River Projects Would Revive Flow Through Old Bogs
By SAM HOUGHTON Nov 21, 2018
Mashpee Enterprise
Town Meeting in May could be asked to fund two ecological projects that aim to restore abandoned cranberry bogs to the free-flowing rivers that once teemed with native fish.
Proponents of the two projects—Garner Bogs and the Upper Childs River Restoration Project, and the Upper Quashnet River Conservation Land Restoration—made their pitches to the Mashpee Community Preservation Committee last Thursday, November 15. With the green light from the committee, the requests likely would get to Town Meeting floor in May.
Town conservation agent Andrew R. McManus spoke on behalf of both projects.
The Quashnet River had once been a popular spot for fishermen, including past presidents of the United States. Herring and cold brook trout inhabited the river. In the northern section, a shingle factory used Atlantic white cedar from a swamp. Eventually, the cranberry industry arrived and rerouted the river with different infrastructure.
“There’s a long history of activity out there,” Mr. McManus said.
Then, after the Air Force on Otis Air Force Base dumped fuel into the watershed for decades, the bogs became contaminated. In an effort to contain the contamination, the Air Force installed a large berm at the bogs and also treated and recharged groundwater into the bogs.
Even though the cranberry industry abandoned the area decades ago, the berm still remains. Mr. McManus said that the earthen structure has been negatively impacting the river ever since its installation, destroying fish habitat and the river in general.
The goal of the project, the conservation agent said, is to restore the river to what it used to be, which would create a number of recreational opportunities for the public and a restored fish habitat. Whether the river would be realigned or restored in place is yet to be determined. Much of the berm will stay in place given that much of it does not impact the river, while a failed section cannot be restored as it has sunk so low due to poor engineering. As soon as the berm was created, Mr. McManus said, it began sinking into the bog peat.
The application requests $320,000, which would go toward planning and permitting of the restoration effort. The Air Force, Mr. McManus said, has pledged to put money toward construction of the project, but the conservation department would likely receive funding through a number of different state and federal grant programs as well.
“Restoring this area would really reopen what was once a historic recreational site for the Town of Mashpee,” the conservation agent said. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to finally get the ball rolling on this restoration effort, and I think it will provide not only a tremendous benefit to the citizens of Mashpee as a premier recreation destination, it could also be used for education.”
For the Garner Bog project, the situation is similar but less complicated. Led by the Falmouth Rod & Gun Club with backing from the Mashpee Conservation Department, the applicants are looking to remove the cranberry bogs that had been recently abandoned. Similar to the Quashnet project, the Garner restoration effort would return the Childs River to a viable habitat for herring and cold river brook trout.
The project already has support from Mashpee and Falmouth. The land in Falmouth and Mashpee has been leased to the gun club for the duration of the project.
In April, Falmouth Town Meeting provided $150,000 in Community Preservation Act funding for the river’s restoration.
In Falmouth, the project seeks to restore the Farley Bog, a bog just south of the Garner Bog and part of the Childs River system, as a wetlands habitat. The funds will be used for the design, engineering and construction associated with removing an earthen dam and abandoned concrete fish ladder, removing impounded sediment, constructing a new channel and removing invasive plant species.
The gun club is requesting $240,510 in CPA funds from Mashpee that would go toward the reconstruction of the Garner Bogs project.
Gary W. Anderson, treasurer of the Falmouth club, said that once the area is restored, it will be open to the public to be used for fishing and walking, and the restored area would serve as protection against storms as open space.
Members of the CPC had few questions on the two projects and will likely decide in December what to recommend to Town Meeting.
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