Section 4 Environmental Inventory & Analysis ` Town of Northborough Open Space and Recreation Plan

SECTION 4 ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY & ANALYSIS ` TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN – 2020

A - Geology, Soils, and Topography The US Department of Agriculture, Soil The Paxton-Woodbridge-Canton soils are very Conservation Service, has defined eleven deep, nearly level to steep soils that are drained and moderately well-drained on uplands. general soil types, of these, six can be found in Chatfield-Hollis soils are moderately deep and Northborough. The predominant types are well- shallow, gently sloping to moderately steep soils drained soils on slopes of less than 15%. Others that are well drained or somewhat excessively in order of quantity are poorly drained bog drained on uplands. soils, moderately well drained soils with less than Table 4.1 details each soil area's limitations for 15% slopes, some with greater than 15% slopes development with acreage and percentages of and poorly drained mineral soils. Table 4.1 lists each found in Northborough. Approximately the general types with their respective acreages. 40% of the Town (Soil Area 4) is characterized The Surficial Geology shows three predominant by soils capable of supporting residential, soil groups, sand and gravel, till or bedrock and commercial or industrial land uses without flood plain alluvium. These correspond to the extensive modifications. These soils are generally three types of soil, which are predominant in capable of supporting on-site septic systems for town. disposal of sanitary waste. Where public sewers The Soil Conservation Service has mapped three are available, lands falling within other soil dominant soil types in the Town of Northborough. types become somewhat more suitable for commercial, industrial and high-density The Hinckley-Merrimac-Windsor soils are very deep, nearly level to steep soils that are residential use. Approximately 75% of the excessively drained and somewhat excessively Town's soils are capable of supporting drained on outwash plains. agriculture, while 100% are suitable for recreational and woodland uses.

Table 4.1 - Soil Limitations for Development Soil Commer- Acreage % High Density Industrial Agricultural Recreation Wood-land Group Residential cial

1 810.3 8 Severe Severe Severe Severe Slight Slight

2 2,592.1 25.6 Severe Severe Severe Slight Slight Slight

3 1,161.9 11.5 Severe Severe Severe Severe Slight Slight

4 3,928.9 38.8 Slight Slight Slight Slight Slight Slight

7 889.6 8.8 Severe Severe Severe Slight Slight Slight

9 735.4 7.3 Severe Severe Severe Severe Slight Slight

(Central Massachusetts Regional Planning District, USDA Soil Conservation Service, 1965)

27 SOILS & GEOLOGIC FEATURES OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN Source: Data provided by the Town **Location data contained in this datalayer are nd LEGEND of Northborough, CMRPC, massDOT based on MassDEP staff interpretation of o and the Office of Geographic information provided by PRPs and their LSPs. P Information (MassGIS), Point features in this datalayer should ONLY be Town Boundaries Major Road Commonwealth of Massachusetts, considered as an ”approximation” or “best Gates Information Technology Division. estimate” of site locations based on the Water Bodies Local Road information submitted to the MassDEP BWSC. Information depicted on this map is Streams TON N The accuracy and completeness of the BERLIN ON for planning purposes only. This LI information submitted has not been verified by Prime Farmland information is not adequate for legal *# AUL Location* MassDEP. ! HUDS boundary definition, regulatory Soils (NRCS Soils- OYLS ----Description From MassGIS website interpretation, or parcel-level analysis.BER B MassDEP Tier 21E WORC. NE) See the MassGIS data layer description page N Use caution intrepreting positional *#! HUDSO accuracy. for full data disclaimer. Sites** http://www.mass.gov/mgis/c21e.htm NRCS SSURGO-Certified495 Soils (WORC. NE) Data current as of 10/2019 ¨¦§ MARLBOROUGH (Dominant Drainage Class) ¨¦§495 Excessively Moderately well IN drainedL drained R BERLIN ROUGH D Somewhat Poorly drained R BE *#!

H T excessively I Very poorly M S drainedARLBO M drained MARLBORO N L Well drained E C

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Of note, Mt. Pisgah is composed of bedrock with mafic gneiss. Mixed in are marble, garnets, and a layer of glacial till. As you progress to the top white sillimanite crystals, indicating that the rocks of Mt. Pisgah, the soils become shallow and are surrounding Mount Pisgah were at one time much closer to bedrock at the highest points of buried nearly 15 km (that’s half the thickness of the property. At the South View, glacial striations the crust!) and heated up to temperatures in can be seen in the bedrock; these deep scratches excess of 600 degrees Celsius before returning show the direction of the glacier’s path as it to their present location at the surface in scoured its way through the area. Mount Pisgah Northborough and Berlin. (Sudbury Valley itself is a heterogeneous mixture of several Trustees , 2009) different rock types. The most dominant type is

B - Landscape Character Topography has been one of the principal The Northborough landscape is characterized by factors affecting the location of urban a series of rolling hills interspersed throughout development in Northborough. This is reflected in the Town, with generally higher elevations in the the zoning of the town. More than 80% of the western half of the community and gently sloping Town’s land area has slopes of less than 15%, terrain in the eastern half of Town. Elevations which are usually suitable for development. Local vary from a low of 250 feet above sea level to regulations limit the grade of new roads to less a high of 715 feet at the top of Mount Pisgah. than 10%, decreasing the possibility of developing less desirable areas. Most of the steeper slopes occur in the western portion of Town, limiting development in that area.

