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BBC Annual Report 2018BROAD BROOK COALITION ANNUAL REPORT TO THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION: 2018 Broad Brook Coalition celebrated its 30th birthday this year with a reception that featured a reading by Katherine Fiveash from Broad Brook: Poems from Fitzgerald Lake, her new book of poems inspired by her many walks beside the lake, and a keynote address by Laurie Sanders who chroncled the history of the land now occupied by the conservation area with emphasis on the natural and human influences that shaped it. In addition, we welcomed two new members, Maura Bradford and Brad Timm, to the Board of Directors. Throughout the year, our stewardship activities continued with substantial progress in trail maintenance, successes in invasive plant managememnt, and an expanded program of educationall Walks & Talks. Among the accomplishments for the year were the continuation of our aggressive campaign to remove water chestnut from Fitzgerald Lake, complete refurbishment of two benches near the North Farms Road entrance, and intstallation of a low dock at the end of the boardwalk to facilitate boat access. Significant headway was also made in the rehabilitation at the site of the former Starkus farm at the Beaver Brook Greenway on Haydenville Road. Trail Management Trail maintenance is one of BBC's most important and time-intensive activities. Throughout the year, the condition of some 10 miles of trails is monitored by a crew of Trail Stewards, each of whom walks a specific trail every few weeks to trim branches, pick up trash and report any problems. Other tasks routinely carried out by the Trails Committee included removal of downed trees and branches, repairs to bog bridges and signs, repainting blazes, improvements to trail drainage, stocking Mutt Mitt and trail map dispensers, and maintaining the parking lots and wildlife blind in good order. Trail crews also accomplished a number of special projects. The bench along the paved path at the North Farms Road entrance, as well as the bench on the boardwalk, were completely overhauled: the badly rusted metal supports were sanded and painted, and the new wooden seats and backs were installed and sealed. In addition, the event sign and kiosk at the North Frams Road entrance and the kiosk at the Cooke Avenue entrance were stained. Trail sign improvements also featurted prominently in this year's workplan. A number of signs in the vicinity of the dam were repositioned for greater clarity and, in the process, were re-stained and mounted with spring fasteners to minimize damage to the trees on which they were mounted. Other jobs entailed re- routing a section of the Fishing Place Trail, re-installatioin of two of the Nature Trail posts, and minor repairs to the wildlife blind. As in the past, BBC volunteers also assisted the Lathrop Community in upgrading the Loop Trail that connects Lathrop with the FLCA; this year, a new bridge was built across a small brook to improve accessibility. Walks & Talks Our program of free, educational Walks and Talks at the FLCA included Spring is for Birds (Mike Locher, April), Amphibians of Fitzgerald Lake (Brad Timm, May), Forest for the Birds (Jeff Ritterson, May), Wildflowers (John Burns, July), Insect Tracks and Signs (Charley Eiseman, August), Fungal Partnershiops at Fitzgerald Lake (Pat McDonough, September), History of Land Use at Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (Laurie Sanders, September), and Autumn Trees (Bob Leverett, October). Unfortunately, the programs by Charley Eiseman and Bob Leverett) had to be canceled because of bad weather; we hope to reschedule these walks for the 2019 season. Our naturalist programs remain very popular, with an average of 15-20 participants for each event. Invasive Plant Control The control of invasive plants remains high on the BBC agenda. Efforts to reduce or eliminate invasive plants were continued at several locations in the FLCA. Particular attention was focused on Cooke's Pasture. Herbicide treatment by Land Stewardship, Inc. encompassed black swallowwort (June), buckthorns (September, October) and knapweeds (September, October). As there are still a number of glossy buckthorns-- both large and smalll--in the magins of the