Division of Water Supply Protection: 2017 Land Management Plan Clockwise from top left: A view of Quabbin Reservoir looking north from the Administration building; Wachusett Reservoir from South Bay looking north; an aerial view of the Ware River watershed with the river and prison camp fields visible; a view of Sudbury Reservoir from Framingham Road looking north. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Water Supply Protection Office of Watershed Management January 2018 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A variety of individuals contributed to the writing of this plan, but the main authors were Stephen Anderson (Environmental Analyst – Natural Resources, retired), Dan Clark (Regional Director – Quabbin/Ware, formerly Director of Natural Resources), Brian Keevan (Environmental Analyst – Natural Resources), and Joel Zimmerman (Regional Planner, DWSP). Significant contributions to the plan were made by Greg Buzzell (Chief Forester – Wachusett/Sudbury), Herm Eck (Chief Forester – Quabbin/Ware River), Craig Fitzgerald (GIS ‐ Wachusett/Sudbury), and Phil Lamothe (GIS – Quabbin/Ware). Thanks to Thom Snowman (Environmental Analyst – Natural Resources, retired) for his efforts initiating this plan. Review and comments were provided by Pat Austin (Environmental Quality Chief – Wachusett/Sudbury), Derek Beard (Forester – Quabbin), Ken Canfield (Forester – Ware), Dan Crocker (Environmental Analyst – Wachusett/Sudbury), Rebecca Faucher (Environmental Analyst – Quabbin), Sean Fisher (DCR Archivist), Lisa Gustavsen (Assistant Regional Director – Quabbin/Ware), Helen Johnson (Forester – Quabbin), Paul Lyons (Environmental Analyst – Quabbin, retired), Bill Pula (Regional Director – Quabbin/Ware, retired), John Scannell (Regional Director – Wachusett/Sudbury), Jonathan Yeo (former Director, DWSP); Kim Turner (Parks Supervisor – Quabbin), Russ Wilmot (Forester – Wachusett/Sudbury), Steve Wood (Forester – Quabbin), and Maria Janowiak (US Forest Service, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science). All photographs, maps, and data provided by DCR Division of Water Supply Protection staff unless otherwise noted. CITATION Division of Water Supply Protection: 2017 Land Management Plan. Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Water Supply Protection. Boston, MA. 2018. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Charles D. Baker, Governor Karyn E. Polito, Lt. Governor Matthew A. Beaton, Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Leo P. Roy, Commissioner, Department of Conservation and Recreation Priscilla E. Geigis, Deputy Commissioner, Conservation and Resource Stewardship John M. Scannell, Acting Director, Division of Water Supply Protection TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. 1 2 AGENCY MISSION AND ORGANIZATION ....................................................................................................... 9 2.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................ 9 2.2.1 The Department of Conservation and Recreation ............................................................................. 9 2.2.2 Water Supply Protection Trust ........................................................................................................ 11 2.3 MISSION ........................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 REGULATORY OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 12 2.5 STAC AND FROM HERE FORWARD ........................................................................................................................ 14 2.6 SOURCES OF INFORMATION .................................................................................................................................. 15 3 DESCRIPTION OF WATERSHED RESOURCES ................................................................................................. 17 3.1 WATERSHED OWNERSHIP AND LAND USE ............................................................................................................... 17 3.1.1 Current Land Uses ........................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.2 Protected Lands ............................................................................................................................... 18 3.1.3 Rights‐of‐Way ................................................................................................................................. 18 3.2 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WATERSHED LANDS UNDER DWSP CONTROL ............................................................... 23 3.2.1 Soils ................................................................................................................................................. 23 3.2.2 Topography ..................................................................................................................................... 23 3.2.3 Precipitation and Evaporation ........................................................................................................ 24 3.2.4 Streams and Wetlands .................................................................................................................... 25 3.3 FOREST HISTORY AND CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................................ 26 3.3.1 Regional Land Use and Disturbance History ................................................................................... 26 3.3.2 Watershed Forest Histories ............................................................................................................. 26 3.4 CURRENT FOREST CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................................. 28 3.4.1 Assessing Forest Conditions ............................................................................................................ 28 Continuous Forest Inventory at Quabbin ........................................................................................................ 28 Continuous Forest Inventory at Ware River .................................................................................................... 29 Inventory Methods at Wachusett and Sudbury .............................................................................................. 29 Cover Type Mapping: GIS, Aerial Photographs, and LiDAR ............................................................................. 29 3.4.2 Current Forest Conditions – Quabbin .............................................................................................. 34 3.4.3 Current Forest Conditions – Ware River .......................................................................................... 36 3.4.4 Current Forest Conditions – Wachusett .......................................................................................... 37 3.4.5 Current Forest Conditions – Sudbury ............................................................................................... 40 3.5 WILDLIFE CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 41 3.5.1 Overview of Wildlife Community ..................................................................................................... 41 3.5.2 Results From Periodic Wildlife Surveys ............................................................................................ 43 3.6 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ........................................................................................................................................ 46 3.6.1 Rare and Uncommon Flora ............................................................................................................. 46 3.6.2 Rare Wildlife Species ....................................................................................................................... 50 3.6.3 Rare, Uncommon, and Exemplary Natural Communities ................................................................ 52 DCR Division of Water Supply Protection i 2017 Land Management Plan Table of Contents 3.7 CULTURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................................ 57 3.7.1 Records and Documents .................................................................................................................. 57 3.7.2 Archeological Resources .................................................................................................................. 58 3.7.3 Historic Buildings and Structures .................................................................................................... 59 4 MANAGEMENT PLAN GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: 2015‐2020 ........................................................ 61 4.1 LAND PROTECTION ............................................................................................................................................