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BBC Annual Report 2019 1 BROAD BROOK COALITION ANNUAL REPORT TO THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION: 2019 Now in its 31st year, Broad Brook Coalition continued its stewardship of the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area with a full program of trail maintenance and improvement, dilligent efforts to control invasive plants, and a varied slate of informative Walks & Talks. The final event of the year was our annual meeting in November which featured a talk by Toni Lyn Morelli of the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center at the University of Massachustts on Climate Change In Your Backyard, a sobering account of how increasing temperatures in the coming years will affect the ecology of our region. In addition, we welcomed two new members to the Board of Directors, Tina White and Bob Adams, who replaced retiring members Maura Bradford and David Ruderman. This year's highlights included the replacement of fence railings on the Halfway Brook Trail, substantial progress in curtailing water chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake, the introduction of QR codes at the main FLCA entrances to link visitors with the BBC website, and continued nurturing of our blight-resistant American chestnut seedlings in Cooke's Pasture. Broadside Books also hosted a two-week display of photos and text describing the work of BBC in the spring. Finallly, in collaboration with the Leeds Civic Association, we completed improvements to the Beaver Brook Greenway on Haydenville Road as described below. 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. Although our working group consisted of only nine members, a larger number of volunteers--25 at last count--contributed over 200 hours of time and energy to the project. We are most grateful to all of those who helped make this spot an interesting and attractive destination for a visit. The site contained numerous vestiges of the former farm, including the foundations of two houses and several outbuildings, a few pieces of old farm equipment, a variety of trees and shrubs, and beds of garden flowers planted by the former residents. Unfortunately, there was also a diverse array of invasive plants. 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. Over the past three years, we have cleared decades of accumulated woody debris (with the aid of Cotton Tree Service), embarked on the control of invasive plants (with the help of Bay State Forestry), and laid out a network of trails to show off the varied habitats within this small parcel. Through the courtesy of the Northampton Water Department, we secured parking for 4-5 cars in the adjacent Corrosion Control Facility 2 and erected an informational kiosk, built by the Hampshire County House Jail, at the entrance to the conservation land. We then turned to a larger project, the construction of a wildlife viewing blind overlooking the Beaver Brook. Black walnut, black locust and black cherry for the blind was harvested at the site by forester Tom Jenkins and sawed to shape by timber framer Neil Godden who oversaw assembly of the blind from its components using pegged mortise and tenon joints. Next, we installed five interpretive panels, designed by graphic artist Heidi Stevens, that explain the human and natural histories of the area, as well as provide descriptions of some of the old farm equipment and the flower beds. The final amenities to be added were a pair of picnic tables, again made by the Hampshire County Jail. Many other tasks were carried out by volunteers, such as hand-pulling of large amounts of garlic mustard, spreading wood chips and mowing the trails. Completion of most of the work was celebrated by a reception at the site last June, though finishing touches were carried out over the past summer and fall, including herbicide treatment of persistent invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed and Asiatic bittersweet and the brush-hogging of much of the open land at the site. 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 in the FLCA 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. A number of special projects were also carried out by the Trails Committee in 2019. A couple of dozen deteriorated rails and posts on the Halfway Brook Trail were replaced, several signs at the entrance to the Swamp Forest Trail and at its junction with the Rocky Knoll Loop were rehabilitated, and the deck of the bridge near the North Farms Road entrance received a fresh coat of sealant. Wood previously stored in the open near the boardwalk, as well as that from old fencing donated by the City, was moved to the garage of one of our members for safe--and dry--keeping. The Trails Committee has also taken responsibility for the placement and servicing of our trail camera. Videos from its most recent location off the Swamp Forest Trail captured bears, coyotes, bobcats