pasture, treatment was extended 20-30 feet into the forested buffer zones along the edges of the field. For unknown reasons, we saw an increase in the prevalence of spotted and black knapweeds this summer both in the pasture and on the dam. Care was taken to ensure as complete a treatment of these areas as possible. Work in Cooke's Pasture and on the dam was funded under a three-year contract with the Community Preservation Committee. Small, remnant populations of Japanese knotweed on the Marian Street lot and of Phragmites in the Broad Brook marsh were treated with herbicide by O'Gara Landcare in Seoptember, funded by BBC. In 2017, we adopted an agressive approach to the mangement of water chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake, often referred to "Pull Early, Pull Often". Our first water chestnut pull of the 2017 season was scheduled for mid-June, prior to the emergence of mature seeds (nuts), and continued with four more pulls at three-week intervals throughout the summer. Continuing surveillance is necessary since not all seeds germinate at the same time and because this plant has the ability to regenerate new rosettes and nuts from broken, submerged stems that were not completely removed. We repeated the same protocol in the summer of 2018, with an average of seven volunteers each pull day involving a total of 19 individuals. Once again, we noted a steady decline of water chestnut over the summer. We were particularly pleased to see that the total yield of approximately 300 lbs. was lower by more than 70% compared to the 1100 lbs harvested the year before. We are hopeful that our new approach is having a significant effect on the water chestnut population in the lake, but we won't be able to confirm this trend until the results for 2019 are in. In collaboration with Charlie Schweik of UMass, we continued our efforts to identify water chestnut plants with the aid of a drone, Preliminary results showed that it was possible to iecognize the invasive in a dense background of other aquatic plants which raised the possibility that drone surveillance may be an effective addition to water chestnut control strategies. Blight-resistant chestnuts The four blight-resistant American chestnut seedlings that had been planted in Cooke’s Pasture in fall 2017 survived the winter in good shape and leafed out on schedule in May. In early June, we noticed that one of the plants was looking emaciated and, to our surprise, found that a snapping turtle had dug under the protective fence and was dining on the little chestnut. The other three seedlings did well, though, despite a close call with a second snapper, and grew vigorously over the summer. To keep them adequately watered during dry spells, BBC purchased a small water pump to lift water from the Broad Brook to two 50-gallon barrels near the seedlings. Volunteers visited the site to water the plants every couple of days during dry spells in June and July, but the inundations of August and September made this unnecessary later in the summer. We hope that the three remaining chestnuts will once again overwinter successfully and we look forward to seeing them take off again next spring. Beaver Brook Greenway A working group consisting of members of the Leeds Civic Association and the Broad Brook Coalition came together in 2015 with the aim of rehabilitating and improving a roughly six-acre tract of the Beaver Brook Greenway lying between Haydenville Road (Rte 9) and Beaver Brook that was at one time the site of the Starkus farm. In 2016, a Notice of Intent describing the proposed improvements was approved by the Northampton Conservation Commission and the project was subsequently funded by an award of roughly $17,000 from the Community Preservation Committee. In the past year, a timber-framed wildlife viewing blind adjacent to Beaver Brook was completed and picnic tables fabricated by the Hampshire County Jail were installed in the shaded, central section of the tract. A persistent stand of Japanese knotweed was treated with herbicide in the fall. Trails were defned by clearing and mowing and debris from the many fallen trees and branches on the site were chipped by Cotton Tree Serrvice for use as trail cover. Several interpretive signs were designed for the site and, after