Stewardship of the Warren Brook Conservation Easement

Every year, the Wentworth Watershed Association walks the property lines of all the properties that we own or have easements to. This survey of the properties is to see if there are any incursions onto the properties or other issues that might need to be addressed. Recently, the Warren Brook Conservation Easement was walked and it is a very special place but also not easy to access. In a few places, extra markers were put up to show the boundary line. There are some beautiful places on the property and the easement protects this part of our watershed. If you want more information about how to access the property, contact info@wentworthwatershed.org.

The route for this walk around the property started on Rt. 109 and headed down through some rather nasty brush but eventually walking the boundary became easier. At the bottom of a hill, a small stream enters a beaver dam swampy area, some areas have ponds where the beaver are active and other areas are places that were dammed but those dams have been abandoned. The picture, below, shows the small stream that has been backed up by the beaver dam. The main pond is in the distance.

The main pond had early spring birds, such as red winged blackbirds and a great blue heron flew over and landed to do some fishing or looking for spring peepers. This pond is about 150 yards by 300 yards.

We were not the only beings marking the boundary as this log had scat from most likely a fox who was indicating that he/she was there and it is my territory.

Going down a steep hill before getting to Warren Brook, a deer path was found. The blue line is just below, to the left, of the deer path that can be seen to be actually indented into the hillside. It may be hard to see but the upper edge is brown dirt. Obviously, this property is providing habitat for deer as this deer path is well used.

The walk was done on April 27th and false hellebore was starting to come up. These are close enough to each other so that they will completely cover the ground with green. They come up early so that they can enjoy the sun before the leaves form on the trees.

Tree cutting was noted on the walk and I am sure that no “intent to cut” was obtained from the state or town. It should also be noted that this cutting was done near a wetland and no permit was in evidence for that, either.

But you need raw material for your dam so you just cut what you need. This pond was active while a pond a few hundred yards away was not and the water level in that pond had dropped 2 or more feet.

Another older pond is shown below that is the one farthest south on the property.

 

Some spring flowers were seen and the most prominent were the trillium. This plant believes in “threes” as three large red petals, three smaller leaf like petals surrounding it, and three big leaves on the stem.

 

In the middle of the picture is the largest yellow birch in Carroll. It is in a steep, rocky area and any lumbering operation would have found it too hard to access this tree. It has a few smaller friends near it but it is the largest.

If you have gone up Warren Brook as it enters Lake Wentworth, which is possible sometimes without getting out of your boat, you travel a swampy area but eventually are stopped by beaver dams. Warren Brook doesn’t look like much but on the conservation easement, there is a section of it that is a nice little stream going through some mature forest areas.

As you walk the boundary, it is easy if the markers are present. Where they aren’t, it gets a bit confusing. In the picture below, the boundary is marked as it should be with red paint on tree blazes and in the left center, a survey marker, a piece of pipe in the ground in the middle of a pile of rock. Always nice to have confirmation of where you are.

The Warren Brook Conservation Easement has some nice places to visit and, perhaps because it is hard to get there, they are more rewarding. There are few indications that anyone visits the area often but animals are enjoying it. A bear has been seen there, there is evidence of moose and deer and beaver.