and deer enjoying the wetland habitat and, perhaps most interestingly, a barred owl takling a very vigorous bath. Many of these videos are available on YouTube (see BBC website for access). Walks & Talks Our program of free, educational Walks and Talks at the FLCA featured the following eight presentations: Spring Bird Walk (Marcia Merithew and Betsy Higgins, April), Beavers at Nightfall (Laura Beltran, May), Vernal Pool Walk (Brad Timm, May), Trees 3 and the Forest (Bob Leverett, May), Improve Your Nature Photography (Michael Jacobson-Hardy, June), Butterflies (Tom Gagnon, July), Forest Shrubs and Plants of the Forest Floor (Molly Hale, July) and Insect Tracks and Signs (Charley Eiseman, September). Our naturalist programs continue to be popular and well-attended, with roughly 15-20 participants for each event. Avian Point Counts Board member Brad Timm spearheaded a census of bird species present in the FLCA. Observations were made by UMass graduate student Jessica Tatten who conducted point count surveys at 25 locations, twice each, early and late in June. She recorded a total of 72 species during the surveys, the majority of which were most likely breeding in the conservation area. Many of the birds observed are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Massachusetts according to the latest state wildlife action plan, among which were black-billed cuckoo, chimney swift, bank swallow, wood thrush, blue- winged warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, black and white warbler and scarlet tanager. We plan to repeat these surveys on a 5-year cycle and provide the data for use by the research community. Invasive Plant Control As in past years, efforts to control invasive plants were carried out at various locales in the conservation area. A variety of invasives along the path from North Farms Road to the boardwalk, including garlic mustard, multiflora rose and Japnese knotweed, were pulled or dug by hand in May. In late June, a crew of eleven volunteers continued to clear invasives by hand from the land bordering Boggy Meadow Road. Progresd was made in removing a large concentration of multiflora rose near the beaver pond, as well as bittersweet, winged euonymous and Japanese barberry along other sections of the road. This is a multiyear project that will continue each summer in the foreseeable future. One of our major programs is the managemernt of water chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake. In 2017, we adopted the "pull early, pull often" approach which entails five water chestnut "pulls" at three-week intervals from mid-June to mid-September, a procedure that was used again in 2018 and 2019. This past summer, the volunteer crew size averaged seven individuals who spent a total of 94 hours on the lake in their kayaks, canoes and rowboats. Over the last three years, we have been gratified to see a steady decline in the water chestnut "harvest" from ~1,100 lbs in 2017 and ~300 lbs in 2018, to only 140 lbs in 2019. We hope that we are on the track to eliminating water chrestnut from the lake, though careful surveillance and periodic pulling will be required in the coming years. Given recent alarms about the appearance of toxic cyanobacteria (aka blue- green algae) in some New England lakes, we checked for their presence in Fitzgerald Lake using a simple test, but found none In Cooke's Pasture, a crew from Land Stewardshiop, Inc. treated several persistent invasives with herbicide, including black swallow-wort in June, glossy buckthorn in July, and spotted and brown knapweeds in August. Swallow-wort was found to be greatly diminished this year and the glossy buckthorn consisted mostly of small seedlings both 4 in the field and in the field margins. The surge in knapweed that was noted in the summer of 2018 did not occur in 2019 and the amount of knapweed in the pasture and on the dam appeared to be under increasingly better control--outcompeted in some areas by goldenrod. This work was accomplished by funding from the first year of a three-year contract awarded by the Community Preservation Committee. Jon O'Gara of O'Gara Landcare treated small amounts of Japanese knotweed and other invasives on the Marian Street lot and continued his work on Phragmites in the Broad Brook marsh with funding from Broad Brook Coalition. While the four original stands of Phragmites were either eliminated or under good control, O'Gara noted--and treated--two small new stands that had apparently spread through rhizomes (underground stems) from older plants; we will keep our eye on in this new growth in the future. Mowing The Fitzgerald Lake dam, South Pasture and most of Cooke's Pasture were mowed in in the fall by Richard Jaescke of 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 central portion had been mowed last in 2016 and was on schdule for mowing this year. However, the east and north lobes had not been mowed for four years because the pasture remained too wet for the operation of machinery owing to the unusually large amounts of autumn rain in 2018. While the east lobe posed no problems, shrubs and young trees in the north lobe had grown to such an extent that it was impossble to mow them with a conventional brush-hog. As a result, we will have to use a more powerful skidsteer mower in spring 2020 to restore this portion of the pasture to shrubland/early successional conditions. Land Acquisition BBC contributed $3,000 toward the purchase of a 5.8-acre parcel off Boggy Meadow Road that adjoins the conservation area and provides additional wetland habitat for plants and animals. 