printing on weather-resistant panels, will be installed in 2019. Water Quality Assessment Water samples from the Broad Brook, Fitzgerald Lake, a vernal pool and the marsh downstream from the dam were monitored for pH and alkalinity, and for the concentrations of dissolved oxygen, nitrate and phosphate in May and November. No significant departures from previous values were noted. Insofar as the kits used for phosphate analysis measured only inorganic phosphate, we sent the May samples to the Environmental Analysis Laboratory at UMass for an assessment of the total phosphate, organic as well as inorganic. This analysis revealed that total phosphate in the Broad Brook and the lake was signifcantly higher than what we had anticipated from the inorganic phospate measurements and, along with consistently high nitrate levels at these sites, are likely related to the dense proliferation of aquatic plants in the lake. Mowing The Fitzgerald Lake dam and its environs were mowed in December, as was South Pasture, by RCW Landscape Construction. While South Pasture is mowed annually to suppress the growth of speckled alder and multiflora rose, we try to mow different sections of Cooke's Pasture only once every three years so that there is always some shrubland available for use by wildlife. The east and north lobes were scheduled for mowing in fall 2018 but the pasture remained too wet because of the unusually large amounts of rain in October and November. Mowing of these areas is now scheduled for spring 2019. Land Acquisition No land was added to the FLCA in 2018. Plans for 2019 • The Trails Committee will continue to provide regular trail maIntenance, assisted by the Trail Stewrds who will alert the Trails Committee to problems as they arise. • Invasive plant control will focus on water chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake, several non- native plants in Cooke's Pasture, and continued monitoring of Japanese knotweed in the Marian St. lot and Phragmites in the Broad Brook marsh. • Plans to compile a comprehensive inventory of animals and plants at the FLCA will be implemented in 2019. The first year's goal will be to inventory amphibians and birds. • Wildlife crossings on North Farms and Coles Meadow Roads will be monitored by a roadkill log and strategically positioned trail cameras to gain a better understanding of the location of wildlife corridlors. • At the Beaver Brook Greenway, interpretive signs will be fabricated and erected, trail clearing will be finished, open areas will be brush-hogged, and further efforts will be made to control invasive plants. A "Grand Opening" will be scheduled in the spring or summner of 2019. • BBC is prepared, as always, to assist the City with the costs of acquiring more undeveloped land for conservation in the Broad Brook watershed. February 6, 2019 Robert A. Zimmermann President Broad Brook Coalition BBC STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE YEAR-END REPORT: 2018 EVENT ACCOMPLISHED Beaver Brook Working Group 01/19/18; Meeting to plan completion of various projects in the conservation area. Bruce Hart, Peter Flinker, Deb Jacobs, Dave Pritchard, Laurie Sanders, Heidi Stevens, Matt Verson, Bob Zimmermann Beaver Brook Working Group 04/02/18: On-site Meeting to discuss to discuss brush-hogging and other plans for cleaning up the area. Beaver Brook Working Group 04/14/18: Workday on site; deadfall and other woody debris piled picked up and piled to facilitate chipping; brush-hogging postponed because of presence of wood turtle (3 hrs.). Bruce Hart, Dave Herships, Jason Johnson, Dave Pritchard, Bob Zimmermann Beaver Brook Working Group 04/23/18: Crew from Cotton Tree Service worked all day to chip piles deadfall/woody debris into ~5 piles, assisted by Jason Johnson, Michael Kesten, Dave Pritchard, Matt Verson, Bob Zimmermann Beaver Brook Working Group 05/14/18: Meeting to plan continuation of various ongoing projects. Bruce Hart, Peter Flinker, Jason Johnson, Dave Pritchard, Laurie Sanders, Heidi Stevens, Bob Zimmermann Volunteer Day: Shrub Island Maintenance 05/06/18: Cleared shrub islands of invasives and otherwise unwanted plants; rehabiltated several desirable plants that had been mowed in error; planted six new native shrubs including bayberry, silky dogwood, winterberry, blackhaw