Wetlands

City of Haverhill

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Forest Stewardship Plans Header

Forest Stewardship & Cutting Plans
As stewards of our forests, there are two documents to be particularly familiar with - a Forest Management Plan (also referred to as a Forest Stewardship Plan) and a Forest Cutting Plan.  Both Plans are prepared by Massachusetts-licensed Consulting Foresters and are subject to the review and approval of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.  

Stewardship Plans detail a 10-year forest management plan based on landowner goals.  These Plans document these goals, as well as overviews of the property, stewardship issues, stand descriptions, and possible management practices.  They also include maps that identify the property, as well as the boundaries of the stands described in the Plan.  Stewardship Plans help a landowner take a long-term approach towards managing, enjoying, and caring for the land, while protecting or increasing environmental values of the land.  For information on general stewardship issues, look here.  Below, you'll find links to the Stewardship Plans that are either under review or approved for Haverhill's forests.

Forest Stewardship Plan Plan Approved Plan Period
Clement Farm Conservation Area July 13, 2011 2012-2021
Crystal Lake (eastern end) June 25, 2014 2015-2024
Crystal Lake (western end) June 25, 2014 2015-2024
Dead Hill Reservoir  June 25, 2014 2015-2024
Gale Hill Reservoir June 25, 2014 2015-2024
John's Woods at Tattersall Farm  June 25, 2014 2015-2024
Meadow Brook Conservation Area June 25, 2014 2015-2024
Tattersall Farm June 25, 2014 2015-2024
Upper East Meadow River - Brandy Brow Road Area July 13, 2011 2012-2021
Upper East Meadow River - Brandy Brow Road Area  (Addendum)    
Wheeler Woods Conservation Area June 25, 2014 2015-2024
Winnekenni Park and Plug Pond Conservation Areas  May 14, 2012 2013-2022

Cutting Plans detail how a proposed harvest will improve, maintain, and protect the subject forest for the purpose of conserving water, preventing floods and soil erosion, improving the conditions for wildlife and recreation, protecting and improving air and water quality, and providing a continuing and increasing supply of forest products.  The Cutting Plan is meant to satisfy the Massachusetts Forest Cutting Practices Act, but more importantly, it explains the proposed harvest to the landowner and reflects the landowner's objectives for the land.  To see a blank Forest Cutting Plan, including a Landowner Information Sheet, look here.  Below, you'll find links to the Cutting Plans that are either under review, approved, or completed for Haverhill's forests.  In each Plan, you'll see that the City of Haverhill is managing its forests to achieve Long-Term goals.

Forest Cutting Plan Plan Approved Harvest Completed Notes
Clement Farm Conservation Area  11.04.12 2013 Expired 10.29.14
Crystal Lake East End   2.07.16 2017 Draft Plan Posted 08.26.16 for Public Review and Comment. Signed Plan Posted 09.23.16 for Public Review and Comment.
 Meadow Brook Conservation Area - West Side      1st Draft Plan Posted 11.02.18 for Public Review and Comment.
Lake Saltonstall - Birchbrow Estate Plan  9.04.18   Plan Posted 7.20.18
Upper East Meadow River - Brandy Brow Road Area - Haverhill Land in Merrimac 11.00.13 2014 Plan Expired 11.00.15
Winnekenni Park Conservation Area - Hemlock Salvage Plan   11.12.13 2014 Plan Expired 10.00.15
Winnekenni Park Conservation Area - Merrill Trail Section and Castle Vista Plan 12.07.16 2018 Draft Plan Posted 11.25.14 for Public Review and Comment. Updated Draft Posted 12.17.15 for Public Review and Comment. 
Our Forest Stewardship section provides an introduction to the City's Stewardship Program, as well as detailed information on the properties selected for management.  This page provides supplemental materials that further explain the Program and keep our community informed of the happenings in our forests.  If you're still looking for more information, let us know at conservation@haverhillma.gov.
VIDEOS

The Haverhill Journal - January 8, 2015, Winnekenni 2015 Forest Management Plan

 

 

The second segment of this HC Media show recaps the December 13, 2014, public site event hosted by the Forest Management Committee at Winnekenni Castle.  During the event, planning was discussed for selective timber harvesting in the Merrill Trail and Winnekenni Castle sections of the Winnekenni Park Conservation Area.  The event began with a meeting in the Castle, where residents learned more about the planning for these sections of the park.  Residents were able to engage in discussions with the City's forestry consultants and Committee members about these plans and the hemlock salvage project.  The event then entered the woods, where residents were invited to review the new areas proposed for harvesting.

Posted 01.09.2015; Produced by HC Media; Runtime: 14:28

The Haverhill Journal - April 29, 2014, Winnekenni Reforestation

 

 

The first segment of this HC Media show discusses an American Chestnut tree planting at Winnekenni Park by local landscaper Adaela McLaughlin and Girl Scouts from Hill View Montessori Charter Public School.  The second segment discusses Thomas Sanders' Birchbrow Estate.  The remains of the estate may be found in the Plug Pond Conservation Area, southeast of Winnekenni Castle.  Birchbrow is identified in the Forest Stewardship Plan for Winnekenni/Plug Pond as a cultural resource to be protected during future forestry activities in that area.
 
