University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository PREP Publications Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership 2009 Town of Barrington Natural Resources Inventory: A Reference PREP Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.unh.edu/prep Part of the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation PREP, "Town of Barrington Natural Resources Inventory: A Reference" (2009). PREP Publications. Paper 87. http://scholars.unh.edu/prep/87 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in PREP Publications by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Town of Barrington - Natural Resources Inventory Town of Barrington, New Hampshire Natural Resources Inventory: A Reference Prepared for: Barrington Conservation Commission by: Strafford Regional Planning Commission March 2009 Town of Barrington - Natural Resources Inventory Development of this plan was supported by the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (formerly the New Hampshire Estuaries Project) with funding from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation – Piscataqua Region Town of Barrington - Natural Resources Inventory ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Members of the Barrington NRI Work Group: Pam Failing Ed Lemos Pat Newhall Charlie Tatham John Wallace Charter Weeks Marika Wilde David Whitten Members of the Barrington Conservation Commission: Ron Allard Pam Failing Glenn Gould Michael Hastings Douglas Hatch, Jr. David Mott Peter Sandin John Wallace – Chair Members of the Barrington Natural Heritage Committee: Clayton Carl Bob Edmonds Pam Failing Charlie Tatham John Wallace Marika Wilde - Chair Partial list of other Barrington residents who assisted with the development and review of this NRI and/or the original NRI: Barrington Board of Selectmen Matthew Carpenter Tom Chase Bradley Crannell Bob Eckert Denise Hart Anne Melvin Carol Reilly Ann Schulz James Schulz Peter Thompson Faith Wallace Heather and Randy Warren Page ii Town of Barrington - Natural Resources Inventory TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Background .......................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Natural Resources Inventory Goals ..................................................................................... 3 1.4 Natural Resources Inventory Objectives ............................................................................. 3 1.5 Natural Resources Inventory Approach and Organization .................................................. 4 1.6 Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 4 2.0 LAND USE AND ZONING .................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Zoning Districts ................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Environmental Constraints................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 7 3.0 PHYSIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................... 8 3.1 Topography .......................................................................................................................... 8 3.2 Geology .............................................................................................................................. 10 3.3 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 12 4.0 SOIL RESOURCES............................................................................................................... 13 4.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................ 13 4.2 Farmland Soils and Agriculture ......................................................................................... 14 4.3 Forest Soils ........................................................................................................................ 16 4.4 Sand and Gravel ................................................................................................................. 18 4.5 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 18 5.0 FORESTS AND WOODLANDS .......................................................................................... 19 5.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................ 19 5.2 Forest and Woodland Resources ........................................................................................ 20 5.3 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 22 6.0 PLANTS AND ANIMALS.................................................................................................... 23 6.1 Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species ........................................................................ 23 6.2 Native and Beneficial Plant Species .................................................................................. 24 6.3 Invasive and Exotic Species............................................................................................... 25 6.4 Locally Observed Species .................................................................................................. 27 6.5 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 27 7.0 SURFACE WATER RESOURCES ...................................................................................... 29 7.1 Watersheds ......................................................................................................................... 29 7.2 Rivers and Streams ............................................................................................................ 29 7.3 Lakes and Ponds ................................................................................................................ 33 Page iii Town of Barrington - Natural Resources Inventory 7.4 Surface Water Quality Monitoring .................................................................................... 35 7.5 Shorelands and Riparian Areas .......................................................................................... 38 7.6 Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act ......................................................................... 41 7.7 Surface Water Drinking Water Sources ............................................................................. 42 7.8 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 43 8.0 GROUNDWATER RESOURCES ........................................................................................ 44 8.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 44 8.2 Groundwater Resources ..................................................................................................... 45 8.3 Groundwater Uses .............................................................................................................. 46 8.4 Wellhead Protection Areas ................................................................................................ 47 8.5 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 47 9.0 WETLANDS.......................................................................................................................... 48 9.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................ 48 9.2 Wetland Resources............................................................................................................. 49 9.3 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 51 10.0 POTENTIAL THREATS TO WATER RESOURCES ....................................................... 52 10.1 Point Source Pollution ..................................................................................................... 52 10.2 Non-Point Source Pollution ............................................................................................. 53 10.3 Water Withdrawals .......................................................................................................... 56 10.4 Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 56 11.0 AREAS OF ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE ..................................................................