The Piscataqua Region Watershed encompasses 1,086 square miles, two beautiful estuaries, 52 municipalities, and more than 400,000 residents. Since 1995, PREP has been committed to monitoring, protecting, and preserving these nationally significant estuaries. As part of PREP’s commitment to the Piscataqua Region estuaries, every five years we develop and release a State of Our Estuaries Report with extensive data and information on the status and trends of environmental indicators from throughout the watershed. 
This year’s report sends a clear message: the challenges we face are significant but so is our power to bring about positive change. Even though we continue to make progress, the stressors and challenges we collectively face are complicated. It will take an adaptive and collaborative approach to continue to see improvements. We can’t do it alone and ask you as decision-makers, leaders, and concerned citizens in your communities to help us continue to make a difference in the health of our estuaries.
Indicators in the report are selected for their capacity to help us understand the dynamics and conditions of our estuaries. They range from bacteria to migratory fish, to impervious cover, and everywhere in between! Indicators are categorized as positive, cautionary, or negative. This year, there were 6 indicators demonstrating improving conditions, 13 that showed possibly deteriorating conditions or a mixture of positive and negative trends, and 3 that demonstrated poor or worsening conditions. To learn more about each indicator and what it means for estuarine and watershed health, you can check out the report, or head to StateOfOurEstuaries.org/indicators.
In addition to the material in the 2023 State of Our Estuaries Report, the Extended Report includes supplementary methods, data, and analyses. It also includes information about Special Features and Supporting Variables. To learn more about horseshoe crabs, lobsters, green crabs, saltmarsh sparrows, temperature, wind, pH, human population, and more, head to the Extended Report at StateOfOurEstuaries.org/2023-reports/extended-report. 
You can download the 2023 State of Our Estuaries Report here or explore the report digitally via StateOfOurEstuaries.org. The 2023 Report and accompanying Residential and Municipal Guides are available as hardcopies upon request.