Posted 05.01.2014; Produced by HC Media; Runtime: 11:39

An Introduction to Forest Stewardship  

 

 


This video follows our narrator, retired forestry professional Jack Jackson, as he explains the benefits of stewardship, touching upon such topics as biodiversity, water quality, wildlife habitat, recreational usage, and forest products.  

Posted 04.22.2014; Produced by HC Media; Runtime: 16:57


An Introduction to Forest Stewardship at Winnekenni Park

 

 


This video briefly introduces the viewer to the practice of forest stewardship and incorporates an explanation of the work currently under way at the Winnekenni Park Conservation Area.  

(Posted 03.05.2014; Produced by HC Media; Runtime: 4:53)

PRINT MATERIALS

A pamphlet distributed by the Massachusetts Forest Pest Taskforce to inform citizens and tree care professionals of the impacts caused by this invasive beetle (Posted 12.04.2015)

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife uses forest products, harvested from its own wildlife management areas, in the construction of its new headquarters in Westborough. (Posted 04.01.2015; Prepared by MassDFW)

A pamphlet produced by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation pertaining to "knowing your wood from the forest to the finished product
Posted 01.26.2015; Prepared by MassDCR; Dated 09.12.2013

"Forest Management Committee 2014 Program Update"
This presentation was given at the City Council's December 9, 2014, meeting in response to a communication from City Councillor Thomas J. Sullivan requesting an update on the program.  The presentation identifies the Stewardship Plans approved by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation; provides the status of various harvest activities and proposals; and acknowledges a number of community projects that have occurred within the City's forests.
Posted 12.10.14; Prepared by Robert E. Moore, Jr.; Dated 12.09.14Peer Review of the Remaining Hemlock Salvage Work Proposed in Winnekenni Park Conservation Area
The City contracted a Massachusetts-licensed forester to complete a peer review of the remaining hemlock salvage harvest proposed in the Forest Cutting Plan.  The City particularly sought to confirm whether this remaining work aligns with the goals of its Forest Management Committee, namely the healthy preservation, protection, and perpetuation of actively managed forests, with particular focus on water quality, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and renewable resources of timber through the use of proper forest stewardship.  
Posted 12.10.14; Prepared by Kevin Scherer; Dated Received 12.08.14

Posted 09.29.2014; Dated May 2013

"An Ecological Site Assessment of John's Woods" 
These assessments were completed by Mass Audubon Ecological Extension Service as part of a 2012 PARC Grant received by the City for improvements at Tattersall Farm.  They focus on making existing and new uses of the property compatible with wildlife habitat.
Posted 09.29.2014; Dated June 2013

"Wildlife Habitat Assessments of Haverhill Conservation Area Forests" (links below)
In 2013, The City of Haverhill contracted Mass Audubon's Ecological Extension Service to characterize wildlife habitat and provide management recommendations for the balance of forested lands being studied for stewardship.  The recommendations in this report, combined with those found in the Forest Stewardship Plans for individual areas, will be used to guide the preparations of future Forest Cutting Plans.
In 2012, The City of Haverhill contracted Mass Audubon's Ecological Extension Service to characterize wildlife habitat and provide management recommendations on the Clement Farm Conservation Area.  The recommendations in this report, combined with those found in the Forest Stewardship Plan, helped guide the preparation of the Forest Cutting Plan that was implemented on this property in 2013.  
Posted 04.28.2014; Prepared by Mass Audubon Ecological Extension Service; dated July 7, 2012

This report from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs highlights the recent efforts of the Commonwealth to conserve land and develop parks across Massachusetts.  Readers learn about the acquisitions, grants, conservation restrictions, working farm and forest covenants and agreements that have led, for the first time, to the protection of more open space than developed land in the Commonwealth.  The report particularly acknowledges the City of Haverhill and the efforts of its Forest Management Committee in helping to achieve this goal.
Posted 04.23.2014; Published by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

This letter was sent in response to recent comments, pertaining to the work currently under way at the Winnekenni Park Conservation Area, that were run in the Tribune's Op-Ed section.
Posted 03.06.2014; Written by the Forest Management Committee

This handout was used during the October 5, 2013, Public Site Walk conducted as part of the Forest Cutting Plan preparation for the work currently under way at the Winnekenni Park Conservation Area.  The handout shows four HWA-related photos.
Posted 03.06.2014; Prepared by the Forest Management Committee
20181220 ECGA ThroughTheWoods_CrystalGorgeProtect your land and encourage others to protect their land
The concept of land ownership means little to forests, wildlife, water and soil. Yet to ensure that the wild lands of Massachusetts retain their capacity to support healthy ecosystems, we must permanently protect a substantial portion of our undeveloped land. Private landowners have an enormous role to play in this process as nearly all unprotected land is in private hands. Many are unaware of how their land fits into the network of large, protected land areas and interconnecting habitat that needs to be protected to maintain fish, wildlife, forests, wetlands and the other natural resources on which we depend.

