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TANKERHOOSEN WATERSHED STUDY

PARTD

TANKERHOOSEN WATERSHED RECREATIONAL RESOURCES

March 31, 2007 • • • • Prepared by the • Hockanum River Watershed Association • • • • •.L!:::======:::!I •

TANKERHOOSEN RIVER WATERSHED

RECREATIONAL RESOURCES

1. Public Recreation Areas

Opportunities for recreation abound along the Tankerhoosen River and it's adjoining watershed lands. Activities include fishing, swimming and limited boating on ponds. The river does not have sufficient flow for boating. There are both town and state lands that are preserved for parks, wildlife sanctuaries and rails-trails. The town parks and the rail trail are managed by Vernon Parks and Recreation Department. Passive recreational activities include hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, ice skating, nature observation, and aesthetic enjoyment.

Attachment I (Tankerhoosen Watershed Recreation - Eastern) and Attachment 2 (Tankerhoosen Watershed Recreation - Western) show the location ofcenters for recreation and access points. These centers and the activities they support are described in this section.

Walker Reservoir East is a 13-acre Town ofVernon park located on Reservoir Road near 1­ 84 interchange #67. It is a headwater waterbody for the Tankerhoosen River. The area include the following resources:

• Parking area for more than 30 cars with a scenic view ofthe reservoir and its shoreline. • Handicap-accessible fishing pier. The State ofConnecticut DEP stocks the reservoir for fishing. • Trail around the reservoir that is marked with yellow blazes and is 0.8 miles long. • The Shenipsit Trail passes by the park. It is part ofthe 700-mile trail system that is maintained by Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA). It is marked with blue blazes and goes from the commuter parking lot on Reservoir Road through Vernon, passing through other recreational areas. • Ice skating, picnicking, and bird watching are other favorite activities. There are many gulls, ducks and geese in the area. The fall colors in this scenic area are often photographed.

Belding Wildlife Management Area is a 280-acre parcel owned by the State ofConnecticut Department ofEnvironmental Protection.. It was gifted to the State by Maxwell Belding about 25 years ago and will be managed in perpetuity through a generous endowment by the Maxwell Belding family. The area is located on Bolton Road and Valley Falls Roads. The confluence ofRailroad Brook and the Tankerhoosen River is on this property. The area features the following resources:

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• Parking for more than 5 cars on Bread & Milk Road. Unofficial roadside parking for 5 cars on Reservoir Road. • Scenic pond on the Tankerhoosen River with darn, picnicking, fishing. • This was the first Class I Wild Trout Management Area in Connecticut. In addition to the native trout, the State stocks the Tankerhoosen River. Catch-and­ release trout fishing is allowed. • The CFPA blue-blazed Shenipsit Trail passes through the property and passes the pond. The Belding Path is a yellow blazed trail which allows loop hikes in conjunction with the blue trail and various woods roads. • Cross-country skiing, nature viewing (82 species ofbirds, 18 species ofmammals and 31 species oftTees have been documented), picnicking, and photography are other favorite activities. • Historic Old North Bolton Cemetery on Bamforth Road abuts this property.

Valley Falls Park is a scenic and historic I83-acre park on Valley Falls Road. It is managed by the Town of Vernon. Railroad Brook, a major tributary for the Tankerhoosen River, flows north from Bolton through this park. The area features the following resources:

• Paved parking lot for more than 50 cars. • Scenic 4-acre pond wi th dam, pavi Iion, and falls. Vernon Parks and Recreation every spring sponsor an annual fishing derby. There is a beach with lifeguards in the summer. A parking fce is charged in the summer. • CFPA blue blazed Shenipsit Trail passes through the park. • Vernon Rails-to Trails is accessible from the park via the Shenipsit Trail. • Network ofblazed, scenic trails in the park, including a braille trail. • Summer educational and recreational children's programs. • Historic ruins listed in the National Historic Register. Ruins remain ofa trout hatchery owned by Christian Sharps, the inventor ofthe Sharps rifle. Other ruins remain for a site used variously for a saw mill. flaxseed oil mill, and textile mill. • Picnicking, cross-country skiing, ice skating, photography, and nature observation are other favorite activities.

