Conservation Trust Seeks Hinckleys Pond Eco-Restoration Permits

HARWICH – The Harwich Conservation Trust is seeking permits to begin another eco-restoration project on fallow cranberry bogs, this time in the Hinckleys Pond-Herring River headwaters.

The project calls for restoration of former cranberry bogs adjacent to Hinckleys Pond in Pleasant Lake. Work is proposed on the 19-acre former Jenkins cranberry bogs adjacent to Hinckleys Pond, Route 124 and Headwaters Drive, and the 11-acre former Warner’s bogs on the northwest corner of Hinckleys Pond.

Nick Nelson, a senior geomorphologist with the environmental consulting firm Inter-Fluve, made the presentation to the commission May 21. He said the goals of the project were to improve water quality through nutrient attenuation that occurs in healthy wetland habitats. The project will enhance the habitat for aquatic and wetland organisms and improve ecological diversity and health of the bog surfaces, according to Nelson.

The work will be similar to changes now taking place in the Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve off Bank Street. HCT owns that preserve and is restoring 49 acres there in a project in conjunction with the town designed to attenuate nitrogen through newly created ponds and wetlands.

“Excessive nutrient loading into Cape Cod’s estuaries and ponds cause water quality degradation, loss of healthy habitat, water access closures, and hinder recovery of the once robust river herring fishery,” said HCT Executive Director Michael Lach. “For more than a decade, too much phosphorus entering Hinckleys Pond has caused toxic cyanobacteria algae blooms. Ecological stressors from past use like artificial ditching, manipulated water levels, and sand over-burden have compromised healthy wetland functions.”

The plan for Jenkins bogs is to enhance passive recreation opportunities as well, said Nelson.

The project calls for the construction of a 1.4-acre pond in the Jenkins bog to attenuate nitr

ogen before it reaches Hinckleys Pond. The proposed pond will be six feet deep and will utilize an existing culvert to allow water movement into Hinckleys Pond.

The pump house on the west side of the Cape Cod Rail Trail that served those bogs will be removed, Nelson said. Sand will be removed from the bogs and ditches will be filled. Those locations will be planted with cedar trees and simple shrub fens to create wetlands. A 35-foot boardwalk will be built where the two Jenkins bogs connect.

There will be no digging at the rail trail, but access ramps will be installed leading up to the trail and an observation area will be established where the pump house is now located on the west side of the trail adjacent to Hinckley’ Pond. There will be a new trail established around the Jenkins bogs, and there are plans for six additional parking spaces to be added adjacent to the rail trail.

Changes to the berms and ditches in the Warner bog will allow the connection to two smaller bogs. No structures will be removed. A new wooden plank trail will be provided around the bogs, which will create a minor disruption to the edge of the pond, Nelson said.

The property is owned by the Brown family, which has agreed to work with HCT to improve the health of the bogs.

HCT received a $146,700 federal Southeastern New England Project grant for the design and permitting costs for the project.

“Overall, it’s a great project,” Conservation Administrator Amy Usowski said. “It will re-naturalize the area, restore wetlands and allow for more diverse wildlife and plant species.”

Commission member Brad Chase, who is also the diadromous fisheries leader for the state Division of Marine Fisheries, had questions about the addition of the pond in the Jenkins bogs. Chase questioned whether the 1.4-acre pond is large enough and whether the new waterbody would suffer from summertime depletion of oxygen. Chase said he would have to give the pond component more thought before the next hearing.

Nelson said the new pond might attract American eels, which Chase said was beneficial.

Area resident John Wishart said the new pond would be connected to a pristine cold water pond, and he recommended a fountain be placed in the new pond to aerate the water, reducing the potential for oxygen loss.

Alan Hall asked if the eco-restoration would expand the mosquito population. Nelson said what they have seen in the Cold Brook project is increases in creatures that feed on mosquito larva.

Everett Eldredge, who lives near the Warner bogs, expressed concern for the snapping turtles and spotted turtles that live there. He wanted to know how the habitat would be managed to protect wildlife during the restoration period.

Nelson said that unless the wildlife is on an endangered species list, there are no federal or state regulations protecting them. But Nelson said the workers who will be doing the restoration watch out for creatures and will move them away from heavy equipment. He said the deer and coyotes have remained on site during the Cold Brook project.

“We move the critters out, but we can’t get all of them,” Nelson said, adding there will be long term viability for these critters on site.

With a lack of paperwork from state agencies, the commission continued the notice of intent hearing to June 20.