Aquatic Habitat Restoration on the Community Forest

August 30, 2012

Supporters of Downeast Lakes Land Trust are likely aware that the trust has been working for several years to restore aquatic habitat – especially for brook trout – on the Farm Cove Community Forest (see Downeast Lakes Traditions, November 2010, for example).

This summer, with help from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we are restoring habitat at 7 road-stream crossing sites, bringing the total to 16 sites restored since 2006.

At most sites, a bottomless arch culvert has been installed, which is designed to provide a natural stream channel for unhindered movement of aquatic wildlife and sized to withstand high stream flow events. These projects also employ local contractors and maintain roads that provide public recreational access and the opportunity to continue a sustainable timber harvest. In one instance, we installed a bridge. At a few other sites, we were able to remove an unnecessary road where access was possible using a different crossing.

The map below gives an overview of the locations where projects have been completed (three of these sites will be completed within the next two to three weeks).  Below the map is a selection of photos of restoration sites, including pictures from before, during, and after restoration projects.

 

Belden Brook snowmobile trail crossing, May 2006	Belden Brook former trail crossing after re-route and restoration, October 2006
Clogged culverts, Rolfe Brook at 4th Lake Rd, 2006	Installing an arch culvert at Rolfe Brook on the 4th Lake Road, 2008
Rolfe Brook arch culvert installation, 2008	Young Brook trout, Rolfe Brook, 2008
Culverts at Scott Brook, 2006	Scott Brook under new arch culvert, 2008
Hayes Brook flooding ITS 84 Snowmobile trail, 2006	Bridge installed on ITS 84 Snowmobile trail at Hayes Brook, 2009
Installing an arch culvert at Beldon Brook road crossing, 2009	Beldon Brook arch culvert, 2010
Installing an arch culvert on South Branch Rolfe Brook at the Wabassus Mt Rd, 2010	Arch culvert, South Branch Rolfe Brook, 2012
Removing an abandoned road crossing on Hayes Brook, 2011	Stream channel through former flowage on Hayes Brook, 2012
Arch culvert components arriving in Grand Lake Stream, 2012	Arch culvert under construction, August 2012
Burroughs Brook culvert outlet before replacement, August 2012	Burroughs Brook new arch culvert outlet, August 2012

Downeast Lakes Land Trust has partnered with Project SHARE, a cooperative Downeast salmon habitat restoration group, on restoring sites within the Machias River watershed.  In 2012, Keeping Maine’s Forests is helping to promote and encourage brook trout habitat restoration on forest lands across Maine.

The trust has identified at least 8 additional sites for aquatic habitat restoration on the Farm Cove Community Forest, and at least a dozen priority sites on the adjacent West Grand Lake Forest – the 22,000-acre property we are currently working to conserve.