Transformation Progresses at Century and Stuart Bogs

It’s not intuitive. When cranberry bogs are retired, repairing nature sometimes looks intrusive with big trucks and equipment on site. But it’s all very intentional: the water has been diverted for years and needs to find its way back to the flow that will benefit fish and wildlife and protect against flooding. And, left alone, invasive plants would overwhelm the former cranberry bogs. A clear design and workplan are necessary, and that often means moving mud with big trucks. You’ve seen that this fall at two projects: Stuart Bogs and Century Bogs.

Construction crews working under direction from Coalition staff have been on-site for just more than a month implementing the restoration plan at Stuart Bogs in Rochester, but already considerable progress has been made, and landscape features have begun to take shape. The project is funded by the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (MA DER) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, which holds a Wetlands Reserve Easement over the former agricultural site. 

A series of turtle sweeps have recently wrapped up, giving the Coalition peace of mind that any vulnerable animals have been relocated to areas that will not be disrupted by giant shovels.

Excavators have scraped away sand layers in areas that will become small ponds, with contractors smoothing out slopes leading down to the peaty wetland soils beneath. In one such future pond, the excavation revealed old Atlantic white cedar stumps, eliciting proof that cedars once grew prolifically here and likely can again.

Mixed mounds of peat and sandier soils are piled in strategic spots throughout the site; some to fill existing ditches, some to raise the profile of selected upland areas. There is also a gnarled heap of black, plastic irrigation piping that represents a fraction of what has been removed from the grounds. Some water control structures will not be removed until later in construction to help keep the work areas drier while the crews dig.

Restoration project manager Kate Ricketson walks the perimeter of the construction site along the silt fence. She is searching for a variety of turtle species and has encountered a number over the past couple of weeks—from the very common painted turtle to the aggressive snapper, one of which had to be handled with a net so he did not hurt Ricketson.

These sweeps were instituted to protect the Plymouth Red-Bellied cooter, an endangered species, and to help all turtles into ‘safe zones’ away from construction activity. On this day, we don’t see turtles of any species, which likely means most of them have bedded down for brumation (a state of dormancy somewhat similar to hibernation).

A mere miles away, crews are nearly finished excavating at Century Bog in MassWildlife’s Red Brook Wildlife Management Area. Contractors have doubled up efforts recently, sending larger crews to do the work in less time to be ready for re-opening the newly restored channel in time for outmigration of river herring from White Island Pond.

What’s left? Finalizing grading in some areas, removing concrete, and doing the first round of planting native trees and shrubs. Some additional planting will be done in the spring to round out other areas where trees and shrubs will get a headstart. 

The Century Bog project is the culmination of more than a decade of partnership by many organizations to restore the Red Brook watershed. In 2009, extensive restoration of the lower part of Red Brook was completed within the adjoining Lyman Reserve, owned by The Trustees of Reservations. Now, we are completing restoration of the upper part of this stream, one of the last native sea-run brook trout streams in Massachusetts.

The Red Brook Restoration Project at Century Bog is part of MassWildlife’s Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Landscape Restoration and Community Engagement Initiative, which is supported with grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, MA DFG’s In-Lieu Fee Program, MA DER, the B-120 Trustee Council (NOAA, USFWS, MA EOEEA), and support by many partners, including MassWildlife, Buzzards Bay Coalition, Mass Audubon, Ducks Unlimited, and the Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance.

The Coalition’s Director of Restoration Sara Quintal says, “it will take some time for the sites to re-vegetate once the weather warms again, but we expect to see both projects start ‘greening up’ in the spring. I’m excited to see that and to have people enjoying their walks at these newly improved conservation areas again.”