The Rochester Conservation Commission partnered with Great Bay Trout Unlimited to host clean-up events intended to help improve waterways that support native fish populations.

The first event held on October 3rd focused efforts along Willow Brook, which is a tributary of the Cocheco River. The Conservation Commission has long recognized this as an important stream since it has historically been found to contain native brook trout. Recently, there have been some concerns about stormwater impacting this water body, and they wanted to raise awareness about protecting this resource. Volunteers worked together to remove assorted litter from the stream and its bank, as well as several bulky items such as a water heater, bicycle, and car tire.

The second event held on October 17th was along the bank of the Cocheco River that was accessible from 710 Columbus Avenue. Various items were collected for proper disposal, including a bucket seat and saddle bags. City Councilor and Vice Chair of the Conservation Commission, Kevin Sullivan, noted that “a fairly small group of volunteers made a really big difference cleaning up a good amount of litter on the city-owned property. I was encouraged to see a lot less trash than last year’s cleanup and hope the city can do some landscaping to open up the visibility of the property and encourage more clean use by Rochester residents in the future.”

Great Bay Trout Unlimited Conservation Chair Jake Reynolds stated that “working alongside the City of Rochester and the amazing volunteers that show up to support these cleanups has been wonderful. It’s small events like these that, when combined, can make a big difference in maintaining a clean watershed.” In speaking about the Great Bay Chapter of Trout Unlimited, he explained that the organization “aims to improve and restore our small streams and rivers to expand the population of wild brook trout and other salmonid species in the Great Bay watershed of New Hampshire.” For more information about Great Bay Trout Unlimited or conservation strategies and what you can do to help, see greatbaytu.org

The Conservation Commission and Great Bay Trout have been collaborating on joint events since 2024 and plan to continue this partnership in 2027.

For Rochester Conservation Commission updates, see www.rochesternh.gov/conservation-commission.