Rails-To-Trails consists oftwo connected linear trails that are abandoned railroad lines. They were re-graded by the Connecticut National Guard - 242nd Engineering Battalion and covered with stone dust by the Town ofVemon to provide a very popular multi-use greenway trail. It consists ofthe Hop River Linear Park Extension that stretches 5 miles from Bolton to Manchester. It continues south from Bolton to Willimantic. The trail is on the railroad line that was once the Hartford. Providence and Fishkill Railroad. The other section. the Rockville Spur, splits from the Hop River trail at Warren Avenue and heads north for 4 miles to historic Rockville, a former mill tovm on the Hockanum River. The rail trail system e features the following resources: e • On grade parking for more than 6 cars on Church Street with an informational e kiosk. picnic tables and historic ruins ofa locomotive turn table. • • Scenic pedestrian bridge across the Tankerhoosen River on the Rockville Spur. el!:::::::======!J• 3 ..

• Access from on-grade commuter lot on Rt. 30 at Sacred Heart Church. • Access trail climbing from parking on the south side ofthe Keystone Arch Historic Tunnel on Tunnel Rd. The historic tunnel was constructed for the railroad, is 108 feet long and contains 30 keystone arches. • Access on the CFPA Shenipsit Trail that climbs from Valley Falls Park on Valley Falls Rd. • Access from the commuter parking lot on Rt. 44 in Bolton Notch. • Hiking, biking, horse back riding, cross-country skiing are very popular. • Only emergency and maintenance vehicles are allowed.

Phoenix Mill Park is a small five-acre scenic park at the corner of Phoenix and Maple Streets. Two acres are located at the darn site, and 3 acres are located just downstreanl ofthe dam. The Park is owned and managed by the Town ofVernon and overlooks a darn and Tankerhoosen Lake. The area features the following resources:

• Parking for more than 10 cars. • Area to launch portable boats. • Scenic view ofdam and State owned 8-acre Tankerhoosen Lake. • Fishing, picnicking, nature observation and limited boating are enjoyed. Ducks and geese are usually observed. •A walking trail along the river downstream of the dam.

DobsODville Pood is a 6-acre State-owned pond created by a scenic, high dam ofthe Tankerhoosen River at Dobson RdlWashington Street near 1-84. There is no public access at this time. Ruins ofthe Dobson Mill remain below the dam on private property.

Talcottville Pond is a 7-acre State owned pond created by a dam ofthe Tankerhoosen River on Main Street in the Talcottville section ofVernon. Main Street crosses the Tankerhoosen River by means ofan historic wrought-iron lenticular truss bridge. Public access is currently only available with permission ofthe abutting landowner. Nearby is the Talcott Mill building.

The confluence of the Tankerhoosen and Hockanum Rivers is located on Routes 30 and 83 near Vernon Circle and 1-84 at Connecticut Golf Land. This is a privately owned recreation area that is open to the public and features par-three golf, go-karts, inflatable boats, and a batting cage. It is the starting point for the annual Manchester Canoe and Kayak Race that goes downstream on the Hockanum River from this point. The Hockanum River flows through Manchester and East Hartford to the confluence with the Connecticut River just upstream from the Charter Oak Bridge.

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2. Threats to the Recreational Value of the Watershed

Vernon and Rockville exist primarily because of the waterpower contained in the Hockanum and Tankerhoosen Rivers. The construction oftextile mills precipitated the growth in population. As was shown in the previous section, the aesthetic and recreational aspects of these rivers now add significantly to the quality oflife for the current population. Some constructions in the past, however, have caused effects that are now known to be harmful or undesirable. Unless future constructions are managed carefully, these effects could be increased to a dangerous or unacceptable level. Governmental agencies and commissions are the front lines in this battle. The threats are listed in this section.

Water pollution by introduced chemicals.

• Chemicals which are listed as hazardous in Federal, State and Town regulations must be prevented from entering either the ground water or the aquifers within the watershed. • Town governments should exert every effort to clean-up sites that have been contaminated in the past. The goal is to prevent future spread ofthe contamination. • Town Planning and Zoning (P&Z) and Inland Wetland (lW) Conunissions should ensure that regulations prevent future contamination by these chemicals. • Conservation organizations must make citizenry aware ofthe harmful effects on the watershed caused by careless or excessive use of some ofthe chemicals used for lawn and landscaping care.

Storm Water Regulation

• Governments, commissions and citizenry need to make every effort to ensure that storm waters do not carry materials such as road salt and sand into the streams. • The runoff from the impervious surfaces ofroad, driveways and parking lots must be controlled to prevent flooding and erosion.

