About Milton Three Ponds
Milton Three Ponds is a series of connected ponds formed by the impoundment of the Salmon Falls River. The Ponds are the border between Lebanon, Maine and Milton, New Hampshire. Made up of Northeast Pond, Depot (Milton) Pond, and Townhouse Pond, these contiguous bodies of water cover over 1000 acres with an average depth of 10-12′ and a maximum depth of 55′.
The Ponds offer recreational activities for all seasons, from boating, swimming, fishing and kayaking in the summer, to ice fishing, skating and ice races in the winter. Loons are regular residents and eagles can often be seen cruising the Ponds for fish or perched high in the pines.
Health of Milton Three Ponds
Milton Three Ponds and watershed areas are currently in a vulnerable position due to heavy usage, invasive species, cyanobacteria blooms, and climate change. Water quality has declined steadily since 2019, according to data gleaned from samples collected by the TPPA Water Quality Sampling Team and analyzed by the Lakes Monitoring Program at UNH.
The Ponds face threats from both environmental and human activities, including invasive plant and animal species, fertilizer runoff, boating, land clearing, and failed septic systems. Failure to act puts the health of native species at significant risk and will have a negative impact on recreational use and shorefront property values. TPPA is committed to protecting the Ponds to keep Milton’s and Lebanon’s treasure clean and safe for all to enjoy.
“These Ponds …Townhouse Pond, Northeast Pond and Depot/Milton Pond … are important to Milton because they are “Milton’s jewels.”
—Chris Jacobs, former Milton Town Administrator