C - Water Resources WATERSHEDS is not suitable to drink, swim in or to consume the fish that was caught there. A watershed is an area of land that drains rain water or snow into one location such as a stream, The leading causes of pollution in waterways are lake or wetland. These water bodies supply sediments, bacteria (such as E. coli) and excess drinking water, water for agriculture and nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus). manufacturing processes, offer opportunities for Although nutrients sound positive, they can cause recreation and provide habitat. Pollution such as big problems in a poorly managed watershed. runoff and erosion can interfere with the health For instance, sediment can suffocate fish by of a watershed. Therefore, it is of vital clogging their gills and the presence of bacteria importance to protect the quality of alone can indicate that other viruses and germs Northborough’s watersheds. can be found in the water as well. Erosion, runoff of animal waste and overflowing of combined Earth is covered in 70% water and unfortunately sewers are just a few ways these pollutants more than 50% of our nation's waters are reach our waters. impaired or threatened. "Impaired" means that the water body does not support one or more of Techniques to keep area watersheds clean and its intended uses. This could mean that the water healthy include daily conservation of water, appropriate disposal of household chemicals,

29 ` TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN – 2020 minimal use of fertilizer’s and selection of hardy The Assabet River originates in Westborough plant species that require limited watering, use and soon reaches the southern boundary of of permeable building materials, picking up Northborough. It then flows in a northerly after pets, and minimizing automobile traffic. direction, through the center of Town and flows into Marlborough at the northeast corner of Northborough lies entirely in the Sudbury Town. The majority of the Town drains into this Assabet Concord (SuAsCo) Watershed. Within basin. Only a small portion of the southeast the watershed, Northborough is part of four corner of Town drains into the Sudbury Basin; Tributary Watersheds. The Howard/Cold Harbor however, the Sudbury River itself does not flow Brook Tributary Watershed is in the western and through Town. The Water Resources Maps northern section of town. The Assabet illustrate the watershed divides with the sub Headwaters Tributary Watershed is in the basins. southwest and center part of town extending to the east. The North Brook Tributary Watershed FLOOD PLAINS AND WATER is located in the northern part of town. Finally, PROTECTION AREAS The Sudbury Reservoir Tributary Watershed reaches only the very southeastern tip of town. Flood plains associated with Northborough’s surface water are shown on the Water Resources Additionally, the following eight sub-basins are Maps (Part A and B) on the following pages. located in Northborough: Howard Brook; North Also included are the Zone II areas (Part B) for Brook; Coolidge Brook; Assabet River; Stirrup the water supplies of the Town discussed in Brook; Sudbury River; Cold Harbor Brook; and Section 3 and Intermediate Water Protection Hop Brook. Areas (IWPAs) for the Town. All of these areas are included in the local Groundwater Protection SURFACE WATER Overlay District, implemented in 1986 as part of According to the land use data presented in the Northborough Zoning Bylaw. Section 3, about 162 acres (1.3%) of This bylaw section was developed to help Northborough's total land area is composed of protect groundwater and the town’s water open water bodies, not including the Assabet supply. Wellhead protection areas are River and its tributaries. Fresh water ponds important for protecting the recharge area include two man-made ponds: Bartlett Pond in around public water supply (PWS) groundwater the eastern portion of town and Smith Pond in the sources. A Zone II is a wellhead protection area western part; and two great ponds: Little that has been determined by hydro-geologic Chauncy Pond to the southeast and Solomon modeling and approved by the Department of Pond in the northeastern portion of town. These Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Drinking Water are shown on the Map 8 - Watersheds, Program (DWP). In cases where hydro-geologic Wetlands and Surface Water. modeling studies have not been performed and Surface water including lakes, ponds, brooks, there is no approved Zone II, an Interim streams and rivers include the following: Assabet Wellhead Protection Area (IWPA) is established River; Bartlett Pond; Bearfoot Brook; Chauncy based on DEP DWP well pumping rates or Lake; Cold Harbor Brook; Cooledge Brook; Hop default values. Certain land uses may be either Brook; Howard Brook; Little Bummet Brook; Smith prohibited or restricted in both approved (Zone Brook; Solomon Pond; Stirrup Brook; Mill Pond; II) and interim (IWPA) wellhead protection areas. Little Crane Swamp; Crane Swamp; and Little The minimum IWPA radius is 400 feet and the Chauncy Pond. maximum radius is 0.5 miles.