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. Detailed results are attached. Plans for 2020 • The Trails Committee will continue to provide regular trail maIntenance, assisted by the Trail Stewards who will alert the committee chairs to problems as they arise. Trails will be freshly blazed as needed. • Invasive plant control will focus on water chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake, several non- native plants in Cooke's Pasture, Japanese knotweed in the Marian St. lot, numerous invasives along Boggy Meadow Road, and Phragmites in the Broad Brook marsh. 5 • Plans to compile a comprehensive inventory of animals and plants at the FLCA will continue as will our efforts to gather additional video evidence of wildlife activity with our trail camera. • The north lobe of Cooke's Pasture will be mowed and allowed to re-grow as shrubland; access to the pasture will be improved. • Our newly formed Education Committee will cooperate with Northampton elementary schools to provide programs of interest to school children at the conservation area. • In collaboration with the Leeds Civic Associaion, we will continue to maintain and improve the Beaver Brook Greenway by brush-hogging and invasive plant control. • BBC is prepared, as always, to assist the City with the costs of acquiring more undeveloped land for conservation in the Broad Brook watershed. January 31, 2020 Robert A. Zimmermann President Broad Brook Coalition 6 BBC STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE YEAR-END REPORT: 2019 EVENT ACCOMPLISHED Beaver Brook Working Group 03/12/19: Meeting to discuss budget and tasks to be finished before Grand Opening in June. Peter Flinker, Bruce Hart, Deb Jacobs, Jason Johnson, Dave Pritchard, Heidi Stevens, Bob Zimmermann Beaver Brook Working Group 04/27/19: Workday on site; finished clearing trails, spread wood chips on trail sections, picked up trash. Peter Flinker, Hanuman Goleman, Paul Griffin, Jason Johnson, George Kohout, Karyn Nelson, Aidan, Dalton & Finn Nelson-Sanger, Heidi Stevens, Bob Zimmermann. Total effort: ~20 hrs. Beaver Brook Working Group 05/16/18: Workday on site; mowed trails, cleared garlic mustard from parking area to wildlife blind. Peter Flinker, Bruce Hart, Deb Jacobs, Jason Johnson, George Kohout, Dave Pritchard, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Total effort: ~16 hrs Volunteer Day: Shrub Island Maintenance 05/19/19: Cleared shrub islands of invasives and unwanted plant growth; (3 hrs). Bruce Hart, Richard Jones, Dave Pritchard, Bill Williams, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann. Total effort: ~18 hrs Cleanup and Invasive Plant Control at North Farms Road Entrance 05/25/19: Removed invasive plants around North Farms Road parking lot and along macadam path: mainly garlic mustard & multiflora rose (2 hrs). Water Pump Set Up in Cooke's Pasture 06/01/19. Honda water pump set up in Broad Brook marsh; water pumped to 2x 50-gal barrels for watering blight-resistant American chestnuts and shrubs in Cooke's Pasture (3 hrs); watering continued at frequent intervals throughout summer. Bruce Hart, Dave Pritchard, Bill Williams, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 06/15/19: Water chestnut growth in full swing; most rosettes small and easy to pull with nut attached. Steve Harding, George Kohout, Norma Roche, Dave Pritchard, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Harvested ~200 rosettes weighing ~25 lbs 6 people; total effort: ~17 hrs. 7 Control of Black Swallow-wort in Cooke's Pasture 06/17/18: Black Swallow-wort in Cooke's Pasture treated with foliar spray containing Vastlan (triclopyr) and Escort (metsulfuron methyl); very few plants found. Chris Polatin (Land Stewardship, Inc.) Beaver Brook Working Group 06/22/19: Grand Opening of rehabilitated section of Beaver Brook Greenway; reviewed history, working group contributions and appreciation to all who helped throughout project. Volunteer Day: Removal of Invasives on Boggy Meadow Road 06/23/19: Large amounts of multiflora rose, bittersweet, winged euonymous, barberry pulled or dug between marsh and second gate (3 hrs). Bob Adams, David Arbeitman, Virginia Irvine, Jeannie Jones, Dale LaBonte, Rachael Naismith, Dave Pritchard, Norma Roche, Mary Jo Stanley, Bill Williams, Bob Zimmermann Total effort: ~28 hrs. Water Quality Assessment 06/26/19: 6 stations; Bill Williams, Bob Zimmermann. Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 07/06/19: WC rosettes large, difficult to pull intact; many broken stems. Bob Adams, Steve Harding, Bruce Hart, George Kohout, Ivan Oransky, Ryan Murdock, Norma Roche, Pete Schoenberger, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Harvested ~155 rosettes weighing ~100 lbs. 10 people x 3 hr; total effort ~25 hrs. Control of Buckthorn in Cooke's Pasture 07/11/19: Glossy buckthorn in fields and along forest treated with foliar spray of Rodeo (glyphostate); also some common buckthorn and winged euonymus. Crew from Landscape Stewardship, Inc. Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 07/27/19: WC rosettes large, difficult to pull intact. Bob Adams, Steve Harding, Bruce Hart, Dave Pritchard, Bill Williams, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Harvested ~62 rosettes weighing ~15 lbs 7 people x 3 hr; total effort ~18 hrs. Control of Buckthorn in Cooke's Pasture and On Dam 08/14/19: Spotted and brown knapweed in Cooke's Pasture and on dam treated with foliar spray of Vastlan (triclopyr) and Streamline (aminocyclopyrachlor and metsulfuron methyl). Knapweed generally at low levels; in flower. Crew from Landsacape Stewardship, Inc. Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 08/17/19: rosettes large, some new sprouts likely. George Kohout, Mary Jo Stanley, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Harvested ~114 rosettes weighing ~46 lbs 4 people x 3 hr; total effort ~12 hrs. 8 Beaver Brook Working Group 08/20/19: Crew from Bay State Forestry treated various invasive plants throughout the site with herbicide; included were major infestations of Japanese knotweed, bitterwseet. Lincoln Fish and crew of three. Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 09/14/18: WC scarce, hard to find plants. Bob Adams, Steve Harding, Ivan Oransky, Jim Reis, Dave Pritchard, Bill Wiolliams,Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann. Harvested ~41 rosettes weighing ~18 lbs 8 people x 3 hr; total effort ~22 hrs. Control of Japanese Knotweed on Marian Street lot 09/28/19: Follow-up treatment of Japanese knotweed: several stunted and a few mid-sized plant treated by hand-wiping with Rodeo (glyphosate) solution. Jon O'Gara (O'Gara Landcare) Control of Phragmites in Broad Brook Marsh 09/28/19; Follow-up treatment of Phragmites: Stands 1, 2 and 3 at 99-100% control; new, mature plants between stands 1 and 2 plants, possibly from rhizomes, sprayed with Rodeo (glyphosate); Stand 4 at ~95% control though small new patch found on opposite shore, again possibly spread by rhizomes; all hand- wiped with Rodeo; revegetation generally proceeding well. Jon O'Gara, (O'Gara Landcare) Beaver Brook Working Group 10/24/19: Meeting to discuss final steps needed to complete work at Beaver Brook . Peter Flinker, Bruce Hart, Deb Jacobs, David Pritchard, Heidi Stevens, Matt Verson, Bob Zimmermann MassTrails Conference 11/02/19: Trails as Connections, Leominster, MA, sponsored by Mass DCR. Bob Zimmermann Beaver Brook Working Group 11/07/19: Area north of wildlife blind, meadow behind Corrosion Control Facility, and stand of dead locusts at south end of site brush-hogged. Don Lawton. Mowing Cooke's Pasture 11/09/19: Central and east lobes of pasture brush-hogged; small trees in north lobe too large to mow, will require skidsteer and improved access to pasture. Richard Jaescke (RCW Landscape Construction), 6 hrs. Beaver Brook Working Group 11/16/19: Woody debris from brush-hogging cleared and stacked in ~6 wildlife piles. Peter Flinker, Jason Johnson, Steve McDonough, Juston O'Connor, Dave Pritchard, Hedi Stevens, Bob Zimmermann 9 Mowing South Pasture 11/17/19: South Pasture brush-hogged; Richard Jaescke (RCW Landscape Construction), 2 hrs. Water Quality Assessment 11/21/19: 5 stations; Bill Williams, Bob Zimmermann 10 Broad Brook Coalition 2019 Trails Committee Report In 2019, 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. Projects in 2019 include: • Signs - Ongoing maintenance of loosening signs as need to adjust for tree growth. We also re-hung a sign where Swamp Forest Trail and Rocky Knoll Loop meet, changing the sign at the same time from one held by lag bolts to one using long screws and springs to allow for tree growth. • General trail maintenance - A crew of 4 applied preservative to the deck of the bridge located near the boardwalk. • Kiosks - Each kiosk had the double hasp arrangement changed out for a single hasp requiring only one padlock for the entire kiosk. We removed map dispensers that have long been locked inside kiosks and thus needlessly taking space away from display items. • Benches - The benches were stained to improve their look and durability. • Stewards monitor trails - During 2019, 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 fall