special Place to Visit in Tilton

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      What About Wetlands?

New Hampshire's tidal and non-tidal wetlands are of great importance for flood control,
water filtration,  water storage and recharge for both groundwater and surface water. These
functions become more valuable with the expected increase in occurrence and severity of
storm events associated with climate change. Wetlands also support the food chain, providing
food and shelter for a variety of aquatic and upland plants and animals. Although New Hampshire
has lost fewer wetlands to filling and dredging than many coastal states, landscape change
poses a significant challenge to the protection of New Hampshire's wetlands.

New Hampshire wetlands share three characteristics: 1) standing water or water at or near the
ground surface during some portion of the growing season; 2) soils with characteristics that show
they are saturated some of the time; and 3) plants adapted to growing in saturated soils. There is
tremendous diversity in the types of wetlands found in the state. Tidal marshes and mud flats,
freshwater  red maple swamps, bogs, vernal pools, Atlantic white cedar swamps and wet meadows
are all wetland types found in New Hampshire

Wetlands provide economic importance by increasing the surrounding real estate values by
an estimated 28 percent while also enhancing the quality of life.

See the NHDES Water Primer Chapter 5 Wetlands online for more information.

American Drinking Water Week May 6-12, 2012

"Tap water is such an integral part of our daily lives that we sometimes don't notice its immeasurable
 value," said AWWA Executive Director David LaFrance. "Only tap water delivers the high quality of life
 we enjoy."

"Whether it's one of the state's largest cities, or a small community water system serving a single
 subdivision, DES provides oversight to ensure that water is tested and treated, and that water system operators are properly trained," noted Sarah Pillsbury, Administrator of DES's Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau. "Users of private wells don't have that kind of protection," Pillsbury added.
"The 40 percent of New Hampshire residents who use private wells are largely on their own when it
comes to testing for common natural contaminants such as arsenic and radon, or pollutants that
get into our groundwater that are man-made such as the gasoline additive MtBE."

Customers of New Hampshire's community water systems pay an average of 50 cents per hundred
gallons for treated, tested water delivered to the tap, while bottled water users who pay $1.25 for a
20-ounce bottle are paying $800 per hundred gallons. "There is a wide gap between the price of
drinking water, which is what we pay; and the value of drinking water, which is what we would be
willing to pay," notes Pillsbury. "For example, ask yourself what your home would be worth without
a safe drinking water supply."

About Drinking Water Week:
For more than 35 years, the American Water Works Association and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week - a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives.

Check this website that has Activities for Kids and information for interested people