WATER RESOURCES MAP (PART A) OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN Source: Data provided by the Town nd LEGEND of Northborough, CMRPC, massDOT o and the Office of Geographic P Information (MassGIS), Town Boundaries DEP Wetlands Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Information Technology Division. Gates Major Road Aquifers

Information depicted on this map is Local Road High Yield ( > 300 gpm) TON N BERLIN ON for planning purposes only. This information is not adequate for legal LI Water Bodies Medium Yield (100-300 HUDS boundary definition, regulatory gpm) OYLS Streams interpretation, or parcel-level analysis.BER B N Use caution intrepreting positional HUDSO accuracy. NRCS HUC NRCS HUC Subbasin Boundary Watershed ¨¦§495 MARLBOROUGHBoundary NRCS HUC Subwatersheds¨¦§495

AssabetIN River- Sudbury River- L Assabet River-North R BERLIN North ROUGHBrook to Cold Spring Brook D Brook to Elizabeth Brook R BEElizabeth Brook to Stearnes H T I Subwatershed Reservoir Dam M S AssabetARLBO River- M MARLBORO N headwaters to Sudbury River- L E C North Brook headwaters to R O O 290 O ¨¦§ O L Cold Spring Brook

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rvoir 0.550.275 0 0.55 1 Mercantile Street, Suite 520 AssabetRiver Worcester, MA 01608 Rese ® Town of Northborough, Massachusetts Date: 10/24/2019 Document Path: H:\Projects\O_Northborough_GIS\Subprojects\m215_osrp\osrp215_06_Water_Resources_A_11x17.mxd WATER RESOURCES MAP (PART B) OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN Source: Data provided by the Town (1) Data current as of 01/2019 nd of Northborough, CMRPC, massDOT (2) Data current as of 10/2019 o LEGEND and the Office of Geographic P Information (MassGIS), (3) Data current as of 04/2017 Town Boundaries Major Road Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Information Technology Division. Gates Water Bodies Local Road Information depicted on this map is Streams TON N BERLIN ON for planning purposes only. This information is not adequate for legal LI DEP ApprovedHUDS Surface Water boundary definition, regulatory OYLS Zone I (2) Supply Protection interpretation, or parcel-level analysis.BER B Area Zone NA (3) Use caution intrepreting positional Approved Wellhead HUDSO accuracy. Protection Areas Surface Water 495 (Zone II) (2) ¨¦§ MARLBOROUGHSupply Protection Area Zone B (3) Interim Wellhead ¨¦§495 Protection Areas (2) Surface Water IN L Supply Protection 100-yearR Flood BERLIN ROUGH Area Zone C (3) D Area (FEMA R BE

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In the 1950's, a work plan was proposed by the that affect Northborough are presented in Table Soil Conservation Service to control flood 4.2. damage in the SuAsCo watershed pursuant to the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act The 100-year flood plain is indicated on the (P.L. 566). Several floodwater retarding Water Resources Maps. Generally, this flood structures were built as part of a comprehensive plain is located within the lower lying elevations program throughout the watershed to prevent bordering the Assabet River, and the shoreline of flood damage. Descriptions of these facilities many surface water bodies.

Table 4.2 - Flood Damage Prevention Structures

Hop Brook Dam Cold Harbor Brook Bearfoot Brook Tyler Dam Dam Dam

Location 800 feet upstream 3,700 feet upstream 300 feet downstream 400 feet upstream from Route 20 from Lincoln Street from Town line with from Robin Hill Road Marlboro and Berlin in Marlboro

Total Land Area 194.65 acres 230.32 acres 60.87 acres 175.91acres in Northborough

Drainage 3,150 acres 3,000 acres 700 acres 13,500 acres

Area 4.9 square miles 4.7 square miles 1.1 square miles 21.1. square miles

Height of Dam 23 feet 22 feet 16 feet 31 feet

Type of Dam Earth fill Earth fill Earth fill Earth fill

Floodwater Storage 1,340 1,450 173 2,660 (acre-feet)

Sediment Storage 22 10 -- -- (acre-feet)

Expansion Potential Yes Yes Yes Yes for Wildlife Pool

(Soil Conservation Service, 1976)

The SCS report noted above provides additional B. Howard Brook, where a 75-acre permanent information on potential increased reservoir pool could be created, containing 1,867 areas at the following sites: acre-feet; and A. Hop Brook, where a 234-acre permanent C. Stirrup Brook, where a 52-acre site, pool extending into Shrewsbury could be providing 547 acre-feet of storage, could created, containing 5,867 acre-feet of be created for temporary storage of storage; floodwater and sediment.

32 ` TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN – 2020

WETLANDS SuAsCo flood control project, along Hop Brook, Cold Harbor Brook, Howard Brook, the Assabet A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or River, Stirrup Brook and Barefoot Brook. In seasonally. Such areas may also be covered addition, Crane Swamp drains into the open- partially or completely by shallow pools of channel Wachusett Aqueduct, which discharges water. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and into the Sudbury Reservoir in Southborough. bogs, and tend to occur in areas where, because of underlying geology, the water table intersects The Northborough Wetlands Protection Bylaw with the ground surface or where slowly and Regulations provide more stringent permeating soils prevent drainage. requirements to further protect these resources.

