
#ResponsibleRecreation
#ResponsibleRecreation: Join TU Social Distance Fishing Effort and Win Prizes
Keep your distance … and keep fishing.
TU and our partners are asking everyone to practice #ReponsibleRecreation when outside enjoying America’s great fishing opportunities.
Here’s what we recommend, given what we know about the threats posed by the coronavirus outbreak and the COVID-19 disease:
- Practice good social distancing on the water. The Centers for Disease Control recommends staying six feet apart from others. We’re taking it a step farther — we’re asking anglers to stay a rod’s length apart from their fishing partners whenever possible. The standard fly rod is nine feet long.
- Wear a multi-layered face covering when in the vicinity of other anglers. Even a double-layered cloth mask can help slow the spread of the virus.
- Avoid fishing from a boat with someone you haven’t been in lock-down with. In other words, if they’re not family, don’t fish from a boat with them — it’s just not possible to practice social distancing while in a drift boat.
- Drive to the river separately to get to the angling destination.
- Stay local, if at all possible, to limit exposure to others, and limit others’ exposure to you.
Fishing, when done correctly, can be a great way to get outside safely, but doing so wisely, particularly as many states begin to slowly re-open in the face of the outbreak, is vital for everyone.
Help spread the word by posting photos and videos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter of you and your family practicing social distancing while fishing. Be sure to use #ResponsibleRecreation and tag @troutunlimited to be entered to win some great prizes and TU swag.


New Project will benefit stream connectivity on the Nissitissit River
On Friday, Jan 11, Squan-a-Tissit board members, M. Rosser, R. Schott, and D. Armstrong met with Mass-DER (Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration) Dam Removal Specialist Nick Wildman and Pepperell ConsCom agent Paula Terrasi for a site visit at the Keyes-Parker Conservation Area in Pepperell, MA. The Squan-a-Tissit Chapter and the Town of Pepperell recently (12/18) received a Priority Project Status from Mass-DER to help with the removal of a dam and the replacement of a culvert on the Keyes-Parker Property in Pepperell. Upon receiving a Priority Projects designation the chapter is now eligible for DER technical services, including data collection, engineering, design work, permitting, project management and grants. The goal of removing the dam is to improve stream connectivity to improve habitat for brook trout and the endangered Brook Floater mussel, which relies on brook trout for part of their reproductive cycle. The Brook floater only occurs in a few streams in Massachusetts. You may have seen signs discussing the Brook Floater on signs posted along the Nissitissit. After the site visit at The Keys conservation area, the group decided to visit other areas of interest that the chapter has been monitoring as possible restoration projects such as the Sucker Brook culvert on Brookline Street where a drop off the culvert creates an aquatic wildlife barrier. While the group was in that area they also visit a previous restoration project by Squannatissit TU at the mouth of Sucker Brook. The group then ended their fieldtrip at a site on Gulf Brook to discuss the potential or a future project to remove a breached dam downstream of Lawrence Street. The Chapter is excited to have these new projects starting up to help To protect, re-connect, and restore our local waters !

The Nashua River Watershed Association has just learned that the “Nashua Wild and Scenic Rivers Act” has been signed into law today by the President! Sections of our Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers are now officially designated as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System!
What Parts of the Rivers are Being Designated as Wild and Scenic
River Segment 1: Nashua River Mainstem
From the confluence of the North and South Nashua Rivers in Lancaster, MA, north to the Massachusetts and New Hampshire state line at Pepperell and Dunstable, MA.
River Segment 2: Squannacook River
From Ash Swamp at the headwaters of the Squannacook in West Townsend south / southeast to its confluence with the Nashua River Mainstem in Shirley and Ayer, MA.
River Segment 3: Nissitissit River
From Lake Potanipo in Brookline, NH to its confluence with the Nashua River Mainstem in Pepperell, MA
For more information, please visit
“Nashua, Nissitissit, and Squannacook Rivers: Forever Wild and Scenic” Video
Segments of the Nashua, all of the Nissitissit, and all of the Squannacook Rivers are under consideration for designation as national Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers. Learn more at https://www.wildandscenicnashuarivers.org/