viburnum and witherod (3 hrs). Bruce Hart, Dave Pritchard, Bill Williams, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Water Quality Assessment 05/22/18: 6 stations; Bill Williams, Bob Zimmermann. Samples also analyzed for total phosphorous (organic + inorganic), at UMass Environmental Lab Beaver Brook Working Group 05/26/18: Cleared trails and spread wood chips on trails in central sections of work area. Isobelle McClements, Bella Nash, Steve McDonough, Justin O'Connor, Dave Pritchard, Tricia Reidy, Heidi Stevens, Matt Verson, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Total effort: 24 hrs. Cleanup and Invasive Plant Control at North Farms Road Entrance 06/02/18: Removed invasive plants around North Farms Road parking lot and along macadam path: mainly garlic mustard & multiflora rose (2 hrs); Dave Herships, Ivan Oransky, Holly Osborne, Amy-Louise Pfeffer, Dave Pritchard, Dave Ruderman, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann. Total effort: ~15 hr Watering Blight-resistant American Chestnuts 06/08/18 and at frequent intervals throughout summer. Each chestnut received 5-10 gal of water except in periods of adequate rain. Bruce Hart, Michael Kesten, Dave Pritchard, Bill Williams, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Beaver Brook Working Group 06/08/18: Stairs to wildlife blind completed by Neil Godden. Setting Up Water Pump in Cooke's Pasture 06/09/18: Set up Honda water pump in Broad Brook marsh and pumped water through 300 ft of 3/4" hose to 50-gal barrel for watering trees/shrubs (3 hrs); Bruce Hart, Dave Herships, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 06/16/18: Water chestnut growth in full swing, though most rosettes were small and easy to pull with nut attached. Hilary Caws-Elwit, Steve Harding, Patricia Jung, George Kohout, Norma Roche, Jon Sass, Paul Thayer, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Harvested ~139 rosettes weighing ~84 lbs 9 people; total effort: 27.5 hrs. Volunteer Day: Removal of Invasives on Boggy Meadow Road 06/24/18: Large amounts of multiflora rose, bittersweet, winged euonymous, barberry pulled or dug between marsh and second gate (3 hrs). Hilary Caws-Elwit, Bruce Hart, Amy- Louise Pfeffer, Dave Pritchard, Juliana Vanderwild, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann. Total effort: ~21 hrs. Control of Black Swallow-wort in Cooke's Pasture 06/25/18: Black Swallow-wort in Cooke's Pasture treated with foliar spray containing Vastlan (triclopyr) and Streamline (aminocyclo- pyrachlor and metsulfuron). Land Stewardship, Inc. Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 07/07/18: WC rosettes large, difficult to pull intact; many broken stems. Bob Arams, Steve Harding, Bruce Hart, George Kohout, Ivan Oransky, Amy-Louise Pfeffer, Norma Roche, Bob Zimmermann Harvested ~155 rosettes weighing ~100 lbs. 8 people x 3 hr; total effort 24 hrs. Beaver Brook Working Group 07/20/18: Two picnic tables made at the Hampshire County Jail were delivered to the site. Construction of Low Dock 07/23-24/18: A 6' x 9' platform was installed adjacent to the existing dock 8" above water level to facilitate entry to and exit from kayaks, vcanies and rowboats. Construction by Douglas Thayer Woodworking and Design Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 07/28/18: WC rosettes large, difficult to pull intact. Bob Adams, Hilary Caws-Elwit, Steve Harding, Amy-Louise Pfeffer, Bob Zimmermann Harvested ~115 rosettes weighing ~64 lbs 5 people x 3 hr; total effort 15 hrs. Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 08/18/18: rosettes large, some new sprouts likely. Makani Freitas, Keith Davis, Bruce Hart, George Kohout, Pete Schoenberger, Mary Jo Stanley, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Harvested ~111 rosettes weighing ~45 lbs 8 people x 3 hr; total effort 24 hrs. Invasives work at FLCA 08/21/18: Dug 10 purple loosestrife plants from side of boardwalk; most roots removed. Dave Pritchard, Bob Zimmermann Control of Buckthorn, Knapweed and Swallow- wort in Cooke's Pasture and on the Dam 09/04/18: Crew from Land Stewardship, Inc. used a mist blower to treat knapweed and glossy buckthorn in Cooke's Pasture and a buffer around the pasture with Garlon 3A and Streamline Beaver Brook Working Group 09/05/18: Meeting to discuss interpretive signs for work site as well as parking, brush-hogging and invasive plant treatment. Peter Flinker, Deb Jacobs, Jason Johnson, David Pritchard, Heidi Stevens, Matt Verson, Bob Zimmermann Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 09/15/18: WC density greatly reduced, hard to find plants. Steve Harding, George Kohout, Jim Reis, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann. Harvested ~11 rosettes weighing ~4 lbs 5 people x 3 hr; total effort 15 hrs. Control of Buckthorn and Knapweed in Cooke's Pasture and on the Dam 10/01/18: Crew from Land Stewardship, Inc. carried out ollow-up treatment of glossy and common buckthorn in Cooke's Pasture and its buffer zone with Rodeo and of spotted knapweed on the dam with Vastlan and Milestone via foliar spraying. Beaver Brook Working Group 10/01/18: Japanese knotweed in central section of work area treated with Rodeo by Bay State Forestry Invasive Plant Conference 10/04/18: Invasive Plants in Uncertain Times, Storrs, CT, sponsored by Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group. Bob Zimmermann Control of Japanese Knotweed on Marian Street lot 10/05/18: Follow-up treatment of Japanese knotweed: several stunted and a few mid-sized plant treated with Rodeo by hand-wiping or spraying on Marian Street lot with Rodeo; overall control greater than 95%. Jon O'Gara (O'Gara Landcare) Control of Phragmites in Broad Brook Marsh 10/05/18; Follow-up treatment of Phragmites: 3-20 small new stems in stands 1-2 and several full-size plants in stand 4 treated with Rodeo by hand-wiping or spraying; revegeta- tion proceeding well in stands 1-3; Jon O'Gara, (O'Gara Landcare) Beaver Brook Working Group 10/29/18: Meeting to discuss interpretive signs, brush-hogging and November workday. Bruce Hart, Peter Flinker, Deb Jacobs, Jason Johnson, David Pritchard, Laurie Sanders, Heidi Stevens, Bob Zimmermann Beaver Brook Working Group 11/17/18: Laid out sites for interpretive signs but trail work fizzled out because of new snow. Peter Flinker, Deb Jacobs, Jason Johnson, Heidi Stevens, Ivan Oransky, Matt Verson, Bob Zimmermann Water Quality Assessment 11/29/18: 6 stations; Bill Williams, Bob Zimmermann Mowing Dam 12/13/18: Dam brush-hogged; Richard Jaescke (RCW Landscape Construction), 2 hrs. Mowing South Pasture 12/13/18: South Pasture brush-hogged; Richard Jaescke (RCW Landscape Construction), 2.5 hrs. Broad Brook Coalition 2018 Trails Committee Report December 2018 In 2018, the Broad Brook Coalition (BBC) Trails Committee activities consisted of several recurring maintenance projects and monitoring tasks at the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (FLCA). These are summarized below, as well as noting other projects and activities performed by BBC Trail Committee volunteers. None of these projects could have been undertaken and completed without the very loyal support and hard work of the BBC volunteers who names are listed below. Special projects in 2018 include: • Signs - Volunteers moved signs to locations for better clarity in the area where the Lake Trail, Hillside Trail, Telephone Line Trail, dam shortcut, and Boggy Meadow Rd meet. They also created a new sign in this area, again for clarity. All of the moved signs were re- stained, and springs were added where possible so they will not need to be loosened as frequently. A sign just south of the dam on Boggy Meadow Rd. had fallen or was removed by vandals during the winter. It was re-stained, had springs added, and re-hung. Nature Trail post 7 was reinstalled. A new Nature Trail post 1 was made and installed along the boardwalk. A database of signs, including photographs was started and will be improved over time. • General trail maintenance - A "rogue" trail was created by someone near the Fishing Place. This trail was blocked by volunteers using logs and branches, and its blazes removed. Then trees and branches were removed from the actual trail to make it clearer and more navigable. A shelter made of branches was removed. • Kiosks - The kiosks and roadside display at North Farms Rd. and the Moose Lodge were stained. • Benches - The bench along the paved path and the one along the boardwalk were both rehabbed. The metal was sanded and painted with rust-resistant paint. New pressure treated