For many landowners and families, the natural beauty and legacy values of their land are at least equally important as its financial value. Your land may be where you raised a family, explored nature, worked in the woods, and took walks. To meet their family’s personal needs or out of a desire to preserve nature, some landowners limit the types of activities that happen on the land in the future so that all or some of it will stay in its natural or undeveloped state through the use of land conservation tools.

There are several options landowners can use to protect their land. Some involve selling or donating the land for conservation; other options allow you to continue to own the land and protect it from development. In addition, these land conservation tools often provide some positive financial values through income or tax savings. Understanding these options is an important step in deciding the future of your land. Consulting with a land protection specialist from a local land trust can help you explore these tools and determine the best fit for your land.
 

Conserving Your Land

Decisions you make as a landowner can have long-lasting effects on the Massachusetts landscape that future generations will inherit, and on the wildlife that share this landscape with us. Not only will conserved land benefit people and wildlife, but it also offers the landowners tax advantages. 
There are many ways to permanently protect your land, including a donation or sale of the ownership of the land, or of a perpetual conservation restriction (easement). 

Donating or Selling Conservation Restrictions

Your land includes several different types of rights, including the right to develop your land, farm, hunt, and manage your woods. A conservation restriction (CR) is a legally binding agreement that permanently protects certain conservation values of a property while allowing the land to remain in private ownership. It is a flexible tool that can be placed on all or only designated parts of your land, allowing you to reserve house lots to provide financial value or housing options for your family, or to address needs of the owner.

They are conveyed to a non-profit conservation organization or public conservation entity, which accepts the right and responsibility to monitor the property and defend and enforce the terms of the CR in perpetuity. CRs are placed on record at the Registry of Deeds and run with the land, meaning that they apply to all future owners of the property. 

When a landowner sells or donates a CR, s/he can continue to live on or work the land - in accordance with the CR's provisions - and can sell the land or pass it on to heirs. They usually involve the permanent extinguishment of some, but not necessarily all, of the development potential of the land, and can be gifted or sold. Properly crafted, CRs can generate significant tax benefits in the form of income tax deductions and estate or property tax reductions. A CR can be donated, which often provides the landowner with a tax deduction for a charitable gift. A CR can be sold for income if the land has exceptional natural resources. A CR can also be sold below market value for both income and tax benefits (see “Bargain Sale” below).

Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Acquisition

An agricultural preservation restriction (APR) is a special type of CR. It prohibits non-agricultural, non-open space use or development of a parcel to preserve the land for agricultural purposes.

Donating or Selling Land

Land can be permanently protected by donating it or selling it to a qualified conservation organization, such as a land trust or state conservation organization. Donations of land may provide significant tax advantages as a charitable gift.

By donating or selling your land to the City or a local land trust, your property will benefit wildlife and people. Conveying your land outright may be the simplest and best way to conserve it. Your gift or sale of land will help connect people with nature while freeing you of all responsibilities of ownership and management, including property taxes. 

Landowners who donate or charitably discount the sale of their land for conservation may take advantage of several tax benefits, including reductions in federal income tax and reductions in estate tax, to name a few. 

Bargain Sale

Landowners can sell their land or conservation restrictions at a price below its fair market value. The difference between the appraised market value and the sale price to a qualified conservation organization, such as a land trust or a state conservation organization, is considered a tax-deductible charitable contribution, providing some income and potentially some tax benefits.

Bequest

A donation of land or a conservation restriction through your will is another way to ensure your land’s permanent protection and potentially to reduce your estate tax burden. You can change your will at any time, and a bequest does not become effective until your death. This is a good approach if you need to keep the financial value of your property in reserve in case of unexpected medical bills or other needs but want to be sure the land will be conserved if you do not need to sell it during your lifetime.

Reserved Life Estate

Landowners sometimes negotiate a gift or sale of the property while reserving the right to occupy and use the property for life. Upon the death of the landowner, control of the property automatically transfers to a conservation organization. The gift of a property with a reserved life estate can qualify the donor for a charitable deduction based on the value of the property donated and the reserved life estate, which is all based on the donor’s age.

Limited Development

Limited development protects most of the land while a small portion is sold or maintained by the landowner for future development. In a limited development scenario, the areas with the greatest conservation value are protected through one of the tools described above, while other less sensitive areas of the land are set aside for future development.


