NH-Powwow+Pond


 * =Birding in New Hampshire=

Rockingham County
Kingston =Powwow Pond= Kingston, New Hampshire 03848 Powwow Pond web site Powwow Pond map

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Powwow Pond, Kingston
Coordinates: 42.9131263, -71.0315466 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Powwow Pond

 * Location**: New Boston Road in Kingston. From NH-125 as it bypasses Kingston on the east, take New Boston Road (located between the two junctions with NH-111) east for 0.4 miles to the bridge between the Powwow River on the right and Powwow Pond on the left. There is a boat launch area on the left and a pull off on the right for parking.


 * Target Birds**: Spring birding is best because the river current causes ice-out earlier than on other lakes and ponds. Ring-necked Duck most numerous, but Bufflehead, Hooded and Common Mergansers, Mallards, and Great Blue Herons also seen. Most waterfowl will be on the pond, but also check the river. A scope is very helpful for the sometimes distant birds. Check the shrubs and trees along the nearby shore for passerines.


 * Description**: Wide, slow-moving river flowing in from the south to form the large pond on the other side of the bridge.

Powwow Pond is a 285-acre body of water created by a dam on the Powwow River in East Kingston, NH. First dammed in 1897 to control water flow for power to the mills downstream in Amesbury, Ma, the present site of the dam off of Rt 108 is currently known as the Trickling Falls Dam. The Trickling Falls once hosted a saw and grist mill and is now under management by the State of NH Dam Bureau.

The town of East Kingston was founded around the Powwow River. The soil around the pond was very rich and farms prospered in the area. During the early 20th-century water levels were historically lowered in the mid summer months to allow the cutting of hay along the shore. Now water levels are lowered 18 inches beginning November 1 for the winter months. The shallow impoundment created upstream is heavily vegetated and lightly developed along much of the northern shoreline in Kingston and provides excellent habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species.

A significant portion of the shoreline is under conservation easement in the hands of the John J. Bakie Trust. In 2004, The Nature Conservancy purchased 50 acres which included more than 3000 feet of frontage on the Powwow River upstream of the pond. In 2006 the Nature Conservancy acquired an additional 4 tracts of land totaling 41.8 acres and 1300 feet of river frontage.

The pond is also part of a large drainage area. As a part of the Merrimack River Aquifer, Powwow Pond plays an important role in the spring with the movement of water from the top of the aquifer to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Kingston/Newton area is home to one of the largest Atlantic White Cedar swamp forest wetlands complexes in New Hampshire, and Powwow Pond and the Powow River upstream are lined with extensive tracts of this unique wetland. The Atlantic White Cedar swamp and Fen ecosystem host many fine examples of bog plants. Approximately 27 species of aquatic plants are present in Powwow, such as water lily, rush, pondweeds of many species, water shield, etc., providing a diverse habitat.

A gravel boat ramp located on New Boston Road in Kingston is maintained by the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game and provides good boat access with ample parking along the road. East Kingston also has a boat ramp for town residents off of NH-107A. From Powwow Pond web site

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media type="custom" key="27696135" || L463838 US US-NH US-NH-015 42.9131263 -71.0315466 Powwow Pond, Kingston