River and Its Valley Conserving Biodiversity in the Housatonic River Watershed of Western Massachusetts Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game I Division of Fisheries & Wildlife I Notuml Hentage & Endangered Species Program 2011 The River and Its VaHey The Housatonic River watershed is highly valued for its native biodh"ersity. distinct habitats, and natural beauty. A remarkably high number of state-listed plants and animals (112) occur in low elevations of rhe HOllsamnic Rive r watershed. Only 15 percent of the land area in the watershed that is below 1,000 feet in elevation is protected; therefore, land protection in this aTea is a high priority for the Commonwealth of Massachuset[S and irs conservation partners. Consen"ation partners are encouraged {Q use (h is report and associated documents to help establish priorities for habitat protectio n, restoratio n, and manage illenc The RIVer end 11$ Volley; ,, Introduction There is something special about the Housatonic River protected , yet these areas include habitats for 112 species watershed in western Massachuse[[s, with irs broad river of state-listed plants and animals, as well as some of the va ll ey and the backdrop of the Berkshire Hills and Tacon­ state's least common natural communities, such as calcar­ ic Mountains. The forests, rich soils, and waterways of the eous fens. In contrast, 61 percent of lands in the water­ watershed helped shape the remarkable natural diversiry shed higher than 2,500 fee t in elevation are protected, but and special character of the region, as well as influence only 25 species of state-listed plants and animals inhabit how humans senled and used the land. The watershed those areas. Due to this disparity, protecting the remark­ has a long agricultural tradition, with farms and pastures able biodiversity of low-elevation areas of the Housatonic spread across the fiat, fertile floodpla in of the Iiousaronic River watershed is one of the highest conservation prio ri­ River and extending inro the nearby rolling hills . The wa­ ties in the State. tershed also has a lo ng industrial history whose heyday has Biodiversity conservation in the Housatonic water­ passed; this relied on natural commodities stich as timber shed faces several challenges. One is that the patches of and limestone, and was powered in part by the Housa­ critical habitat that support rare species in the watershed's [Onie River. The landscape is now a patchwork quilt of lowlands tend ro be small, fragmented, and ofren privately urban areas, brick mill buildings along the Housaronic owned. Therefore, it is not efficient, or even possible, for River, cou n try homes along winding roads, fields of cows the State to protect all of these lands, and local involve­ and corn, p roductive apple orchards, and sprawling for­ ment is essential. Given limited time and funding, we ests crisscrossed with old StOne walls. need to know where to focus efforts: where is conservation Many people recognize the natural beauty of the re­ work mOS t needed, and where will it be mOSt effective? gion, but they may not realize that the Housatonic River Another challenge is to raise awareness of how important Valley is one of the most biologically diverse areas in Mas­ the H ousatonic River and its floodplains are to regional sachusens, containing uncommon plants and animals and S(atewide biodiverSity. Such knowledge can inspire that can't be found elsewhere in the state. Long cherished citizens to become proud stewards of their own backyard by conservationists, the region's rarest species and natu­ biodiversity, and to become more engaged in town or re­ ral community types occur in areas that have re mained gional conservation efforts. relatively und isturbed over the last 300 years and in un­ likely places such as nondescript woodlots, small wetlands bordered by farms or developed areas, or even backyards .• v··' along (he river. Compared ro higher elevations, a d isproportionate number of state-listed plants, animals, and u ncommon or , , exem plary natural community types occur in low-eleva­ tion (less than 1,000 feet) areas of the H ousatonic River watershed. Low elevation areas have been subjected ro far more development than higher elevations, and far less of the land area is protected. In fact, only 15 percent of The Hous<Jtonic River w<Jtershed (grey the lands lower than 1,000 feet in elevation are currently shading) in western M<Jssachusetts. InlrodllcllQll The Housatonic River Watershed The Housatonic River watershed of western New England spans nearly 2.000 square miles of strikingly varied landscape. including the glacially-scoured Taconic Mountains and Berkshire Highlands in the north, the hills of western Connecticut, and the lowlands of the Atlantic