Updated 2.4.25
Information sourced from Land Conservation Options | UMass Amherst MassWoods

Landowner resources for Land protection

Land Management Tools & Reports

 

Land Conservation Information


Land Trusts & Land Protection Agencies

All About Wetlands

Explore this page to learn about the functions and values of wetlands!
Updated 12.30.2024

On this page:
  1. The Role of Wetlands
  2. Flood Protection
  3. Wetlands and Water Supply
  4.  Wetlands and Fisheries
  5. Wetland Wildlife
  6. Vernal Pools
  7. The Rich Harvest of Wetlands
  8. Additional Resources

 

The Role of Wetlands

If you enjoy boating, canoeing, fishing or swimming in Massachusetts, you may want to thank a wetland. Wetland plants and soils work around the clock to cleanse both surface and groundwater which helps to protect public health. How do they do it? Scientists are still discovering how these valuable natural resources work.
Wetlands contain certain soils that are formed in response to, and plants that are adapted to, wet conditions. These areas have water at or near the ground's surface for a significant period of time each year. Wetlands are most often found along inland and coastal waterbodies, including lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. Wetlands act as natural buffers and serve to protect the quality of our water. They also play an important role in the life of many species of wildlife.
Wetlands act as a natural sponge and filter by removing pollutants from water. Some pollutants are held for years in the roots of plants such as arrowhead, cattails, or reed canary grass. Other pollutants are removed by wetland soils that have beneficial bacteria and remove nitrates from water. Sometimes these pollutants are later released by the plants and soil in the winter months when impacts to water quality will be greatly reduced.
Wetland plants also filter sediments from water and help to stabilize the land around them. Moving water passing through wetlands is slowed down, which results in sediments settling out of the water. Since the water flow is reduced, erosion of sediments is also reduced.
Wetlands are important to wildlife as well. They provide food and shelter for a variety of animals. They offer breeding and nesting areas for many birds and mammals such as osprey, black duck and otter. They also serve as migration corridors for birds such as Great Blue Herons and Canada Geese. Many types of salamanders, frogs and turtles rely on wetlands for their survival.
So the next time you drink a glass of clean water from the tap, catch a good sized fish at Millvale Reservoir or canoe or boat on a scenic waterway such as the Merrimack River - you can thank the wetlands in your area and the role of wetland plants in maintaining wildlife, fish and water quality.
Because wetlands provide so many public benefits, federal, state and some local laws have been enacted to protect them. You can learn more about wetlands and how to protect them in Haverhill by contacting the Conservation Commission. Your Conservation Commission is the steward of wetlands in your community because it administers the state wetland protection laws in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Your commission also preserves local open space which includes wetlands. By working with your Conservation Community you can do your part in preserving this valuable natural heritage for generations to come.

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Flood Protection

April is flood season as spring rains mingle with the last of the snow melt. Streams swell over their banks, low areas behind houses and along roadsides fill with water, and fields-recreational and agricultural-are swamped. This is the time to see and appreciate two of several services wetlands provide our community: flood and storm damage control.
Wetlands help keep our basements dry, shorelines intact, roads passable and fields nourished. These are reasons why wetlands are protected from filling by our state Wetlands Protection Act administered by our community's Conservation Commission. Wetlands are located where water is stored and drains naturally. If these areas are filled or constrained, water will be displaced somewhere else-onto someone else's property. Even a little filling here and there can accumulate into significant changes in the location and amount of flooding.
With increasing development in our community, wetlands are more important than ever for flood and storm damage control. Impermeable surfaces of roofs, parking lots and roads increase the amount and speed of water running down hill, through gutters and culverts, into streams that rush on to rivers. Water also flows more quickly over lawns and fields and other cleared areas than in forested areas where raindrops are slowed by branches and leaf litter and seep into the ground. All this water must go somewhere. Protecting wetlands that are naturally designed and located to collect water is cheaper than engineering drainage systems and flood barriers. Wetlands protect everyone's property in the community from increased flooding and storm damage. Wetlands do their job naturally and for free.
These valuable wetlands are seen throughout the community. They are located where water collects for at least 2-3 weeks out of a year. Look for the maroon haze of red maple trees in flower and you will most likely see they are growing out of a shallow basin of water. These swamps hold the extra spring runoff and slowly release it so that all the water doesn't reach the streams and rivers at once. In summer these places will appear dry only to fill again after heavy storms.
In marshes and along stream edges, spikes of cattails, dense marsh grasses and scraggly tangles of buttonbush help reduce the force of flood waters. The plants' thick roots hold the soil keeping stream banks and fields from washing out.
The state's Wetlands Protection Act, along with federal and municipal laws, discourages development in the 100-year floodplain. Floodplains, while dry much of the time, belong to the river. In unusual years rivers swell well beyond their banks, covering farm fields and often playing fields and parks located in these low lands. Unsuspecting newcomers are not allowed to build homes or businesses in these low lying areas without permits, thereby preventing their investments from being washed away by these infrequent but devastating deluges.
While protecting homes from flooding, wetlands also provide several other services. Wetland plants and soils take up, change and release pollutants from septic systems, lawns and commercial runoff so they are less harmful. Also wetland habitats harbor red-wing blackbirds, great blue herons and American toads. While you celebrate spring, appreciate the services of your local wetlands and your Conservation Commissioners, who volunteer to protect them.
Every year, damage from storms - hurricanes, intense rainstorms, Nor'easters - makes the news as flood waters wash away structures, roads, and topsoil. Floods are natural events but their impacts are often unnecessarily magnified when a lack of understanding, of the functions of wetlands results in their filling, draining and development.
Wetlands desynchronize (collect, store, and slowly release) runoff. They serve as natural sponges. Water is held back in wetlands so it reaches streams and rivers more slowly than when it runs rapidly over pavement and structures. Runoff needs to be delayed by soaking into the ground or traveling over and through rough, heavily vegetated areas. When water is not delayed, large volumes reach rivers at the same time and cause serious flooding and erosion.
Not all wetlands help to limit storm damage. Some of the factors, which influence a wetland's damage control function, include:
    • the size of the wetland in relation to its watershed (the area which drains into a stream or river),
    • where the wetland is located within the watershed (how far upstream),
    • the types of soils in the wetland (this affects the water-holding capacity),
    • the manmade and natural resources located downstream of the wetland,
    • the presence of streams within the wetland,
    • the density of the vegetation, and
    • whether the outlet from the wetland is narrow or wide.
One large non-structural project, which reflects knowledge of the value of wetlands for storm damage control, is the Charles River Natural Valley Storage Area in eastern Massachusetts. In 1974, as an alternative to structural flood-control means such as dams, the Corps of Engineers recommended and was authorized by Congress to acquire wetlands in the middle and upper reaches of the Charles River watershed to protect downstream properties. This project now encompasses about 8,100 acres of wetlands and other floodplain sites. Not only does the project provide flood control, but also it offers numerous opportunities for recreation and fish and wildlife management.
As hard as wetlands work to prevent it, some flooding can still occur. Remember that flooding is a natural occurrence, which deposits vital nutrients in the floodplain. Not all floodplains are wetlands so it is also important to recognize the function of the floodplain itself as the broad overflow basin where floodwaters can spread out and slow down. Construction in floodplains can reduce this overflow or storage capacity and create constrictions that increase upstream flooding.
The role of wetlands in storm damage protection is recognized in federal, state, and local laws. Learn more about wetlands and floodplains by contacting the Haverhill Conservation Department. Work with and support your local conservation commissioners in their efforts to protect the natural resources of Haverhill. These gifts from nature provide many benefits that may not always be obvious but which are often very valuable, including during flood emergencies.