Impervious Surfaces

• Studies have shown the creation of impervious surfaces near streams will alter the flow by increasing the volume and speed of runoff. Town Planning and Zoning (P&Z) and Inland Wetland (lW) Commissions should ensure that regulations prevent the creation ofexcessive impervious surfaces near the rivers, and particularly headwaters region ofthe Tankerhoosen River. This region is an area of high water quality (Class A) and is key to the downstream health ofthe River.

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• Regulations should require adequate buffering areas along the rivers. The buffers lessen the runoff and filter pollutants and sediments from the runoff.

Invasive Plant Species

• Prevent by regulation the new plantings ofinvasive plant species. • Make every effort to eliminate or control existing invasive species.

George Arthur. Hockanum River Watershed Associa/ion

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TANKERHOOSEN RIVER WATERSHED

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

Hiking the Tankerhoosen watershed is a great way to discover the rich history of its agricultural and industrial past. Since rivers were the main source ofpower in early colonial days, mill ruins and settlements are common sights along the river trails. Agricultural history is also a well-known part ofthe Tankerhoosen watershed's past. Fortunately, thoughtful and concerted preservation efforts through the years have enabled enjoyment ofthese areas for the present-day citizens - as well as those who will traverse the Tankerhoosen trails in the future.

Talcottville Setting out along the Tankerhoosen River from its confluence with the larger Hockanum River, the first area ofhistorical and cultural note is the village ofTalconville, within the Town of Vernon. The village has been called one ofthe most intact and well-preserved examples of an I880s Connecticut mill town. Almost all ofthe original mill workers' houses on Main Street still stand, representative ofindustrial-period architecture. In those times, the village was owned and operated by the mill owners. They controlled the housing, church, school, company store, dairy, coal and water supply, and ice distribution from the pond. Villagers were provided with employment and stability by the mill owners through both good economic years as well as hard times.

A plaque on a stone in front ofthe lot next to the church gives the following history:

1802-04 - John Warburton established a power-driven, cotton-spinning mill and wool carding mill on the Tankerhoosen. 1822-20 - George and Nathaniel Kellogg purchased Warburton's mills and converted them to woolen cloth. The town was named Kelloggville. 1856 - Following Nathaniel Kellogg's death, Kelloggville was purchased by brothers Horace Wells Talcott and Charles Davidson Talcott who expanded the manufacturing plant, built additional housing for workers and named the village Talcottville. 1940 - Talcott Brothers ceased operation. The mill was converted to other manufacturing • processes. Talconville property was subdivided and sold. • In the late 1790's John Warburton, an Englishman versed in the technology, built a mill • producing screws for mills, using the power generated by a fall of25 feet in the Tankerhoosen. Later the mill spun cotton and carded wool. By 1811 a cotton spinning mill was built in this area which became so profitable that it was sold to Hartford investors in • 1813 for $9,000. George Kellogg bought it in 1816 and turned it into a satinet (a newly • popular fabric made from mixing cotton and wool) factory. He named the village • Kelloggville. The area became its present name in 1854 when the Talcott brothers bought the mills. To complete this perfect industrial village the Talcotts built a school, a Congregational • church, a library, a store, a post office, a social hall and a factory. For the Talcotts, two • • 7 •...._------_... / J ....,.' . LOOP Irati J • • / Attachment • • • TANKERHOOSEN WATERSHED • RECREATION - EASTERN • • • • • • Old • Cemetery • ..• • • • BELDING • • PATH .... • .~ ~ 1 • I Belding Pond • ~ SHENIPSIT. " ...... TRAIL ... : • • • • • RAIL TRAIL • ...... - • • a~y F.lls Pond • • Parks • AV/Rail trail LaR"es • Lakes 1000 a 1000 2000 Feet -....;;-_~~J • Belding WMA s • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••4

Attachment 2 TANKERHOOSEN WATERSHED RECREATION - WESTERN

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RAIL TRAIL \ \

/I~ h r Parks t?\VjRail trail LaR'es 3000 0 3000 Feet Lakes ----- .------Belding WMA s • matching Italianate structures were built on the hill overlooking the village. Later the mills moved north to the Hockanum where there was greater water power.

