A Blue Heron Fishes in the Fire Pond. Photo by Russ Simon.
Great Bay Estuary
New Hampshire's Great Bay estuary is a national reserve comprised of approximately 5300 acres of tidal waters and wetlands. Three rivers, the Lamprey, Squamscott, and Winnicut Rivers flow directly into Great Bay and out through Little Bay to meet with the Oyster and Bellamy Rivers before flowing into the great Piscataqua River and Atlantic Ocean beyond. The Cocheco, and Salmon Falls Rivers also flow into the Piscataqua.
The waters of Great Bay are accessible from both private and public launching sites. While some channels are 58 feet deep, the average depth is 8 feet or less, depending on the tide, which creates an exciting navigational challenge. Boaters can enjoy docking at one of Portsmouth's fine waterfront restaurants for lunch or dinner, at Prescott Park for a few hours of downtown shopping, or just quiet paddling along the shores and in saltmarsh creeks.
Recreational fishermen will find herring, eel, smelt, flounder, striped bass, and bluefish in Great Bay. Living in the estuary are oysters, mussels, rock crabs, clams, and lobsters, all available for harvest when permitted. The meadows and woodlands surrounding Great Bay shelter whitetail deer, raccoon, red fox, and other wildlife. Great Bay is a refuge for 23 species of threatened or endangered plants and animals which can be observed along miles of public access trail systems. Bird-watchers have many opportunities to site bald eagles, nesting osprey, common tern, bobolink, snowy egret, and great blue heron in this critical area of the Atlantic flyway.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, under the Marine Fisheries Division manages the Great Bay estuary. On-going conservation efforts have resulted in over 5300 acres of land being protected since the reserve was designated in 1989. For more information about Great Bay, updates on conservation projects, or volunteer opportunities, please visit www.greatbay.org.
Moody Point History
At Great Bay's southwestern tip sits Moody Point, a finger of land at the confluence of the Lamprey River, the bay itself, and Lubberland Creek. Working with a team of wildlife biologists, The Cheney Companies developed Moody Point on Great Bay as a place "where one could live in harmony with nature." Initially acquired in 1982, the plan was to develop the 167-acre parcel into a 106-unit community clustered on 35 acres to permit the preservation of the maximum amount of land and the greatest number of animals. Thirteen lots were created and two associations were formed at that time: the Moody Point Community Association (MPCA), to address the open space management and general infrastructure of the development, and the Moody Point Condominium Association to deal with the operations of the residential units. Evolving market conditions led to the original concept being reconfigured, and in 1994 an agreement was reached between the developer and the Condominium Association to allow changes to the original plan which would allow The Cheney Companies additional time to build out the community. The agreement also reduced the total number of allowed units to 102. Today, Moody Point is comprised of five distinct residential associations:
The Moody Point Condominium Association, now the Waterfront Condos — the original two waterfront buildings housing eight units were declared in 1987 and two additional buildings were added in 2001 and 2003 for a total of sixteen units.
The Hill at Moody Point Homeowners' Association — was re-zoned in 1991 to accomodate twenty single family residential units serviced by a private road, Eagle Drive.
The Moody Point Condominium II Association, (The Ridge) — was approved in 1994 for the development of twenty-six units. There is a mix of single family detached, duplex, triplex, and quadplex buildings.
Lubberland Creek at Moody Point Homeowners' Association was formed in 1992 and includes eleven single family home sites.
The Meadow at Moody Point Homeowners' Association was approved in 1998. Seven building space easement areas were created along the east meadow and twelve building space easement areas were created from a subdivision of the waterfront lot after the developer and waterfront condominium association reached an agreement extending the time to complete construction.
Moody point was designed with cluster homes and condos on small lots which still have privacy and good views. There is a community dock on the tip of the point with racks to store kayaks and canoes. Also on the point is a common screenhouse with a large deck, sliding glass doors, and a beautifull view of the bay. It is a wonderful place for community parties, or just sitting and enjoying the bay. There is a trail to the point that also wanders through the large meadow on the south shore and the woods along the east shore.
Moody Point maintains its own water system based on local wells. Both the roads and sewage system are owned and maintained by the town.