Beyond Flood Control

The Pemigewasset River Carved a narrow river valley through the New Hampshire hills on its way to join the Winnipesaukee River and become the Merrimack River. At Franklin Falls Reservoir, the river meanders through some 2,500 wooded acres of white pine, oak, maple, beech, and birch.

The project's forest resources are managed by the State of New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development Division of Forests and Lands in cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers. 

Timber stands and wildlife habitat improvements, boundary line maintenance, forest inventory and mapping, and commercial timber harvests and other activities are carried out under a detailed forest management plan for each area. All forest management activities are financed by income from timber harvests. There are no federal or state funds or any other funds used for forest management activities.

The mix of forest, field, and stream provides habitat for a wide range of fish and wildlife, both resident and migratory. Deer, fox, turkey, and an occasional black bear, find food and shelter in the woods. Open meadows attract New England cottontails, field mice, kestrels, and migrating hawks. Beaver, otter, muskrat, and mink play along the shorelines of small streams, while painted turtles and leopard frogs bask in the shallows. Spring and fall migrations bring Canada geese and other waterfowl to join the great blue heron fishing the backwaters. Wintering bald eagles are occasionally seen near the river.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, under agreement with the Corps of Engineers and the Division of Forests and Lands, stocks upland game birds, assists with the maintenance and improvement of wildlife habitat, administers a fur-bearer trapping program, supplies and maintains waterfowl nesting boxes, and enforces fish and game laws. Hunting for deer, pheasant, and small game is permitted during the state hunting season.

Fisheries Management

The Corps of Engineers works cooperatively with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to stock various species of fish in the reservoir, including Atlantic salmon.