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Wetlands and Water Supply

Would you drink from a wetland? Probably not, when you think of the smelly, brown, stagnant water generally associated with swamps. But appearances can be deceiving. Wetlands do indeed help maintain both the quantity and quality of our water supplies. Consider the nature of wetlands more closely and the important role they serve in protecting water supplies for people as well as fish and wildlife becomes apparent.
Wetlands act like giant sponges, absorbing and holding vast quantities of water, and releasing it slowly. Water gathers in wetlands from melting snows and spring rains, and flows gradually into nearby streams and rivers. The water held back by wetlands helps keep water levels up in rivers and ponds during the dry summer and early fall months. Thus, wetlands help maintain our surface water supplies by increasing the amount of water remaining in reservoirs during dry periods.
Although many people in Haverhill rely on Kenoza Lake, Millvale Reservoir, Crystal Lake, and Lake Pentucket (Round Pond) for their water supplies, some people depend on groundwater pumped from private wells, rather than surface reservoirs. Wetlands help maintain these supplies too. Many water supply wells are located within deep layers of sand and gravel deposited by retreating glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago. These deposits are often thickest where they fill an ancient river valley, frequently with a river flowing above them through the remnants of the valley. These "buried valley aquifers" are a major source of water supply in Massachusetts.
There is a connection between the river flowing above and the groundwater in the sand and gravel aquifer below. Pumping large quantities of water from water supply wells can draw water from the river down into the aquifer and into the well, in a process called "induced infiltration." Once again, the role wetlands play in maintaining river flows during dry spells contributes to the amount of water available for use by people. Large wetlands, as well as lakes and ponds, also maintain a higher level of groundwater in the surrounding area. Where people depend on shallow private wells, the effect of wetlands on maintaining local groundwater levels can help ensure a constant supply.
What about water quality? How does all that mucky water in wetlands contribute to the crystal clear water pouring from your tap? Just as the spongy soil of wetlands absorbs water, it also removes many contaminants that otherwise would flow into surface waters or seep into groundwater. Water flow slows down in wetlands, allowing dirt and other sediments to settle out. Many pollutants in runoff from urban areas, lawns, and roadways, like lead, pesticides, and hydrocarbons, bind to sediments and the organic, mucky soils of wetlands. A process called denitrification is at work in wetland soils, whereby bacteria break down nitrates. Nitrates enter water from many sources, including septic systems, agricultural runoff, and fertilizer washed off lawns by rain. Nitrates can be toxic in excess amounts, particularly for infants. The bacteria that provide the service of removing these substances from water only occur in wet soils that lack oxygen. Wetland plants also absorb and use nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, helping to keep them out of rivers, lakes, and water supplies.
So, the next time you drink a glass of cool, clear, refreshing water, remember to thank the wetlands that helped make it possible. Wetlands are protected under federal and state laws because of the important values they provide, including water supply, flood control, and fisheries and wildlife habitat. Your local Conservation Commission is the primary agency responsible for wetlands in your community, including administration of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and protections for rivers and streams under the Massachusetts Rivers Protection Act. 

