A presentation was lead by Paul Currier summarizing the draft Instream Flow Rules. Paul gave a brief background on RSA 483, which was enacted by Legislature in 1988 and the protection measures added in 1990. The first draft rules were presented in 1994. Paul Currier discussed the new consumptive use component of the rules.
Consumptive use is defined as withdrawal minus return flow.
Applicable withdrawals to the definition of consumption use also include water drawn from wells of surface waters within 500 feet of the river s high water mark, unless it can be shown that there is not a hydraulic connection. Another new provision is credit for downstream return flow as long as it can be shown that there are no adverse impacts to bypass reach. Consumptive use cannot be a negative number. It has to be positive or 0. Paul Currier explained that the process for Consumptive Use Limitations is the same as when the rules were introduced in 1996.