Northborough wetlands serve as recharge areas, This document along with the state regulations provide wildlife habitats, and act as natural provides protection for the smaller wetland flood retention areas. The principal wetland areas by regulating construction to reduce the areas in Northborough are associated with the impact on these resource areas.

D - Vegetation Forested areas in Northborough consist primarily The Massachusetts Natural Heritage and of white pine and hemlock trees with mixed Endangered Species Program (NHESP) maintains hardwoods in the northwest section of Town. This a list of all Massachusetts Endangered Species area also supports commercial agriculture and Act (MESA)-listed species observed and several orchards. Mixed hardwoods also grow in documented in each town. The following table the southwest section of town. These areas are lists those rare species found in the Town of the only remaining large unfragmented forested Northborough. These data were extracted from areas in town. While some of these areas are the database of the NHESP in April 2020. owned by the Town and are therefore protected, others are privately owned and are vulnerable Table 4.3 – State Listed Rare and to development. All of these areas provide Endangered Plants scenic, recreational and conservation value to the Taxonomic Scientific Common MESA Most Recent town. Group Name Name Status Observation The small wooded areas scattered throughout Lyre- Vascular Arabidopsis the town provide visual screens and add to the leaved E 1951 Plant lyrata town’s rural character. Many of these parcels Rock-cress form limited corridors for wildlife movement. Platanthera Pale Other areas of the town contain open fields that Vascular flava var. Green T 1946 Plant contribute to the perception that Northborough is herbiola Orchis a rural town. Over 300 acres of wetlands contribute to the ecological makeup of the town. E = Endangered; T = Threatened; SC = Special Concern These are mostly large areas consisting of open Public shade trees are located in Town right of wetlands areas, forested wetlands, with ponds ways, Town-owned parks, and in Town and streams collecting natural runoff. The cemeteries. The Department of Public Works diversity of these areas contributes to the valued typically monitors and maintains these character of the town. trees. Each year, some of these trees become damaged to a point where they may represent a

33 ` TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN – 2020 hazard. At that point, working with the Town’s cemeteries and have been damaged in a road Tree Warden and following due process, the accidents or storm events. The Town of DPW may remove the “hazard tree”. These are Northborough seeks to replace each tree as soon typically located in road side areas or as possible in a location nearby. E - Fisheries and Wildlife The amount and types of wildlife habitat in have unique habitat requirements. The town of Northborough has been dynamic since early Northborough is a mosaic of habitat types and colonial times. Once covered by primeval forest, conditions. Town owned conservation land is a majority of the land in central Massachusetts primarily forested, while privately owned lands was cleared for agriculture. This trend persisted are comprised of small farms, woodlots, and for decades, until about 1840 when 75% of the residential areas. This patchwork of habitats is arable land was in pasture or farm crops. The both a benefit and detriment to wildlife species. next 100 years was another period of dramatic A greater diversity of species may exist because change as most of the farmland was abandoned of the diversity of habitats. However, the and new forest invaded. fragmented nature of the town makes it more difficult for animal species to travel and interact, Dramatic changes in the wildlife community and in some cases, the different habitat areas accompanied these broad landscape changes. may be too small to support individual animals Some species thrived and expanded their range, or populations. while other were temporarily extirpated or became extinct. When agriculture dominated Overall, Northborough supports a variety and the landscape, species such as black bears, wild abundance of wildlife species, including, great turkeys, and white-tailed deer were gone from blue herons, swans, hawks, backyard songbirds most of their former range. Bluebirds were and numerous waterfowl. Mammals such as abundant during the agricultural period, but are squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, woodchucks, now very rare breeders. Other open habitat deer, foxes, coyotes, beavers, mink, muskrats, species (bobolinks, vesper sparrows, and golden- porcupines, weasels, fishers, otters and black winged warblers) are declining as well as bear are all present within the town’s borders. available habitat shrinks. Several large tracts of early successional habitat also exist. These large open, grassy areas may Today, most of the protected and undeveloped provide critical habitat for a variety of species land in Northborough is forested. While wildlife dependent on open lands, including various populations continue to be impacted by a variety insects, eastern meadowlarks, bobolinks, and a of activities and development, probably the most variety of sparrows. Open water resources significant impacts to the wildlife community have provide excellent fishing, and many streams are been these large regional changes in land use. regularly stocked with trout. Several ponds in In addition, recent human population expansion Northborough also provide good locations for into central Massachusetts has meant the loss of ice fishing during the winter. more and more open space, which is converted to residential housing. The Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) maintain The wildlife community in any particular area is a list of all Massachusetts Endangered Species primarily driven by the type and extent of Act (MESA)-listed species observed and available habitat. Specific wildlife species each documented in each town. The following table

