Lower Agawam River will be conserved, more accessible to public

The Buzzards Bay Coalition will launch a conservation project along the Lower Agawam River and open it for public access.

At the Oct. 26 Town Meeting, voters agreed to use $1 million from the Community Preservation Fund to purchase a permanent conservation restriction on part of the Lower Agawam River.

The land purchase is part of the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Lower Agawam River Conservation Project. The coalition previously obtained $4.1 million to purchase 348 acres of cranberry bog land, and requested $1 million in town funds to purchase the restriction, which limits how land can be used to protect its conservation value. 

The Community Preservation Act aims to protect local resources, including affordable housing, historic sites and open spaces, through a surcharge on property taxes. Those funds are then used for projects after approval by Town Meeting.

The Buzzards Bay Coalition’s project will benefit the river’s water quality, conserve wildlife habitats and expand public access land, Town Meeting documents said.

Sandra Slavin, treasurer of the Conservation Committee, said the restriction is an opportunity to lower nitrogen levels in the watershed.

“It’s critical to get cranberry bogs out of production. We must reduce the amount of nitrogen passing into Buzzards Bay,” she said at an Oct. 6 Select Board meeting. 

The property on Maple Springs Road is currently owned by the A.D. Makepeace Company. The bogs will continue to be farmed for about two years before the Buzzards Bay Coalition begins restoration work.