• Upstream Border: Rte. 111, across from Knowlton Drive
• Downstream Border: RR tracks near Central Street crossing, north of Robbins St.

Team: Mark Chandler, Barbara Raab, Karen McCarthy

Recreation: Canoeing, Fishing, Scenic Views: Canoeing on Fort Pond Brook, FP7

Segment 1: Starting at the Central Street Bridge and heading south down to the railway tracks. This segment starts with a small pool surrounded by residential property with a minimal buffer zone. It quickly becomes very dense with bushes--posing an almost impenetrable thicket of vegetation. After another 30'-40', the stream opens up into a moderately deep (5'), channel of about 5'-10' width surrounded by wetlands/open marsh. The properties on the eastern side appear distant and well protected. As the stream (@ #5), starts to turn eastward, it becomes more

Buffer/Yard Waste/Runoff concerns: Sediment eroding into brook, next to bridge at Rte. 111, FP7

constricted and in closer proximity to houses, at first on the northeast side and then on the south side as well (a new development). The buffer zone appears marginally adequate (~50'), although moderately to sparsely vegetated (There is a coniferous overstory). Two semi-submerged beaver dams occur there. As the stream heads towards the Railway embankment, it grows up again into a large open wetland, where we observed geese, ducks, and red tail hawks among the larger birds.

Segment 2: North of the Central St. bridge to the Rte. 111 bridge. The stream forms a very sinewy course through an open wetland, interspersed by occasional thickets of bushes overgrowing the rushes and sedges. There is one pond associated with the stream (#19), on which a lawn abuts, clearly contributing

Buffer/Yard Waste/Runoff concerns: Grass clippings on bank of Fort Pond Brook, FP7. Grass clippings, brush, and leaves piled along the streams' edge, or near storm storm drains, "fertilize" the water.

some nutrients to at least the small pond. Generally the stream is navigable by small canoe, except at #13, where an impenetrable thicket of bushes forced us to portage around.