34 ` TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN – 2020 lists those rare species found in the Town of April 2020. There may be more vernal pools Northborough. Data was extracted from the that exist in the Town of Northborough that have database of the NHESP in April 2020. not been “certified.” MassGIS maintains a data layer of “potential” vernal pools based on aerial Table 4.4 - Northborough Rare Species as photography. They indicate that there nearly 70 reported by the Natural Heritage and potential pools. (MassOLIVER) Endangered Species Program; MESA (Massachusetts Endangered Species Act) In addition to the Town-owned conservation areas, a wildlife management area of Taxonomic Scientific Common MESA Most Recent Group Name Name Status Observation approximately 147 acres adjacent to the Mt. Pisgah is owned by the Massachusetts Division of Blue- Ambystom spotted Fisheries and Wildlife and functions as an Amphibian a laterale SC 2011 Salamander important link in a wildlife corridor that continues Cow Path into Berlin and beyond. Cicindela Tiger Beetle purpurea SC 1944 Beetle UNIQUE HABITATS Twelve- Cicindela The SuAsCo floodplain occupies large areas spotted Beetle duodecimg SC 1944 throughout Town and provides habitat for many uttata Tiger Beetle wildlife species. Purple Cicindela Tiger With funding made available by the Executive Beetle purpurea SC 1944 Beetle Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs American Bird Botaurus E 1981 (EOEEA), the Natural Heritage and Endangered lentiginosus Bittern Species Program (NHESP) developed the Golden- Vermivora BioMap to identify the areas most in need of Bird winged E 1986 chrysoptera protection in order to protect the native Warbler biodiversity of the Commonwealth. BioMaps Wood Reptile Glyptemys SC 1993 insculpta Turtle focused primarily on state-listed rare species and exemplary natural communities but also E = Endangered; T = Threatened; SC = Special Concern includes the full breadth of the State's biological diversity. The goal of the BioMap is to promote Numerous vernal pools2 located throughout the strategic land protection by producing a map town provide specific habitat for several species showing areas, which if protected, would provide including the above listed salamanders, wood suitable habitat over the long term for the frogs, fairy shrimp and a variety of insects. maximum number of Massachusetts' terrestrial NHESP "certifies" the occurrence of vernal pools based on documentation of the pool's use by one and wetland species and natural communities. or more groups of species that rely on vernal As of 2012, the Town of Northborough pools. The Town of Northborough had 21 supported ten (10) Core Habitats as identified “certified” vernal pools listed by NHESP as of by NHESP. Within Northborough, BioMap2 Core Habitat accounts for 1,152 acres and BioMap2 2 Vernal pools are temporary pools of water. They are devoid of Critical Natural Landscape accounts for 903 fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species. Most pools are dry for at least part of the year and acres. 573 acres (50%) and 582 acres (64%) of fill with the winter rains or snow melt. Some pools may remain at those sums are protected (respectively). least partially filled with water over the course of a year or more, but all vernal pools dry up periodically. This ensures the absence of fish, a chief characteristic of all pools.

35 ` TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN – 2020

The Core Habitats are described below and are in the state. These wetlands are most likely to shown on the Habitat Features map on the support critical wetland functions and to maintain following page. these functions into the future.

Core Habitat 1679 (Species of Core 1720 (Wetland Core) Conservation Concern) Split between Northborough and Westborough This 155-acre polygon located partially within and south of Core 1713, this 311-acre Wetland Northborough and bisected by the southern Core is among the largest 20% of Wetland boundary is potential habitat for Blue-spotted Cores statewide and in this ecoregion. Salamanders. Adult and juvenile Salamanders inhabit upland forests during most of the year, Core 1730 (Wetland Core) where they reside in small-mammal burrows and North of Core 1713, this 10-acre polygon other subsurface retreats. Adults migrate during features Wetland Core Habitat. late winter or early spring to breed in vernal pools and fish-free areas of swamps, marshes, or Core 1736 (Species of Conservation similar wetlands. Larvae disperse into upland Concern) forest upon metamorphosis. This 90-acre polygon in the upper southwestern quadrant of Town is potential habitat for Blue- Core 1691 (Species of Conservation spotted Salamanders. Concern) This 313-acre polygon (located in both Core 1752 (Species of Conservation Northborough and Westborough in the southern Concern) portion of Town) is also potential habitat for This 35-acre polygon located north of Core Blue-spotted Salamanders and Four-toed 1736 is also potential habitat for Four-toed Salamanders. Four-toed Salamanders live in Salamanders. forested habitats surrounding swamps, bogs, marshes, vernal pools, and other fish-free waters Core 1769 (Species of Conservation that are used as breeding sites. Most breeding Concern) sites in Massachusetts are characterized by pit- This 292-acre polygon north of Core 1730 and and-mound topography with significant bisected by the eastern Town boundary is also sphagnum-moss cover. Eggs are typically laid in potential habitat for Blue-spotted Salamanders mounds or patches of moss that overhang water. and Four-toed Salamanders. Upon hatching, the larvae wriggle through the moss and drop into the water, where they will Core 1859 (Forest Core) develop prior to metamorphosis. This 712-acre polygon located partially in norther Northborough and party in Berlin, Core 1693 (Species of Conservation features Forest Core Habitat. Forest Cores are Concern) the best examples of large, intact forests that Located to the north of Core 1691, this 16-acre are least impacted by roads and development. polygon is another potential habitat for Four- Forest Cores support many bird species sensitive toed Salamanders. to the impacts of development and help maintain ecological processes found only in unfragmented Core 1713 (Wetland Core) forests. (Natural Heritage Endangered species This 62-acre polygon located in the southeastern Program, 2012) portion of Town features Wetland Core Habitat. Wetland Cores are the least disturbed wetlands