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Wetlands and Fisheries

Did you know that many of the Commonwealth's most popular commercial and sport fishes rely to a great extent on valuable coastal and freshwater wetland habitats? Well, it's true! Many fish and shellfish at some point in their lives depend on wetlands for feeding, spawning and shelter. Herring, alewife, bluefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, shrimp and crabs are just a few of the species that take advantage of the unique habitat characteristics of wetlands to successfully fulfill their life needs.
Salt marshes are especially valuable to Massachusetts fisheries because of the enormous volume of food they produce each year. Per acre, salt marsh plants turn more of the energy they receive from sunlight into plant matter through photosynthesis than our nation's best-managed cornfields. Here's how it works: each winter, ice sheets and tides break up decaying marsh grass, algae, and seaweed into tiny fragmented material called detritus. Tidal action circulates this nutrient-rich detritus within the marsh and adjoining bay or estuary, fueling the growth of microscopic phytoplankton (single-celled plants suspended in the water). Phytoplankton, the foundation for the entire aquatic food chain, then nourishes foraging fishes such as killifish, mullet, menhaden, and alewife. These fish in turn are preyed upon by larger fish such as striped bass, bluefish and flounder which are then commercially harvested. Its no wonder salt marshes have been called the "farmlands of the aquatic environment!"
Salt marshes are also considered important nursery areas since they provide the essential requirements needed by growing larval and juvenile stages of many species, including shrimp, salmon, flounder, striped bass, mullet, red snapper, and shad. In fact, eighty percent of the important recreational and commercial species on the Atlantic coast in some way depend on coastal salt marshes and estuaries to complete their life cycles. Small fishes such as silversides and killifish, major sources of food for larger predatory fish, utilize the protective areas of low marsh grasses (accessible only at high tide) to lay their eggs. Other species, such as sea trout, menhaden and bluefish, spend the early part of their lives shuttling between the salt marsh and adjacent ocean. These fish usually spawn in the ocean, move into the more protective and nourishing estuary as juveniles, and return again to the ocean as young adults.
Massachusetts' freshwater wetlands also provide sheltered spawning and nursery areas for many popular recreational fish. Species such as largemouth bass, northern pike, chain pickerel, bullheads, pumpkinseed and bluegill leave the deeper, more open areas of lakes and ponds to spawn in the wetland shallows where rooted aquatic plants proliferate. Juvenile fish utilize these shallow, vegetated waters for refuge from larger aquatic predators and for the abundant food supply found there.
So the next time you're about to enjoy one of your favorite fish or shellfish dishes - perhaps broiled bluefish, smoked native trout or fried scallops - pause and give thanks to the wetlands that helped bring this bounty to your table. Wetlands are protected under federal and state laws because of the important functions and values they provide, including water supply, flood control, and fisheries and wildlife habitat. Your local Conservation Commission is the agency responsible for administering the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act in your community. 

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Wetland Wildlife

Many people believe that wetland habitats, such as marshes, bogs, and swamps, are of little value simply because they cannot be developed for human profit. In reality, wetlands are of critical importance to many animals, including ducks, herons, turtles, frogs, beavers, deer, dragonflies, butterflies, and fish. Dozens of species would disappear completely from Massachusetts if it were not for the wetland habitats that dot the state. These animals depend on wet places for food, shelter, migration rest stops, breeding sites, and travel corridors.
Birds are some of the most conspicuous wetland inhabitants. Migrant waterfowl are attracted to wetlands and water bodies, to feed and rest in ice-free open water in spring, or the leaf-studded shallows of autumn. The first migrants of spring appear as early as the first weeks of March, when lively buffleheads and dapper ring-necked ducks dot the still-chilly waters of late winter. These are followed shortly by vividly colored wood ducks and tiny green-winged teal. Warblers fill the wetlands with song and color on their way to more northerly breeding grounds. In October, open water habitats may lure transient scaup and mergansers, while pintails and black ducks will seek out the protective cover provided by vegetation in freshwater marshes.
During the warm weather of summer, freshwater marshes serve as host to a wide variety of breeding birds. From flamboyant red-winged blackbirds to modestly-cald marsh wrens and swamp sparrows, wetlands provide exciting and challenging opportunities for the bog-trotting birdwatcher. Certain species are notably elusive, however, not only because of they prefer heavily vegetated habitat, but because of their preference for vocalizing only at night or very early in the morning. Indeed, visiting a freshwater marsh at dawn can sometimes produce bitterns, rails, and moorhens that would scarcely be noticed at any other time.
Wetlands provide an abundance of food for many different wetland species. Food sources include fish, frogs, and invertebrates such as midges and flies, as well as submerged pondweeds and cattail tubers. Great blue and green herons stalk the shallows for fish and tadpoles, while ospreys and kingfishers dive on fish from the air. And with autumn comes the bountiful production of seeds, nuts, and berries. Wild rice and the seeds of many other grassy plants sustain migrant soras, blackbirds, and sparrows. These and other wetland "crops" fuel southbound migrant birds and provide food that year-round resident animals need to survive the oncoming winter. Not only birds, but deer, beaver, squirrels, and other mammals will take advantage of nature's bounty.
One of the marshland's most distinctive inhabitants is the northern harrier (formerly called marsh hawk), whose striking white rump and habit of coursing low over cattails in search of small rodents makes it easy to spot. Sadly, however, like many of our wetland species, the harrier is now fast declining as a breeding bird in Massachusetts. The harrier needs marshes surrounded by large expanses of open, undeveloped habitat in order to breed. Loss and fragmentation of wetland habitat, along with development of adjoining uplands, contribute to the decline of the harrier and other species.
At least half a dozen of the Commonwealth's most seriously declining birds are wetland species that are listed by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program as either endangered or threatened. This underscores the importance of maintaining the health and integrity of the state's remaining wetland habitat. Because so many birds and other animals depend on wetlands for food, shelter, and breeding sites, wildlife habitat is one of the eight wetland functions protected under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. This law is administered by local conservation commissions, but responsibility for protecting these vital habitats rests with all of us.
For more information about how you can get involved in the protection of wetlands and wildlife habitat, contact the Haverhill Conservation Department or the Massachusetts Audubon Society at 781-259-9500.

