Buzzards Bay Coalition purchases 100 acres of bog land

The Buzzards Bay Coalition has purchased 100 acres of cranberry bog land along Route 6 with the intention of restoring a creek on the property.

The cranberry bogs sit on either side of a commercial stretch of Route 6 near Kool Kone. Running through the wetlands is Beaver Dam Creek, a small tributary of the Weweantic River.

Over a century ago, when the area became a cranberry farm, the stream ran through the bog and collected water into a reservoir for farming. Now, the coalition will begin restoration work to restore the creek back to its original form and function.  The 100 acres purchased includes all of Beaver Dam Creek's former footprint. 

During the April Town Meeting, voters approved $700,000 in Community Preservation funding toward the purchase and restoration work. The land was purchased for about $1 million, below its $1.4 million appraised value, to allow the current owner to continue cranberry harvesting for several years before full restoration work begins. 

The coalition will use the funds from the town to purchase a conservation restriction on the property, which will ensure the land's permanent protection and access for the public.

"The real driver for a project like this is...excellent trails...for people in the neighborhoods and all around town to enjoy this for outdoor recreation, walk and hiking in the area," said Brendan Annett, vice president of water protection for the coalition.

This land purchase expands the conserved land areas along the Weweantic River. Ecological restoration work will benefit water quality in the river and downstream waters, protect habitats and provide pollution-filtering benefits, as wetland soil and vegetation naturally remove pollutants from water.

The restoration will also impact a tidal salt marsh that is located in a portion of the bog. Annett said he'd like to see increased numbers of coastal fish and American eels, which are an important food species for larger fish.

The bogs were formerly owned by Keith Mann, former president of the Cape Cod Cranberry Association. He will continue onsite cranberry farming for the next two years while the coalition studies the area and plans restoration work.