36 ` TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN – 2020

In addition to BioMap Core Habitat Areas (and as presented above in Tables 4.3 and 4.4), Northborough contains mapped habitat for three endangered species: the American Bittern

(Botaurus lentiginosus), the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) and the Lyre- leaved Rock-cress (Arabidopsis lyrata). The Town is also mapped for one threatened species (Pale Green Orchid, Platanthera flava var. herbiola), and four species of special concern: Blue-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale), Cow Path Tiger Beetle (Cicindela purpurea), Twelve- spotted Tiger Beetle (Cicindela duodecimguttata) and Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta).

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) are places in Massachusetts that receive special recognition because of the quality, uniqueness and significance of their natural and cultural resources. These areas are identified and nominated at the community level and are reviewed and designated by the state’s Secretary of Executive Office of Energy and

Environmental Affairs. ACEC designation creates a framework for local and regional stewardship of critical resources and ecosystems. As of June 2009, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) had no ACECs identified within the boundaries of Northborough. The Habitat Features map shows the location of the NHESP Priority Habitats of Rare Species, and certified and potential vernal pools.

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F - Unique Environments and Scenic Resources HISTORIC, CULTURAL, AND SCENIC The following table lists several historic, cultural, scenic or unique sites. These sites are shown on RESOURCES the map on the following page (Unique In 2009, the Historic Commission of Features). Northborough undertook the process of documenting the historic assets within the town. Table 4.6 - MACRIS Search Results This inventory created a record of each historical Resource Type asset including information such as construction dates, architectural styles, use over time and Houses 240 notes on the people and activities associated Unidentified Properties on Allen, with each site. The two-phase project inventoried Church, Davis, Hudson, Main, River, 21 School, Summer, and West Main Street all assets older than 100 years. Phase I resulted in 148 historical resources being inventoried and Westborough Hospital and State Schools 22 Phase II inventoried a total of 98 buildings, 6 structures, and 5 areas (Northborough Historic Business-Related 19 Commission). Structures 13

Prior to the 2009 effort, at the 1987 Annual Municipal 5 Town Meeting, the Town approved the Meeting Schools 5 House Common Historic District as an amendment Religious 12 to the Zoning Bylaw. This area is shown on the included map, and roughly encompasses an area Farm Related 14 bounded by Church Street, Whitney Street and Commemorative Plaques / Memorials 5 Pleasant Street. Cemetery 2 Also at the Annual Town Meeting of 1987, the Historic Districts or Areas 9 Town amended the Zoning Bylaw to add a Total 367 Scenic Roads provision and designated twenty- seven roads as “Scenic”. This action provides for In addition to the Town’s Scenic Roads, a thorough review by the Planning Board for any participants of the Open Space Committee cited proposal, which might cut or remove trees or the following farms as picturesque, with view involve destruction of stonewalls along any sheds that should be preserved or protected. Scenic Road in the Town. In order to be Tougas Farm designated as a Scenic Road, a road must have Davidian Farm trees of exceptional quality, be bordered by stonewalls, or contain natural or man-made Berberian Farm features of aesthetic value such as orchards, The Unique Features map shows many resources fields and forests. identified during this planning process and the scenic roads with special status. In 2020, the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) database listed 367 sites for the town of Northborough.

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Table 4.7 - Historic, Cultural and Scenic Resources Resource Location Significance Type Northborough Free Library 34 Main Street Cultural First Burial Grounds in Northborough, Brigham Street Cemetery 380 Brigham Street located between 360 and 380 Brigham Historic Street. Cold Harbor Brook Dam Off of West Main Street Flood Plain Control Historic

Carney Park Off of West Main Street Trailhead to area trails Recreation/Scenic Gravesite of Mary Goodnow (sic), a young Mary Goodnow Gravesite Northborough settler, who was scalped by 490 Main Street Indians in 1707. Marked by a state historic Historic Commemorative Plaque marker. There is a permanent right of access across private property. General Henry Knox Trail In front of Town Offices Commemorates General Henry Knox's Historic Commemorative Plaque travels through Northborough,

First Congregational Unitarian Church Church Street Northborough's First Meeting House Historic The location of the garrison house belonging to Samuel Goodenow (sic) and Garrison House of Samuel Goodenow 416 Main Street states his daughter was attacked by Historic Commemorative Plaque Indians on August 18, 1707. Plaque erected by Northborough Historical Commission. Hop Brook Dam Off Southwest Cutoff Historic Howard Street Cemetery Howard Street Historic

Church, Whitney, Pleasant, Howard Local Historic District 4/23/1973 Historic Streets.