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Vernal Pools

The sounds of red-winged blackbirds and woodcocks, the presence of robins and crocuses: all signal the arrival of spring to New England. However, it's when frogs and salamanders (collectively known as amphibians) begin their breeding season that we know that spring is here to stay. From numerous small depressions in the landscape filled with water from spring rains and melting snow come the sounds of chorusing frogs: the quacking of wood frogs, peeping of spring peepers, and whistling of American toads. In these small temporary pools, called vernal pools, salamanders court and lay eggs following a spectacular migration from woodland wintering sites. Each year on the first warm rainy night of spring, millions of amphibians across Massachusetts use this "big night" to migrate to vernal pools in order to breed.
Vernal pools are confined basin depressions that fill with rain and snow meltwater in the spring and hold water for at least two continuous months. In the spring and early summer they are full of life: tadpoles and salamander larvae, fairy shrimp, fingernail clams, aquatic insects, spotted turtles, and wood ducks. By late summer these pools are typically dry. Because they are dry for part of the year, vernal pools lack fish. The absence of fish, which would prey on amphibian eggs and young, makes vernal pools preferred breeding habitats for many of our native amphibians.
Two-thirds of the state's amphibians use vernal pools for breeding. Vernal pools are the nearly exclusive breeding habitat for 30 percent of the amphibian species native to Massachusetts. Among these, the wood frog and spotted salamander are the most common. More significantly, most of the state's rare amphibians breed primarily in vernal pools. These include blue-spotted, marbled and Jefferson salamanders, and the eastern spadefoot toad. These small temporary ponds also provide for state-listed spotted turtles and rare invertebrates, such as the intricate fairy shrimp and Massachusetts clam shrimp.
During the brief spring/summer season, vernal pools are highly productive habitats. Tadpoles and salamander larvae develop quickly, racing against time to grow and transform into terrestrial sub-adults before the pool dries up. As juvenile amphibians disperse into surrounding woodlands and fields, they transport much of the vernal pools' productivity into terrestrial habitats where these amphibians are eaten by numerous predators, such as raccoons, opossums, snakes, shrews, turkeys, bears, hawks and owls.
Scattered throughout New England, vernal pools are important features of the forested landscape. They are generally protected by various state regulations, including the state's wetlands regulations. In some communities, such as Haverhill, vernal pools are also protected by local wetlands bylaws or ordinances. In many cases, primary responsibility for protecting these vital natural resources rests with local conservation commissions. For more information about vernal pools and how they are protected, contact the Haverhill Conservation Department. The Department may also be able to suggest ways to get involved in protecting vernal pools and other wetlands in Haverhill.

