5. NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES Early settlement of Wayland occurred near the natural resources of the Sudbury River flood plain to take advantage of the good agricultural setting. During this time, the low-lying lands adjacent to the river were used to raise crops and hay while tree harvesting occurred in the hilly uplands. As agricultural uses declined, the flood plain reverted back to marshes that today are some of Wayland’s greatest open space assets. Much of this area is part of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Unlike the flood plain, the sand plains in the southern and eastern sections of Wayland were ideal sites for later residential and business development, and today only a few scattered fragments of agricultural uses remain in these areas. The lake-bottom deposits elsewhere in Wayland tend to have a high water table and therefore, only about half of this land has been developed. Much of the rest is occupied by the two golf courses or is under the care and control of the Conservation Commission. This section describes Wayland’s many natural and cultural resources. Major data sources for the natural resource information in this section include the Town’s 2001 Draft Open Space and Recreation Plan, the state’s Natural Heritage and Environmental Endangered Species Program (NHESP), and geographic data from state and local sources. Historical information is based on documents from the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) and the Wayland Historical Commission, as well as interviews with local historic resources advocates. Summary of Natural and Cultural Resources Themes in Wayland Assets Liabilities • The Sudbury River corridor is a critical and largely • Pollution from hazardous waste sites in the area intact ecosystem providing extensive wetlands, continues to affect the water quality of Heard’s Pond migratory bird habitat, flood control and other benefits. and the Sudbury River. • The Town has important habitat areas and wetlands, • Nonpoint pollution threatens the quality and viability of as well as active programs to protect these resources. surface water and groundwater resources. • The quality of the Town’s groundwater is excellent. • New development could alter or destroy the historic fabric of the Town centers. • Public and private landowners protect significant amounts of land in the community. • New development and redevelopment in Wayland and the surrounding Towns could diminish the rural • The Town has inventoried hundreds of historic appearance of the Town’s roads and neighborhoods. buildings and sites including resources spanning four centuries from the 17th to the 20th. • Existing historic buildings are being demolished to make way for new development or redevelopment. • The Town has designated a local historic district in Wayland Center. • Stone walls, street trees, and scenic landscapes are being altered or destroyed by new development, • Rural roads, stone walls, vistas, and historic structures particularly due to clear cutting. add to the Town’s semi-rural character. • There is only one small local historic district in Town, Through the Community Preservation Act, Wayland will • leaving other eligible properties and areas unprotected. raise funds for open space protection, historic preservation, and affordable housing. • The Town has 18 designated Scenic Roads, which include 21 miles of roadway. Wayland Master Plan Page 48 Natural and Cultural Resources 5.1 Existing Water Resources Wayland is fortunate to have several significant surface and ground water resources within the community (see Figure 5-1). Virtually the entire Town is located within the Sudbury-Assabet-Concord Rivers Watershed, although a small portion of extreme southeastern Wayland is within the Charles River Watershed. A watershed consists of the upland areas from which precipitation flows into any given water body and percolates into the ground, thereby replenishing the water lost through downstream migration, evaporation and human activities. Land use activities in a watershed can directly affect the quality and quantity of water being supplied to a Town’s surface and groundwater resources. Wayland is further defined by five smaller sub- watersheds that replenish individual ponds and streams: • The Sudbury River sub-watershed consisting of the western half of the Town extending from the Lincoln Town line to the Lake Cochituate sub-watershed in the southern section of Town; • The Lake Cochituate sub-watershed located south of West Plain Street; • The Mill Brook sub-watershed located along Mill Brook and Pine Brook in the central section of Town; • The Hayward Brook sub-watershed located north of Boston Post Road and adjacent to the Weston Town line; and • The Snake Brook sub-watershed located adjacent to Snake Brook in the southeastern section of Town. 5.1.1 Rivers, Brooks and Ponds Wayland’s water resources include the Sudbury River, Lake Cochituate, Dudley Pond, Heard Pond, Mill Pond, Old Wayland Reservoir, Hayward Brook, Pine Brook, Snake Brook, and Hazel Brook. The Town’s dominant water resource is the Sudbury River and its bordering wetlands and marshes. The river corridor remains nearly unspoiled, and is the focal point of many of Wayland’s open space protection efforts. It is also a key part of regional greenbelt systems including the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the Bay Circuit Trail, and the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic River corridor. The Sudbury River is used for educational purposes by such groups as the Wayland Schools, Sudbury Valley Trustees, and the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and is a favorite birding area with a state-wide reputation. Lake Cochituate and Dudley Pond provide recreational activities including boating, fishing and swimming. Both are surrounded by residential neighborhoods, but public access is limited. Cochituate State Park is located on Commonwealth Road (Route 30) and is operated by the Department of Environmental Management, now known as the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The park provides the primary public access point to Lake Cochituate via an entrance in Natick. On April 9, 1999, President Clinton signed the Wild and Scenic Rivers bill to protect 29 miles of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord (SuAsCo) rivers. Of the 163 Wild and Scenic Rivers in the United States, this is the first to be designated for its role in shaping American Literature, among other reasons. The transcendentalist writers Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne walked the banks of these three rivers. The Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Wild and Scenic River Study Committee and the River Awareness Committee formed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working to ensure that the rivers continue to provide these important natural resources in the future. Wayland Master Plan Page 49 Natural and Cultural Resources 5 v in oln 5 d rmn e 9 o ud h s2fridge ur 2o y2 r d 2 i ve n l o n i v 34IPT k o o fr 5 e l2 r z y ne r v n2 u ze qle d k roo u 2f d l l i o w 2 2 d 2 r o 2 e n n v o 2 2 PU n g 34 e z y le it ld ury2od 5 g yp 2 2ud 55 q l o d lin 2o e d s t o k n o o 2fr d foston r 2ost2od yw G@PH r k oo i ne2f r d o e th l d2 i h n sl 2 e rerds m 2s t 2 u o ond ti e d nn o 2g yld u d ur r y e 2 iv 5 d 55 o IPT e 2 o od 4 t o 3 d e e2 u r n rid g t i to i d h g th e yld2ylnd ou o 2 eservoirs g o h2 d t t2 u PU ti 4 3 e n n o g 2 5 5 l d h 5 y o hudley o l 2 ond t r p e e e k s t roo r t2 f l e2 i k n2 m tree n t QH d 34 i o n t 2 e th e l g r t we n h 2 o n m i m k go w i m t vke gohitute x DEFWH vegend urfe2ter 5 righ2ield2equifer 55 trem wedium2ield2equifer 55 sntermittent2trem ond 5 uli2ter2upply2ellhed etlnd equifer2rotetion2yverly2histrit piwe2IHHEer2plood2one @own2of2ylndA one2ss2equifer2ehrge2ere le2I42a2QDHHH2ftF @we2heprtment2of2inv9l2rotetionA H HFP HFR HFT HFV I wiles hylor pigure gonsulting qroup ter2esoures snF ylnd2wster2ln SEI en2pores2od22frintreeD2we22HPIVR22UVIEVRWEUHUH oureX2wssqsD2own2of2ylnd greted2yX2teongEh2ghoi PIHRFpr The corridor includes 16.6 miles of the Sudbury River, which flows through a low-gradient flood plain north to Concord, where it joins with the higher-gradient Assabet River, forming the Concord River. The Assabet River section is 4.4 miles long and is designated “recreational,” as is the 8-mile Concord section. The Sudbury River is designated “scenic,” except for 1.7 miles just upstream of the confluence, which is “recreational.” Designating the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act will help protect them for the enjoyment of future generations. A river stewardship council will recommend actions to address uses, improvements, and problems on the SuAsCo Rivers. One problem identified is a high level of phosphates, which causes degradation of water quality and affects fish and other aquatic life. The EPA is beginning an extensive TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) study to determine where the phosphates are coming from, and what measures can be taken to decrease the levels of phosphates in the rivers. The EPA will issue more stringent National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for wastewater treatment plants discharging to the SuAsCo rivers. The stewardship group is also conducting educational programs to encourage the public, businesses, and treatment plants to reduce phosphate inputs into the rivers.