Milestone, 1767 143 East Main Street "33 miles to Boston" Historic Home of the doctor who developed “The Dr. Gregory Pincus Homestead 30 Main Street (Birth Control) Pill” Historic Old Northborough High School- built in the New Town Hall 63 Main Street early 1930s. Historic

Old Town Hall 4 West Main Street Former Administrative offices Historic

Near Unitarian Church front door on Paul Revere Bell Bell cast in Revere Foundry. Historic Church Street 1154 pounds cast in 1809

Water Supply System for Metro Boston from Wachusett to Sudbury Reservoir. Built in 1896, crosses the Assabet River and Hudson Street just south of Allen Street. It Wachusett Aqueduct Linear District consists of several stone arches across the Historic river. This structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Structures and provides a picturesque entrance to the town from the north. Boat Ramp Bartlett Pond Off of Lyman Street Scenic Edmund Hill Woods Bearfoot Road Scenic Mt Pisgah Conservation Area (Fish and Smith Road Scenic Wildlife Area)

Lyman Street north of Chauncy Lake Westborough Wildlife Management and junction of South Street and Route Former State Hospital and State School Scenic/Historic Area 9 Westborough 41 Tougas Farm (Private) Multiple areas including Ball Street Working farm Scenic Davidian Farm (Private) Multiple areas including Church Street Working farm Scenic Berberian Farm (Private) Multiple areas including Otis Street Working farm Scenic Multiple areas including Fawcett Rawstron Land (Private) Working farm Scenic Orchard Road Multiple areas including West Main Bigelow Land (Private) Working farm Scenic Street The Cliffs/Wesson Estate (now called Mr. Wesson of Smith and Wesson gun 167 Main Street fame built “The Cliffs” as a summer home. Historic The White Cliffs) Now used as a banquet hall.

41 ` TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN – 2020

G - Environmental Challenges The Massachusetts Department of Environmental for the disposal of large/bulky items set out at Protection listed 124 Waste Sites/Reportable the curb was instituted in March of 2006. Releases in its Database for the Town of Northborough as of April 18, 2020. These 124 In 2019, the Town received $5,400 as part of releases were at 95 locations throughout the the Department of Environmental Protection’s town. The earliest reported release was on Recycling Dividends Fund program which January 15, 1987. The majority of these sites provides payments to municipalities that have (86) have been given a Compliance Status of implemented specific programs and policies Response Action Outcome (RAO), which indicates proven to maximize reuse, recycling and waste that response actions were sufficient to achieve a reduction. The award was used to offset the cost level of no significant risk or at least ensure that of purchasing recycling bins and the cost of all substantial hazards were eliminated. Of the producing and mailing the recycling calendar to listed sites, a few have ongoing cleanup and/or each household. monitoring at this time. The Northborough Recycling Commission is WASTE HANDLING responsible for proposing, supporting and monitoring recycling projects in order to increase The town utilized a landfill for municipal waste the percentage of items recycled and reduce the until 1977. Municipal waste is collected curbside volume of recyclable items that are disposed of and disposed of at the Wheelabrator Resource in the municipal solid waste. This group has Recovery Facility in Millbury by contract with a implemented a number of waste reducing and private hauler. Pellegrino Trucking has collected recycling initiatives including: trash and recycling for the Town since July 2005. In addition, the town instituted an aggressive Scrap Metal Recycling and Battery Collection recycling program beginning in 1991 and a Event Pay-As-You-Throw Program in January 2003. Household Compost Bins and Rain Barrels Sales The Pay-As-You-Throw Program for curbside Town-wide Swap Meet trash collection has been successful in decreasing Electronics Collections the tonnage of municipal waste while also Household Hazardous Waste Collection encouraging recycling, which has risen in the past fifteen years. Since July 2005 the trash tonnage Yard Leaf Composting has decreased from 2,864.16 tons to 1,919 tons The Town places outdoor recycling containers for in 2018 (a 33% decrease from 2005 and a the collection of cans and bottles. at Memorial 1.9% decrease from the previous 12 months). Field, Assabet Park and the Ellsworth/McAfee (Northborough Annual Budget For the Fiscal Park on Route 135. The Engineering Department Year, 2020). accepts button cell batteries, rechargeable batteries and mercurial thermometers which are The Town continues to offer two sizes of bags all unacceptable items for the waste stream. and the bag fee was last revised in 2007 and remains set at $3.00/large bag and DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS $1.50/small bag. A fee of $10 per box is leveraged for the disposal of hazardous waste Over the years, residential and commercial/ at the annual Household Hazardous Waste Day industrial developments have encroached on event. In addition, a sticker fee of $10 per item areas that were once forests, agricultural and open areas. The Board of Selectmen, Town