Continuing on Main Street, crossing the Tankerhoosen on historic wrought-iron lenticular bridge, a trail begins along the Tankerhoosen from the cul-de-sac where Main Street now ends. Remains of water driven industries are visible along the trail. Further on, there is a dramatic gorge illustrating the power ofwater cutting through rock. From this point one can climb the hill to Dobson Road, cross the bridge over the dam, connect to the rail-trail, and continue north to Vernon Depot.

Vernon Depot As the twentieth century began, Vernon Depot was an active transport center. lt was part of the Hartford, Providence & Fishkill Railroad, which eventually ran fTom Fishkill, New York to Providence, Rhode Island, via Hartford. The Depot ran seven trains a day in each direction with connections to Rockville. All trains traveling on this line stopped at the Depot, where significant freight was handled. In addition to the depot, an operating tower, cabin and other structures were once on the site, which was managed by an eleven person staff.

To provide the gentle incline necessary for trains to ascend through the hills between Vernon and Providence, a tremendous amount ofearth fill had to be brought in and stamped into place. In Vernon, a long dirt ramp needed to be constructed to provide the necessary grade for the rail engines to climb from Vernon Depot up through the steeper Valley Falls area to Bolton. The initial section oftrack from Hartford to Willimantic opened in December 1849.

Just east and north ofthe Depot. about 100 feet into the woods, are the remains ofan interesting circular stone formation. In 2004, Connecticut Archeologist Nick Bellantoni visited the site determining that it was a turnabout station whereby train engines would have been turned around on a circular platform for changing track direction. The first engine on the railroad was a wood-burning car nicknamed Old Betsy. The fare to Hartford was 75 cents. The roofline ofthe kiosk is a replica in small scale ofthe old Vernon Depot station. The kiosk was built by Eagle Scout Timothy Nelson in 1999.

Tunnel Road Keystone Arch Proceeding east along the trail from Vernon Depot, trail-goers approach the Keystone Arch on Tunnel Road, the longest such tunnel in Connecticut. Sometimes referred to as the Keystone Tunnel, it was built by the Hartford, Providence, Fishkill Railroad Company between 1846 and 1849, in order to allow trains to traverse Tunnel Road without disrupting the street traffic that ran along it from Lake Street to Vernon Center.

Masons and stonecutters, many just newly arrived from Ireland, constructed the arch tunnel with hand tools and the help ofoxen for pulling. Made of native sandstone from a former Box Mountain quarry in Vernon, the 108-foot long tunnel is constructed of30 arches. Each arch is comprised ofa center keystone with nine stones forming the curves on either side. The tunnel opening is 14-feet wide at its base and 16-feet high to the keystones. This tunnel is considered by historians to be a fine piece ofhistoric architecture and stands as a monument to the integrity and skilled workmanship of its builders. • •.'• ..._------=------_8 ... •

Valley Falls Park The rail-trail heads north from the Depot, then turns east, following Railroad Brook, a major tributary of the Tankerhoosen. From this point, one can view Valley Falls Park, below. The Valley Falls area has a rich history. The Park is the site ofthe first recorded industry in Vernon, a saw nUll, built in 1740. Between 1800 and 1877, flaxseed oil and laterconon warps, were manufactured in a small mill complex constructed next to the falls. The mill was destroyed by lire in 1877; remains ofthe mill can still be seen from the nature trail located by the Park entrance.

Starting in the mid-1800s. much ofthe land in the Valley Falls Park area was farmed. Corn, hay, oats, butter cheese were among the products that were grown. The land also supported pigs, horses, cows, chickens and turkeys. The ISO-acre fann, then known as the Anson Lyman Farm, is no longer operational, but the farm buildings, including the large red barn on Valley Falls Road, still remain today.

From the late 1800s to 1958 the property was owned by a series ofintriguing and historically eminent individuals. In 1871 Christian Sharps, inventor ofthe Sharps rifle, purchased the property and began a trout-breeding operation. The foundations are still present today at the south end of Valley Falls Pond. In 1910, the property was purchased by a questionable character. Jlans Munchow, who sailed from Germany three times in live years, each time listing a different age, marital status, and country ofresidence. In 1915, Mary Batterson Beach purchased the property. Married to Dr. Charles Beach, she was the daughter ofthe founder ofTravelers Insurance Company. During the Beach ownership, a large summer home, designed by Edward Hapgood, was constructed on Bolton Road. The farm continued to operate as a working farm with a full time manager and faml hands wltil 1958 when the property was sold to Jones & Lyon ofOld Lyme.