wood was installed for the seat and back with new fasteners. • Blind - the railing for the stairs was shored up. • Latrhop Community - in an ongoing cooperative relationship between the Lathrop Community and the BBC, BBC trail volunteers helped with Loop Trail improvements including the installation of a new bridge on Lathrop land which make the trail more accessible to those with mobility limitations. Ongoing trail work: Stewards monitor trails - During 2018, there were seven BBC volunteer Trail Stewards (see list below) who walked the trails at the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (FLCA) monitoring conditions. The stewards “adopt” a specific trail for a year and walk the trail at least every few weeks to trim branches, pick up trash, and observe conditions. When necessary, the Trail Stewards inform the Trails Committee of fallen trees or large branches blocking the trail or areas where trail improvements are needed. The Trails Committee is then responsible to clear any large trees or organize a work day to make trail improvements. Remove downed trees One of the most basic responsibilities of the Trails Committee is to remove downed trees that block trails or otherwise interfere with visitors to the FLCA. Many trees that fall down each year due to age, disease, or storms, resulting in obstructing trails. - BBC volunteers Jim Reis, Michael Kesten, Rufus Chaffee, Bill Rosen, Steve Harding regularly remove downed trees that block the trails. They quickly respond when called upon and supply their own chainsaws, gas, and saws. Maintain trail drainage - Each year, BBC Trail Committee volunteers work on maintaining the drainage conditions on those sections of the Lake and Marian Street Trails (and other trails as well) that have unusually wet stretches. This involved digging structures that channeled rainwater and snowmelt away from the trail. Maintain bog bridges - Each year, BBC Trails Committee volunteers make needed repairs to the approximately 1,200 feet of bog bridges in the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area. This includes repositioning bog bridges that get moved inadvertently by hikers, re-securing nails and screws that have popped due to the consistent pressure from being walked on, and placing short sections of 2’x6’ under sleepers that have been submerged in the wetlands, again by the pressure from visitors walking on the bog bridges. Maintain Wildlife Blind - Each year, BBC Trails Committee volunteers maintain the Wildlife Blind, including removing graffiti, sweeping the floor of the Blind, removing trash, and placing new maps of the FLCA in the case provided. In addition, the base of the structure supporting the Wildlife Blind is checked to determine if it is level. Maintain split-rail fence on the Halfway Brook Trail - Each year BBC Trails Committee volunteers replace those split-rails on the 600-foot long fence that have failed due to age. The maintenance of the split-rail fence is a condition of the easement that has been granted to the City Conservation Commission by the private landowner to gain access to the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area via the Halfway Brook Trail from the Coles Meadow Road entrance. Maintain Mutt Mitts Dispensers - Each year BBC Trail Committee volunteers maintain the Mutt Mitt dispensers which are located at three entrances to the FLCA (located at North Farms Road, the Moose Lodge, and Coles Meadow Road). The BBC has placed the Mutt Mitt dispensers at the FLCA pursuant to the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Conservation Commission and the BBC. Replacement Mutt Mitts (which are degradable) are reordered approximately twice a year; BBC estimates that approximately 5,000 Mutt Mitts are used annually) and are refilled by BBC volunteers throughout the year. Unfortunately, the Mutt Mitts dispensers are attractive targets for vandals and one had to be repaired in 2018. Maintain parking lots - The two main parking lots at the FLCA--at North Farms Road and the Moose Lodge--both require regular maintenance by BBC volunteers. The tasks includes removal of trash (bottles, cans, candy wrappers, cigarette butts) from the parking areas, removal of invasive species (performed jointly with the Stewardship Committee), removal of