[1] It rises at Bow Lake in the town of Strafford, but is also fed through its tributaries by Ayer's, Nippo, Round and Long ponds in Barrington.

In History of the Town of Rochester, N.H., published 1892, author Franklin McDuffee remarks that the Isinglass River is "probably named from the mica in its bed or along its banks."

The state appointed a group called the Isinglass River Local Advisory Committee (IRLAC) to carry out the plan to ensure this status.

[citation needed] In 2008, a proposal by the town of Strafford and a couple of other groups was ranked number 1 in the nation out of 44 potential projects that were eligible for federal Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) funding.

Waste Management of NH, which has an operating facility in Rochester, also has worked to create hiking trails and encourage conservation of the area.

The efforts at both the state and local levels have proven to be effective in helping preserve one of the few natural rivers left in New Hampshire.