In 1963, the Town of Vernon (then the Vernon Fire District) purchased 130 acres from Jones & Lyon for passive recreational purposes. The cost was $37,000 and forgiveness oftaxes. In 1972, Jones & Lyon donated an additional 63 acres to the Town, including the large red bam on Valley Falls Road. In 2001 the farmhouse and six outbuildings were purchased by the Friends of Valley Falls, Inc. to ensure preservation ofthe historical complex.

Belding Wildlife Management Area The Tankerhoosen River passes through the 280-acre Belding Wildlife Management Area. The property was owned in the early 20th century by the Belding fanlily, the original founders ofthe Belding Mills in Rockvillc. Although they had a large mansion in Rockville, the Beldings purchased this country site for outdoor enjoyment. Fishing, riding, picnicking, and hiking were among the activities they pursued here. One can still find remains of shelters for overnight camping. About twenty-five years ago, Maxwell Belding donated the area to the State ofConnecticut. It is managed by the Department of Environmental Protection and is now open to the public. In 2002, he established an endowment to ensure the future stewardship ofthe area. A full-time DEP employee oversees the property and its hiking trails. and provides education programs such as nature walks on the site for children • and adults. • Cynthia Reik, • Hockanum River Watershed Association •.L!::======!J9 • • Friends of the Hockanum River Linear Park of Vernon, Inc. • 21 Timber Lane Vernon, Ct 06066 • 860.875·9865 • • • • Wildlife Surveys at Selected Locations • within the • Tankerhoosen Watershed • • Surveys conducted by • Jane Seymour, Wildlife Consultant • 2004 • • Funded ill part by the CT DEP through a • US EPA Clean Water Act §3/9/lOnpoint source grallt • • • • • • • Introduction • The Tankerhoosen River watershed is a 12.9 square mile drainage basin within the Hockanum River watershed, a major tributary to the Connecticut River. Approximately • 90% of the watershed lies within the boundaries of the Town of Vernon. Land along the upper reaches of the Tankerhoosen River is largely undeveloped and protected open space. Land along the lower reaches is a mix of commercial and • residential use. Water quality in the upper reaches has been classified as "A" from the headwaters to Tankerhoosen Lakes, and "B", with a goal of "A" from the Lakes to the • convergence with the Hockanum River. The undeveloped lands and protected open space in the upper reaches have sustained an important State of Connecticut natural resource, the 300-acre Belding Wild Trout Management Area. This area is managed by the CT • Department of Environmental Protection, and is one of only two such areas east of the • Connecticut River. Because of the envirorunental significance and pristine conditions in the upper reaches of the Tankerhoosen watershed, the Vernon Conservation Commission, in partnership with • the Friends of the Hockanum River Linear Park, Inc. and the Hockanum River Watershed Association, has undertaken a "State of the Watershed Assessment of the Tankerhoosen River Watershed". The purpose of the assessment is to document and • understand the current health of the watershed, as a means of ensuring its future protection. The wildlife surveys conducted by Wildlife Consultant Jane Seymour, and • reported herein, are a part of this assessment. We thank Jane Seymour for her excellent work, and Rivers Alliance, Inc. for the • opportunity to conduct this study. • - The Friends oj(he Hockanum River Linear Park. Inc. • • • • • • I 2 • Wildlife Surveys • In 2004, bird, reptile, amphibian and invertebrate surveys were conducted at sites within the Tankerhoosen River watershed. Suggested parcels for study were Tancanhoosen LLC, known as the Mason property, Town of Vernon, including property • around Walker Reservoir East, and on the CLP power line site. Additional bird counts were conducted within Valley Falls Park in April and May and reptile and amphibian • searches were conducted within the park in April, May and October. Bird Counts • Eighty bird species were detected during this study. Seventy four species were counted during standardized bird counts at 24 count points (Figure I) and 6 more were • detected as incidental observations. The count point with the greatest number of species was at Walkers Reservoir. This count point contains open water, emergent vegetation and forest habitat. Thirty-four species were counted at this point. Count points at the former • gravel pit on the Tancanhoosen LLC property contained the most uncommon birds. Prairie warbler, field sparrow, brown thrasher and eastern towhee were detected at these points throughout the breeding season. Populations ofthese species are declining and • brown thrasher is on Connecticut's list of Species of Special Concern. These birds are dependent on early successional habitats such as grassland and shrubland. These habitat • types have been lost to reforestation and human development. The gravel pit is at an early successional stage with open, grassy habitat and short, scattered pine trees (Figures 2 and 3). This site will eventually revert to a forested habitat unless actively managed to • maintain early successional habitat. Once the site is reforested, early successional species will disappear from tllis site. • Bird counts were conducted at the Belding Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in 2003. Birds that were detected during this study that were not detected during the Belding survey are italicized in Table l. These birds include wood duck, willow flycatcher, hernlit • thrush, black-throated blue warbler, European starling and house sparrow. House sparrow and European starling are introduced invasive species. House sparrows typically occur near developed areas and starlings are often found in developed and agricultural areas. • The greatest number of starlings detected during this study was at the leaf composting area near Walker's Reservoir West. • Birds that were detected at the Belding WMA that were not detected during this study include broad-winged hawk, hairy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, olive-sided flycatcher,yellow-throated vireo, red-breasted nuthatch, blue-gray gnatcatcher, Nashville • warbler, pine warbler, blackpoll warbler, blackburnian warbler cerulean warbler, worm­ • eating warbler and Canada warbler. • • •