coastal plain in the south. The Housatonic River meanders through expansive pastoral lands and Cllts sharply through sleep rocky rnvines along its 149-mile path In long Island Sound. lowlands of the HOllSl'l­ tonic River watershed fall within the Western New England Marble Valleys ecoregion, famed for its rich deciduous forests. calcareous wetlands. and limestone bedrock. Hund reds of millions of years ago. a shallow marine sea once existed in this region. That sea disappeared when continents converged and connected along a seam that today separates New York and the Lake Champlain basin from the rest of New England. The ancient sea left a legacy of calcium-rich soils that today support a high diversity of plants. animals. and habitats that are uncommon elsewhere in Massachusetts and New England. The last glaciers. which retreated just 10.000- 14.000 years ago. rounded the mountains and broadened the valleys. helping to shape the varied terrain that enhances the reg ion's natural diversity and beauty. Patterns of human settlement and natural resource exploitation have also strong ly influenced the natural diversity in the region. but some areas have remained relatively undisturbed over the last 300 years. and the watershed continues to include remarkably diverse natural communities. plants. and animals D Housatonic River Watershed Westem New England Ecoregions Wcslom Now England Marblo Valloys (1) Lower Berl<.shire Hills (2) -Berl<.sh,re TronS'liO<l (3) -= Berl<.sh,re Hoghlarods (4) -T1lCOOic Foothills (5) ,."= T1lCOOIC Mounta ins (6) Hudson Highlands (7) ConnectICUt Valley (8) -~ Sot Jthcm New Ello k1nd Coastal P\.1Jn (9) Biological Surveys During 2008-2009, the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) undertook an ambitious, watershed-specific biological study to improve Surveys at a Glance knowledge ofstate-listed species and natural communities in the Housatonic River warershed (Table \) (see foot­ Personnel: Reldwork was conducted by nearly 50 note) . Approximately 50 researchers, including N H ESP people, tndudtng NHESP staff. expert consultants. uni­ staff, expert consultants, academic scientists, and graduate versity researchers and their techntClsns. students. and volunteer assistants. students, conducted more than 9,000 hours offield stud­ Survey Sites: More than 1.800 locations were surveyed. ies. Sciemists snorkeled in the I iousatonic River to find With nearly 2.500 site VISits. elusive freshwater mussels, clambered up and down steep Time: Reldv-lork W"QS conducted on approximately 495 riverbanks to catch dragonAies, set nets and traps to catch days. or 9.000 person-hours. dunng the field seasons of 2008-2009 fish, waded through wetlands seeking turtles and salaman­ Species and Natural Communities: 46 state-listed ders, crept through stinging nettle and poison ivy to find plant speCies. 30 state-listed antmal speCies. and 18 state-lis ted plants, and swaned mosquiroes while liStening pri ority natural communtties were identified. Surveys up­ for marsh birds at dawn. They also assessed and mapped dated 135 eXlsttng records and documented 170 new uncommon natural communities and vernal pools. The records for state-listed speCies and uncommon natural communities. study area included the Housatonic River and its flood­ plain, the lower reaches of its rriburaries, and other habitats in low-elevation areas of the warershed. Surveys sought new populations ofstate-listed species and uncom­ mon natural communities, updated records nearing 25 years of age, and updated older records (>25 years) that were no longer included on regulatory maps. Additional objectives were to identify high-priority sites for conserva­ tion and management, and ro provide conservation plan­ ning materials ro 19 towns within the study area. Pla nts Thirty-one state-listed or Watch List plant species were targe£ed for surveys, primarily along the Housaronic Riv­ er floodplai n in Sheffield, Great Barrington, Lenox, and Thi5 project was funded lhrollgh the Mass.' c ~ l se tl s Sllb·Council of the HOI.l6atolHc RIver Trustee Council under the nllSpiceli of the Massachusetts and Department of Llle In terior (001) Natural Resou rce Damages Assessment and RestoraltOn (NRDJ Program. as part of a legal scuJeme nt Wi th the Genera l ElectriC Company for releasing poiychlonnated biphenyls Into the HOUS.1tOllIC River and its fIooopialn Green Orogon (Arisaema dracontlum). 1';Itr""" s-.. NH ESP BIOlog ical Surveys Table 1. State-listed speCies and prionty natural communities either speCifically targeted or found dunng 2008-2009 SUiVeys. Black Maple Acermgrum SC Triangle Floater Alasmidoma IIIldulala SC Block Cohosh ,4c/aea racemasa E Creeper Slrop/IIIIIS I/fIOu/aIUS SC Climbing Funillory AOlulma fungosa SC Total ~ecies 2 SlI"Ioll