42 ` TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN – 2020

Planner, the Planning Board, the Conservation mainstem have decreased since WWTP Commission and area residents work together to upgrades were completed in 2012, but total minimize negative development impacts and to floating aquatic plant biomass in the large promote positive smart growth principles in impoundments has not decreased demonstrably. proposed development projects. Summer nitrate concentrations in the upper and middle Assabet River increased from1993 to SEDIMENTATION, EROSION, 2017 and concentrations in the tributary streams INVASIVE SPECIES, SURFACE OR decreased slightly between 2002 and 2017, GROUNDWATER POLLUTION, OR suggesting that the increase in nitrate concentrations in the Assabet River mainstem can CHRONIC FLOODING be attributed to wastewater discharges. Some parts of town roadways, particularly those near more densely populated areas, have Upgrades to the four municipal wastewater experienced higher rates of erosion because of treatment plants that discharge to the Assabet reduced filtration of surface water runoff River were completed as of the spring of 2012: resulting from large areas of asphalt and other Hudson in September 2009, Maynard in spring impermeable surfaces. Also during times of high 2011, Marlborough Westerly and Westborough water and flooding, greater river and stream in the spring of 2012. With the upgrades bank erosion occurs at river and stream bends. complete, all the treatment plants meet summer Increased erosion in some areas increases total phosphorus discharge limits of 0.1 mg/L sedimentation in downstream and down river and a winter limit of 1.0 mg/L. The Marlborough areas, leaving silt, sand, and gravel deposited in Easterly plant, discharging to Hop Brook, finished low lying areas. required upgrades in 2015.

High concentrations of both phosphorus and Water quality in the Assabet headwater nitrogen compounds act like fertilizer in the river, (upstream of the first wastewater treatment plant contributing to the overgrowth of aquatic plants discharge in Marlborough) and in tributary and algae. Organization for the Assabet River’s streams of the watershed is generally better than (OAR's) water quality data supports the in the mainstem. Nutrients in the tributaries are conclusion that the mainstem Assabet is nutrient mainly from non-point sources such as stormwater saturated - that neither phosphorus nor nitrogen runoff from roads and lawns or failing septic concentrations limit the growth of aquatic plants systems. (Organization for the Assabet River, in the river. 2018)

In the upper sections of the Assabet (where FORESTRY ISSUES dilution of WWTP effluent by natural flow is the No one involved in the preparation of this plan least) nutrient concentrations are well above the was aware of any environmental challenges thresholds for eutrophication for both phosphorus related to forestry. The town has two fire trucks and nitrogen species. Dissolved oxygen at sites specially designed to fight forest fires in difficult all along the river fall below 5.0 mg/L at times to access forest areas. Several forests stands, during the summer and thus support fish and including 100 acres on the Rawstron property other aquatic life. are managed through selective harvesting to promote sustainable growth. As determined by OAR’s water quality testing in September 2017, overall, summer total phosphorus concentrations in the Assabet River

43 ` TOWN OF NORTHBOROUGH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN – 2020

ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY ISSUES leverages more than 50 national data sources and 60 indicators to provide a score relative to A review of the locations of town recreation and seven major categories: Engagement, open space and their proximity to residential Environment, Health, Housing, Neighborhood, populations suggests that access is very good. Opportunity and Transportation. Northborough Open space is available for passive recreation currently scores 53 points on the index, and is in all parts of town, from Mt. Pisgah in the north, ranked in the top third for two categories to Edmund Hill Woods in the north central part of (Opportunity and Engagement). While town, to Westborough Wildlife Management Northborough does not rank in the bottom third Area/Crane Swamp in the southeast part of for any of the seven categories, the remaining town, to the New England Forestry Foundation five categories in which the Town scored in the conservation area in the western part of town. middle-third present opportunities for Most active recreation areas are part of school improvement. grounds or on major arteries easily accessible by the general public.

The web-based “Livability Index” developed by AARP’s Public Policy Institute is an interactive tool that assesses the livability of communities throughout the United States. The index

Figure 9- Northborough ParkServe Data

According to the Trust for Public Land’s online “ParkServe” database, 50% of Northborough’s residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. OTHER As with most New England areas, the presence of mosquitoes can reduce the enjoyment of the outdoors. The Town of Northborough has worked with the Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project (CMMCP) to facilitate spraying for the purpose of reducing the mosquito population. CMMCP was created by the Massachusetts State Legislature in 1973, and currently consists of 42 cities and towns in Central Massachusetts, from both Worcester and Middlesex Counties, covering over ~785 square miles. Northborough has been a member community since 1975.

Figure 8- Northborough Livability Score