• 3 • • • • • • • • • • • • I • • • • • • • • • 4 • • Fi ure 2. Early successional habitat within Tancanhoosen LLC arcel. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 5 • Table I L1St 0 fb'Ird species .dI entl .IiIed at studly IocatlOns. • CICONIIFORMES PASSERIFORMES Turdidae Thrnupidae Great Blue Heron Tyrnnnidae Eastern Bluebird Scarlet Tanager Turkey Vullure Easlern Wood-Pewee Swainson's thrush Embenzidae • ANSERIFORMES Eastern Phoebe Veery Eastern Towhee Canada goose \VilIow flycatcher /lennitthrush Chipping Sparrow Mallard Great Crested Aycalcher Wood Thrush Field sparrow • \Vood duck Eastern Kingbird American Robin White-throated sparrow FALCONrFORMES Vireonidae [\1irnidae Song Sparrow • Red-tailed Hawk Red-eyed Vireo Gray Catbird Dark-eyed junco Sharp-shinned hawk Warbling Vireo Northern Mockingbird CardinaJidae Cooper's hawk Corvidae Brown Thrasher Northern Cardinal • GALLIFOMES American Crow Sturnidae Rose-breasted Grosbeak Wild Turkey Common raven European starting Indigo Bunting CHARADRIIFORMES Blue Jay Bombycillidae letendae • American woodcock Hirundidae Cedar Waxwing Red-winged Blackbird Killdeer Tree Swallow Parulidae Common Grackle COLUMBIFORMES Bam Swallow Blue-winged Warbler Brown-headed Cowbird • Mourning Dove Paridae Northern parula Ballimore Oriole CUCULIFORMES Black-capped Chickadee Yellow Warbler Fnngillidae • Yellow-billed cuckoo Tufted Titmouse Chestnut-sided warbler American Goldfinch STRIGIFORMES Sittidae Yellow-rumped warbler House Finch Barred Owl White-breasted Nuthatch Black-throated green warbler Passeridae • Great homed owl Certhiidae Black-throated blue warbler /louse Sparrow APODIFORMES Brown creeper Prairie warbler* Chimney Swift Troglodytidae Palm warbler • Ruby-throaled hummingbird Carolina Wren Black-and-white warbler CORACIlFORMES House Wren American redstan • Beiled Kingfisher Ovenbird PICIFORMES Louisiana waterthrush Downy Woodpecker Common Yellowthroal • Red-bellied Woodpecker Yellow-shafted Aicker .. • Although pratne warbler was detecled at Beldmg WMA, It was not deteCled throughout the breedmg season as It was • on the Tancanhoosen LLC propeny. • I • • •

