A Natural Resource Inventory for the Town of EDEN, N.Y. Prepared By
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A Natural Resource Inventory for the Town of EDEN, N.Y. Prepared by the Eden Conservation Advisory Board Assisted by Eric W. Gillert, Principal Urban Planner and Paul Rutledge, Ph.D Ecologist and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service September, 1999 Updated June, 2012 Table of Contents LIST OF APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................................. II LIST OF MAPS........................................................................................................................................................ III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................................... III FOREWORD .......................................................................................................................................................... IV THE PROCESS ......................................................................................................................................................... V SECTIONS 1-6: THE NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY ........................................................................................... VI SECTION 1: GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 THE GEOGRAPHIC SETTING ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 THE GEOLOGIC SETTING ................................................................................................................................... 1 SECTION 2: HYDROLOGY ....................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 SURFACE WATER SYSTEMS .............................................................................................................................. 4 2.2 WETLANDS .................................................................................................................................................. 5 2.3 FLOODPLAINS ............................................................................................................................................... 5 2.4 GROUND WATER SYSTEMS .............................................................................................................................. 6 2.5 WATER QUANTITY ......................................................................................................................................... 6 2.6 WATER QUALITY ........................................................................................................................................... 8 SECTION 3: SOILS ................................................................................................................................................. 10 3.1 PRIME SOILS .............................................................................................................................................. 11 3.2 HYDROLOGIC SOILS. ..................................................................................................................................... 12 3.3 STEEP SLOPE SOILS ...................................................................................................................................... 16 SECTION 4: LAND USE .......................................................................................................................................... 18 4.1 RESIDENTIAL ZONING ................................................................................................................................... 18 4.2 COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ZONING ............................................................................................................ 18 4.3 INSTITUTIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 19 4.4 UTILITIES AND SOLID WASTE .......................................................................................................................... 20 4.5 RECREATIONAL ........................................................................................................................................... 20 4.6 AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................................................. 21 4.7 HISTORICAL SITES ........................................................................................................................................ 22 4.8 UNIQUE NATURAL AREAS .............................................................................................................................. 23 4.9 SCENIC VISTAS ............................................................................................................................................ 24 4.10 POLITICAL BOUNDARIES ............................................................................................................................ 24 SECTION 5: VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE .............................................................................................................. 25 5.1 ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES AND VEGETATION ASSOCIATIONS ................................................................................ 25 5.2 VEGETATION ASSOCIATIONS BY PRESENT LAND USE ............................................................................................. 25 5.2.1 SUB-SYSTEM: TERRESTRIAL CULTURAL ......................................................................................................... 26 5.2.2 SUB-SYSTEM: OPEN UPLANDS ................................................................................................................... 28 5.2.3 SUB-SYSTEM: FORESTED UPLANDS ............................................................................................................. 29 5.2.4 SUB-SYSTEM: RIVERINE CULTURAL ............................................................................................................. 30 5.2.5 SUB-SYSTEM: NATURAL STREAMS .............................................................................................................. 31 5.2.6 SUB-SYSTEM: OPEN MINERAL SOIL WETLANDS ............................................................................................. 32 5.2.7 SUB-SYSTEM: OPEN PEATLANDS ................................................................................................................ 32 5.2.8 SUB-SYSTEM: FORESTED MINERAL SOIL WETLANDS ....................................................................................... 32 i 5.2.9 SUB-SYSTEM: FORESTED PEATLANDS ........................................................................................................... 32 5.3 WILDLIFE .................................................................................................................................................. 33 SECTION 6: ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS .............................................................................................................. 35 6.1 CLIMATE ................................................................................................................................................... 35 6.2 AIR QUALITY .............................................................................................................................................. 36 LIST OF APPENDICES (Back of Report) Appendix A New York State Agricultural Soil Groups 1-4* May 1993 Appendix B Erie County Soils with Potential for Hydric Inclusions March 1996 Appendix C Fact Sheet Eden Agricultural Districts 8-Year Review ii List of Maps Figure 1 Highways in Erie County Figure 2 Bedrock Geology Figure 3 Surfical Geology Figure 4 Depth to Bedrock Figure 5 Watersheds & Streams Figure 6 Wetlands Figure 7 100 Year Floodplains Figure 8 Hazardous Waste Sites Figure 9 Solid Waste Disposal Sites Figure 10 Prime Farmland Soils Figure 11 Hydric Soils Figure 12 Steep Slope Soils Figure 13 Zoning and Roads Figure 14 Agricultural Districts Figure 15 Average Dates Last Spring Killing Frost Figure 16 Average Dates First Fall Killing Frost Figure 17 Mean Annual Precipitation Figure 18 Average Annual Runoff Acknowledgements The Eden Conservation Advisory Board could not have completed this report without the help of a number of individuals. The project was initiated under the administration of former supervisor Suzanne Bisonette and continued by former supervisor John Tsakos and current supervisor Glenn Nellis. Financial support was provided from general revenues by the town council. Overall guidance and direction for the project was provided by Eric Gillert, Principal Urban Planner formerly with URS-Greiner consultants. Rick has been involved in this project from day one and has provided considerable advice and support on an ongoing basis. Members of the Eden Conservation Advisory Board contributed to volunteering their time and talents to this project. Many helped directly by authoring sections of the Natural Resources Inventory or by providing word processing services. iii Agencies that provide important information include: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning The Town of Amherst, New York (Planning Department) The U.S. Department of Agriculture,