July 22, 2004 Draft Project Overview Historical & Current Natural Resource Assessments Of the Coonamessett River Valley, Falmouth, MA Charles J. Katuska, P.W.S. Project Goals Project Description Study Area Cultural Resources Ecological Resources Schedules & Status Preliminary Results Procedures

July 22, 2004 Instructions: Delete sample document icon and replace with working document icons as follows: Create document in Word. Return to PowerPoint. From Insert Menu, select Object… Click “Create from File” Locate File name in “File” box Make sure “Display as Icon” is checked. Click OK Select icon From Slide Show Menu, Select Action Settings. Click “Object Action” and select “Edit” Click OK Project Goals Provide summary ecological information to the Stakeholders To the extent possible, compare current conditions to historical conditions Support the decision-making process of the Coonamessett River Restoration Working Group

July 22, 2004 Project Description Collect record information and interview knowledgeable individuals as necessary to produce - Existing Conditions Vegetation Map and Descriptions of Cover Types General discussion of terrestrial wildlife and habitat suitability within the existing project area Discussion of game and non-game fish utilization and habitat suitability of the Coonamessett mainstem, tributaries, Coonamessett Pond, Flax Pond, and upper portion of the Great Pond estuary General evaluation of aquatic macroinvertebrate habitats with the project area General description of wetland and upland soil types, geomorphology, and stream geometry Instructions: Delete sample document icon and replace with working document icons as follows: Create document in Word. Return to PowerPoint. From Insert Menu, select Object… Click “Create from File” Locate File name in “File” box Make sure “Display as Icon” is checked. Click OK Select icon From Slide Show Menu, Select Action Settings. Click “Object Action” and select “Edit” Click OK

July 22, 2004 Project Description (2) Collect record information and interview knowledgeable individuals as necessary to produce - Investigation and report of historic land-use and pre-colonial ecological conditions within the Coonamessett Valley. Recommendations for additional natural resource inventory and assessment. Additionally Identify at least two reference areas – one within the Coonamessett system, one in a nearby river system – to be used generally as a “proxy” for potential, proposed, or anticipated conditions resulting from any restoration actions to be taken within the Coonamessett River Watershed Instructions: Delete sample document icon and replace with working document icons as follows: Create document in Word. Return to PowerPoint. From Insert Menu, select Object… Click “Create from File” Locate File name in “File” box Make sure “Display as Icon” is checked. Click OK Select icon From Slide Show Menu, Select Action Settings. Click “Object Action” and select “Edit” Click OK

July 22, 2004 Study Area Coonamessett River “Watershed” Instructions: Delete sample document icon and replace with working document icons as follows: Create document in Word. Return to PowerPoint. From Insert Menu, select Object… Click “Create from File” Locate File name in “File” box Make sure “Display as Icon” is checked. Click OK Select icon From Slide Show Menu, Select Action Settings. Click “Object Action” and select “Edit” Click OK Above Coonamessett Pond - use contributing groundwater area ( USGS WRI Rpt ) Below Coonamessett Pond - use topographic surface divide

July 22, 2004 Cultural Resources Cultural Resources Falmouth Historical Society Archives Falmouth Public Library Barnstable County Registry of Deeds Barnstable Public Library Cape Cod Commission Massachusetts State Archives Cape Cod Cranberry Grower’s Association (Middleborough Public Library) Cape Cod Museum of Natural History Coonamessett River Restoration Working Group Instructions: Delete sample document icon and replace with working document icons as follows: Create document in Word. Return to PowerPoint. From Insert Menu, select Object… Click “Create from File” Locate File name in “File” box Make sure “Display as Icon” is checked. Click OK Select icon From Slide Show Menu, Select Action Settings. Click “Object Action” and select “Edit” Click OK

July 22, 2004 Ecological Resources Falmouth Department of Natural Resources Falmouth Fisherman’s Association MA Department of Fish & Game MA Division of Marine Fisheries MA Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program Massachusetts Audubon Society Waquoit National Estuarine Research Reserve US Fish & Wildlife Service NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Marine Biological Laboratory Instructions: Delete sample document icon and replace with working document icons as follows: Create document in Word. Return to PowerPoint. From Insert Menu, select Object… Click “Create from File” Locate File name in “File” box Make sure “Display as Icon” is checked. Click OK Select icon From Slide Show Menu, Select Action Settings. Click “Object Action” and select “Edit” Click OK

July 22, 2004 Status & Schedule Research substantially complete (additional interviews as possible) Field work substantially complete Draft document/graphics in preparation Draft Document July 27, 2004 for Review & Comment Final Report August 1, 2004 Instructions: Delete sample document icon and replace with working document icons as follows: Create document in Word. Return to PowerPoint. From Insert Menu, select Object… Click “Create from File” Locate File name in “File” box Make sure “Display as Icon” is checked. Click OK Select icon From Slide Show Menu, Select Action Settings. Click “Object Action” and select “Edit” Click OK

July 22, 2004 Preliminary Results (1) Coonamessett River is a regionally significant natural resource system the exists by virtue of an uncommon hydrogeologic framework Coonamessett River Valley (and tributary recharge areas) has been affected by human disturbance factors (agricultural, industrial, and residential land use) for over 300 years Site-specific records of pre-disturbance environmental conditions are non-existent Palynological and paleoecological studies are generally too coarse-grained to contribute site specific value

July 22, 2004 Preliminary Results (2) The groundwater hydrology that supports the Coonamessett River system is relatively intact. Extractive uses seems to be below impact threshholds Although, significant progress has been made in cleaning up the MMR’s FS-28 plume, the temporary surface water inputs from the clean-up complicate interpretation of ecological functions - past, present, and future. The surface water flow regime throughout the entire Coonamessett River is entirely controlled with structures and actively managed

July 22, 2004 Preliminary Results (3) Terrestrial biodiversity (vascular plants, mammals, birds, some reptiles and amphibians) within the overall Coonamessett watershed is at or near expected maxima, with the exception of historic extinctions (wolf, passenger pigeon, heath hen, etc.) Numerous rare species present, although individual populations may be low Wetland and Aquatic biodiversity (vascular plants, some reptiles, most amphibians, fish) within the overall Coonamessett watershed is suppressed by current and past land uses. Sport fish and river herring are intensively managed

July 22, 2004 Preliminary Results (4) Past industrial uses ( ) were responsible for the initial alteration of riverine and wetland habitats along the Coonamessett River Agricultural water management and agrochemical uses have resulted in (and continue to result in) significant modifications to in-stream habitat use and value since Conflict between public use (primarily fishery resources) and private use (industry, agriculture) of the Coonamessett River resources is 300 years old. Recreational values here much more recent

July 22, 2004 Preliminary Results (5) Varied conditions in the abandoned bogs along the Coonamessett River (wooded swamp, shrub swamp, wet meadow, Sphagnum bog, suggest that multiple restoration endpoints are available. The Quashnet River, with a system of recently restored wetland habitats, offers many valuable lessons and an on-going program of restoration performance monitoring data. The Mashpee River, which was never impounded or commercially developed for cranberry bogs, is a unique natural resource on Cape Cod and may represent the best available restoration reference system