• 6 • • Amphibians and reptiles • Amphibian and reptile surveys were conducted along bird count routes using stone I turning and log rolling. Additional surveys were conducted along the Tankerhoosen River, Barrows Brook and Railroad Brook. Reptile searches were conducted throughout the Tancanhoosen LLC property and throughout Valley Falls Park with intensive searches conducted at the former gravel pit on the Tancanhoosen property and in Valley • Falls Park around the pond and field and along the Hop River State Park Trail. Historic records of spotted, wood and box turtles, hognose snake and black racer within Valley Falls Park prompted intensi ve searches for these species. • Ten species of amphibians were detected (Table 2). The most abundant amphibian found during this study was northern redback salamander, which was found on aU parcels • surveyed. Northern two-lined salamanders were found along the Tankerhoosen River and Railroad Brook. Spotted salamanders were found during night-time road surveys on Reservoir Road. A previously undocumented vernal pool was discovered between • Reservoir Road and Walker Reservoir West as a result of road surveys. Additional vernal pools were verified on Bolton Road and on the Jeep Trail above Valley Falls Park (Figure 4). • Two species of reptiles (painted turtle and garter snake) were found. The shell of a box turtle was found at one bird count point. Box turtles have been documented within • the Belding Wildlife Management Area in 2003 and 2004. Painted turtles were found at the pond in Valley Falls Park and at Walker Reservoir. Northern water snake has been reported at Valley Falls Park and is also likely to occur at Walker's Reservoir. The • former gravel pit on the Tancanhoosen LLC provides habitat that may be suitable for hognose and smooth green snakes. These species were not detected despite intensive • searches and use of artificial covers in this area. Table 2. List of amohibians and reotiles. • Northern redback salamander Northern two-lined salamander Sootted salamander • American toad Northern sori n!! neener • Grav treefro!! Wood fro" Green fro" • Bull fro!! Pickerel fro!! • Painted turtle • Garter snake • • • • 7 • • • • • • • • • • • •

I • ~ • c, \ • , \ • • • • • • 8 • Invertebrates • Odonates Tankerhoosen River and Walker's Reservoir were surveyed for dragonflies and • damselflies. Ebony jewelwing, Ri ver jewelwing and brown darner were found along the Tankerhoosen River. Common green danler, brown darner and eastern pondhawk were found along Walker' Reservoir. Common green darner and cherry-faced meadowhawk • were found in the former gravel pit on the Tancanhoosen LLC property. Mussels • A search was conducted for freshwater mussels by walking up the Tankerhoosen River and Barrows Brook through the Tancanhoosen LLC property. Freshwater mussels • were not found within these sections of the streams. Stream invertebrates • Riffle dwelling stream invertebrates were collected to assess stream quality. Invertebrates were collected in the upper Tankerhoosen River on the Tancanhoosen LLC property, in Barrows Brook and in the unnamed tributary that drains into Gages Brook • just upstream from Walker's Reservoir East. Invertebrates were grouped into three categories - Most Wanted (pollution intolerant species), Moderately Wanted (somewhat • pollution intolerant species) and Least Wanted (pollution tolerant species). Three of the Most Wanted invertebrates were collected at Barrow's Brook (Peltoperlidae, Perlidae and Stonefly), two Moderately Wanted (Chimarra and • Stenonema) and one of the Least Wanted (Simuliidae). Additional invertebrates were collected that indicate high water quality at this site. • Three of the Most Wanted invertebrates (Peltoperlidae. Glossosoma and Rhyacophjla) were collected at the Tankerhoosen River, just upstream from Fish and Game Road. Five Moderately Wanted (Hydropsychidae. Chimarra. Stenonema. • Psephenus and Nigronia) were collected at this site. No Least Wanted invertebrates were collected. At the third site, the unnamed tributary of Gages Brook, no most wanted invertebrates • were collected. Two Moderately wanted (Hydropsychidae and Chimarra) and two Least Wanted invertebrates were collected. This site contained appropriate riffle habitat and the • organisms collected here are indicative of riffle habitat. The sampling location is just downstream of Interstate 84. The lack of Most Wanted invertebrates at thjs site may be a result of negative impacts from Interstate 84. Additional sites upstream of the highway • should be sarnpled to determine impacts of roads across this stream. • Dredging of Valley Falls Pond During the draining of Valley Falls Pond for dredging. two bird species were encountered that are not listed in Table I. Spotted sandpiper and green heron appeared as • lower water levels exposed prey items for these species. Fish became more accessible for green heron and spotted sandpiper preyed on exposed mud dwelling invertebrates. These • species were present only during the drailung of the pond. • --Jane Seymour, December, 2004 • • 9