down each year due to age, disease, or storms, resulting in obstructing trails. BBC volunteers Jim Reis, Michael Kesten, 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 Middle Path, Boggy Meadow Road, 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 11 wetlands, again by the pressure from visitors walking on the bog bridges. Because of improvements by the city in 2019 along Boggy Meadow Rd., water no longer floods or collects in the swamp area so 4 bog bridges were removed and 3 were stored. One was used to replace a section of bog bridge along the dam spill way that got broken during mowing. Also this year in the same section, bees built a nest below the bog bridge. Detour signs were installed to warn hikers. • 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 - This year in particular BBC Trails Committee volunteers replaced split-rails and posts 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. We also ordered extra rail and posts for further repairs known to be needed in 2020, and what is expected beyond. • Maintain Mutt Mitt Dispensers - Each year BBC Trail Committee volunteers maintain the Mutt Mitt dispensers located at three entrances to the FLCA (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 1 - 2 times a year; BBC estimates that approximately 5000 Mutt Mitts are used annually) and are refilled by BBC volunteers throughout the year. • 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 that are attached with lag bolts to the trees were loosened so the bolts do not pull though the sign as the tree grows. We also re-hung a sign where Swamp Forest Trail and Rocky Knoll Loop meet, changing the sign at the same time from one held by lag bolts to one using long screws and springs to allow for tree growth. The main sign at the Swamp Forest Trail entrance was rehabbed by Steve Harding and is a work of art! Some of the many trail blazes were touched up. • Maintain boardwalk and dock - One of the many tasks involved in maintaining the boardwalk and dock is cutting back cattails along the boardwalk. 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. Periodically the surface of the boardwalk 12 and dock is blown free of natural debris to keep it walkable and improve drainage to preserve the wood. • North Farms Rd. paved path - Volunteers blow and sweep the path a few times a year to keep the pavement clean and dry to preserve it. • 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 Moose Lodge and Marian St. dispensers were loosened as they are attached to growing trees. • Trail Camera - The BBC trail camera was positioned in several locations throughout the year. The interesting videos were edited and uploaded to the BBC's YouTube channel. • Materials - A large supply of wood and other materials left over from past BBC projects was moved from outdoors to an indoor facility, the use of which was donated by Ivan Oransky and Cate Vojdik. Also, the city donated some pressure treated wood that was also moved to the indoor facility. • Coordinating volunteers and Trail Stewards - Ongoing work is done to engage with BBC members who express an interest in volunteering for workdays, and with Trail Stewards, to coordinate their efforts for projects and tasks. Broad Brook Coalition 2019 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 – Bob Riddle Trails Committee Volunteers in 2019 Jim Reis Co-Chair Michael Kesten Co-chair 13 Mike Murphy Steve Harding Bill Rosen Beth Powell Bob Bissell Ellen Putnam Special thanks to Ivan Oransky and Cate Vojdik for allowing the BBC to store tools and materials on their property. 14 WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS AT THE FLCA: 2019 June 26, 2019 (Wiliams, Zimmermann) Location T (ºF) amb. Dissolved 02 (ppm) pH Alkalinity (ppm CaCO3) Phosphate (ppm P04-i) Nitrate (ppm N/NO3) T (ºF) H2O Desirable Range >6 6-7.5 100-200 <0.1 <0.1/<0.1 Brd Brk, W of NFR 74-86 9 7.1 34.2 0.18 0.20/0.88 66 Dock 74-86 11 7.1 41.0 0.14 0 72 Vernal pool 74-86 5 5.7 13.7 0.54 0 68 Dam, lake side 74-86 7 6.7 34.2 0.1 0 75 Marsh, pump intake 74-86 7 6.6 20.5 0.1 0 75 Marsh, Gessing Pt. 74-86 7 6.4 20.5 <0.1 0 72 Notes Weather: sunny, 74-86 ºF; 0.65" in past 24 h; ~2" 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 (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 normal 2019-06-27 November 21, 2019 (Wiliams, Zimmermann) Location T (ºF) amb. Dissolved 02 (ppm) pH Alkalinity (ppm CaCO3) Phosphate (ppm P04-i) 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 36-44 12 6.8 20.5 0.28 0.38/1.67 45 Dock 36-44 14 6.9 34.2 0.08 0.22/0.97 46 Dam, lake side 36-44 14 7.0 34.2 0.08 0 44 Marsh, pump intake 36-44 13 6.8 34.2 0.12 0 42 Marsh, Gessing Pt. 36-44 15 6.8 13.7 0.10 0 40 Notes Weather: sunny, 35-44 ºF; no significant rain in past 24 h Brd Brk at NFR: water level normal 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 normal, sample from edge of marsh Marsh (Gessing Pt.): water level normal 2019-11-21