graffiti, trimming of the grass on the berm at the North Farms Road parking lot. Maintain trail signs, blazes - 42 trail signs are located at approximately 28 locations at the FLCA. New trail signs were installed in 2010 and additional signs were installed in 2014 after the City purchased the 84-acre Broad Brook Gap parcel. All older trail signs with the lag bolts attached to the tree were loosened so the bolts do not pull though the sign as the tree grows. Some of the many trail blazes were touched up. Maintain boardwalk and dock - One of the many tasks involved in maintaining the new boardwalk and dock is cutting back cattails along the boardwalk. With the extension of the new 100-foot long boardwalk to the dock, the cattails and other flora continue to grow profusely. BBC volunteers cutback the cattails several times each season with a battery powered hedge trimmer so visitors and those with canoes and kayaks can walk comfortably along the boardwalk to the dock. FLCA map dispensers - There are several map dispensers located at several of the entrances to the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area that need to be refilled regularly. BBC Trails Committee volunteers keep a supply of maps and refill the map dispensers as needed. The dispenser at North Farms Rd. kiosk was replaced after it was damaged. The Moose Lodge and Marian St. dispensers were loosened as they are attached to growing trees. Broad Brook Coalition 2018 Trail Stewards and Volunteers Trail Stewards Lake Trail – Brigid Glacken Dock, Narrows, and Fishing Place Trails – Chris Schmidt Hillside, Cooke’s Pasture, and Line Trails – Jon Steinberg Boggy Meadow Rd. (parking lot to dam) – Michael Kesten Marian Street Trail to North Middle Path – Beth Powell Pines Edge Trail to Middle Path to Marian Street to Boggy Meadow Rd. – John Sheirer Swamp Forest and Rocky Knoll Trails – Fred Beddall Trails Committee Volunteers in 2018 Jim Reis and Michael Kesten, Co-Chairs Bob Bissell, Rufus Chaffee, Brigid Glacken, Steve Harding, Dave Herships, Mike Murphy, Alex Neubert, Beth Powell, Bill Rosen WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS AT THE FLCA: 2018 May 22, 2018 (Wiliams, Zimmermann) Location T (ºF) amb. Dissolved 02 (ppm)* pH Alkalinity (ppm CaCO3) Phosphate (ppm) Hach EAL Nitrate (ppm N/NO3) T (ºF) H2O Desirable Range >6 6-7.5 100-200 <0.1 <0.1/<0.1 Brd Brk, E of NFR 58-65 10 7.3 20.5 0.18 0.401 0.08/0.35 56 Dock 58-65 11 7.0 20.5 0.16 0.383 0 64 Vernal pool 58-65 4 5.6 13.7 0.64 0.869 0 58 Dam, lake side 58-65 11 6.4 20.5 0.24 0.248 0 68 Marsh, beavr lodge 58-65 10 6.5 20.5 0.22 0.083 0 66 Marsh, Gessing Pt. 58-65 9 6.8 13.7 0.16 0.104 0 61 Notes Weather: cloudy, 58-65 ºF; no significant rain in past 24 h; ~1" in past week Brd Brk at NFR: water level within normal range Dock: lake water level normal; sample taken off new dock Dam, lake: sample taken from edge of lake north of dam Marsh (former beaver lodge): beaver lodge no longer visible, water level below flow pipes in beaver "berm"; sample from edge of marsh Marsh (Gessing Pt.): water level normal Phosphate: "Hach" is inorganic phosphate concentartion measured with Hach kit; "EAL" is inorganic and organic phosporous concentration measured at UMass Environmental Analysis Laboratory expressed as phosphate equivalents 2018-05-27 November 29, 2018 (Wiliams, Zimmermann) Location T (ºF) amb. Dissolved 02 (ppm)* pH Alkalinity (ppm CaCO3) Phosphate (ppm) Nitrate (ppm N/NO3) T (ºF) H2O Desirable Range >6 6-7.5 100-200 <0.1 <0.1/<0.1 Brd Brk, E of NFR 37-40 13 6.9 34.2 0 0.13/0.55** 44 Dock 37-40 12 6.8 27.4 0 0.17/0.73** 42 Vernal pool 37-40 10 5.3 27.4 0.4 0 37 Dam, lake side 37-40 10 6.6 13.7 0.24 0 41 Marsh, beavr lodge 37-40 11 6.3 20.5 0 0 42 Marsh, Gessing Pt. 37-40 11 6.4 20.5 0 0 41 Notes Weather: cloudy, 37-40 ºF; no significant rain in past 24 h; ~1.8" in past week Brd Brk at NFR: water level high (~⅔ height of culvert tunnel) Dock: lake water level normal; sample taken off new dock Dam, lake: sample taken from edge of lake north of dam Marsh (intake for pump, upstream from former beaver lodge): water level high, roughly equal to height of flow pipes in beaver "berm"; sample from edge of marsh Marsh (Gessing Pt.): water level several inches higher than usual **average of two measurements 2018-11-29