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The Rich Harvest of Wetlands

The brilliant red leaves of a swamp maple on a bright fall morning. The last bees slowly collecting pollen from wild asters along a river. The salt marsh hay harvest. Ripe cranberries in rock crevice and small depression bogs. These are signs that another autumn has come to Massachusetts. And they are reminders of the wonderful harvest wetlands provide - for wildlife and people - now and throughout the year.
Wetlands bring us many benefits. They control flooding, storm damage, and water pollution. Wetlands are critical nursery areas for our inland and coastal fisheries, and provide food, shelter and breeding sites for wildlife. Through the centuries our marshes, swamps, and bogs have also provided food and medicine to the inhabitants of Massachusetts.
Wetland Plants as Food for Wildlife. The flowers, fruits, seeds, leaves, twigs, bark and roots of plants which grow in our wetlands all provide food for animals.
A hummingbird hovering at a cardinal flower is a reminder that the nectar and pollen produced by flowers are critical food sources, for bees and other insects as well as hummingbirds. Nectar is high in carbohydrates and pollen is an important protein source. It is animals' use of these floral foods which incidentally leads to the pollination of plants, and the production of fruits and seeds.
Fruits are valuable to birds and mammals which spend all or some of their time in wetlands, for example deer, fox, muskrats and geese. Fleshy fruits like highbush blueberries and elderberries, available in the summer, are high in sugars and vitamins. At this time other foods like insects, provide the fat and protein they need.
Some wetland fruits such as black alder and multiflora rose ripen in fall and remain on the plants much of the winter. These fruits are high in fat - and a compact energy source for animals in cold weather. Nuts, which are hard dry fruits, are rich in both fats and proteins.
The most important seeds eaten by animals are from common plants like maples and oaks. The swamp maples which dominate our forested wetlands, as well as river maple and swamp white oak, are major wetland foods for birds and small mammals. Grains from wetland grasses, like reed canary grass and wild rice are widely eaten. Leaves, stems and roots of plants are consumed by insects, browsing and grazing mammals, some rodents, and a few game birds.
Food and Medicinal Use of Wetland Plants. Native Americans were experts at gathering and using plants. They passed this knowledge on to the European settlers, who integrated it with plant information and herbal lore of their own.
Many plants were valuable food sources. For example, the fruits of highbush blueberry, elderberry and swamp dewberry were eaten fresh in summer and dried for winter. Cattail tubers were dried and ground into flour, and the bases of leaves eaten fresh in spring (they taste very much like cucumber).
When the maples turn red they are shutting down for the winter, storing their energy in sweet sap which was harvested by tapping the trees in early spring. Swamp maple and silver maple produce a sweet sap similar to sugar maple. This sap and syrup were used to sweeten corn, dried blueberries and other foods. Syrup was sometimes carried in duck or quail eggs while traveling. The large maple seeds were boiled, and seedlings pulled up whole and eaten as a green.
The tubers of arrowhead, which grows at the edges of ponds and rivers, was eaten like potato. People stood in the water and wiggled their toes in the mud around to find the tubers. Wild rice in shallow ponds and along the marshy borders of streams was gathered in autumn, boiled, eaten with maple syrup or blueberries and used for thickening soup. Like cultivated rice it swells to 3-4 times its size when cooked.
Most of the foods we eat today are from intensely cultivated varieties of plants. But there are two wetland plants native to Massachusetts which were used historically and have also become important in the modern diet - the highbush blueberry and the cranberry. The wild forms still grow in the state and are quite similar to the cultivated varieties bred from them.
Many wetland plants also had medicinal and herbal uses to earlier residents of Massachusetts. Various parts of the elderberry were used to reduce inflammation, and to treat wounds and colic in babies. Tea made from the inner bark of willows was used to reduce fever and relieve pain. Willow contains salicin which converts to a compound similar to the active ingredient in aspirin.
Early settlers used skunk cabbage to treat respiratory and nervous disorders, the needles of the eastern hemlock tree to relieve symptoms of flu, and dogwood to reduce fever. Goldthread was employed to cure sores and inflammation in the mouth until well into this century, and green hellebore was used as late as the 1960s to reduce blood pressure - when it was replaced by synthetics. Cardinal flower and joe-pye weed were used as aphrodisiacs!
Wetland Use and Wetland Loss. The plants of swamps and other low wet areas have been used throughout the ages by peoples around the world. The Russians and Irish mined peat from bogs for fuel. Salt marshes in northern Europe, the British Isles and the U.S. were used for hay, grazing animals and thatching houses. Whole cultures have lived in and depended on wetland areas, for example the Louisiana Cajuns and the Native Americans of the Florida Everglades.
Historically wetlands were utilized sometimes in sustainable and sometimes in destructive ways. Native Americans valued wetlands. They gathered plants and their products and hunted wetland animals for food and clothing, but didn't otherwise change the land. But as Europeans arrives and settlements occurred, wetlands began to be seen as mosquito - breeding wastelands to be drained for agriculture or to control disease and mosquitoes. Because of this much of the original wetland in the United States has been lost over the past several hundred years. Massachusetts has lost about 28 percent of its wetlands since Colonial times. The important functions and social values of these areas have only been recognized and protected in the past few decades.
This fall take a walk through or near a swamp, marsh or bog.  And thank wetlands for their bountiful harvest!

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Additional Resouces

This MassDEP document provides support information to the video: Wetlands - Our Valuable Resource.  
Posted 04.15.14; Produced by MassDEP, the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Program, & the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs ©1996; Runtime: 9:32

This video introduces the viewer to the importance of protecting wetland resource areas - our "Common Wealth". 
Posted 04.15.14; Updated 01.31.22

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