11/20/2025 CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes

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Town of Mashpee Conservation Commission 16 Great Neck Road North Mashpee, MA 02649 He emphasized that the internal culvert was originally installed to manage water levels for active cranberry farming, which would have been exempt under the agricultural provisions of the Wetlands Protection Act at that time. Now that cranberry operations have ceased, the site is no longer agriculturally exempt and is regulated as a wetland. Obstructing the culvert to artificially impound water therefore constitutes an unauthorized alteration and a violation of the Wetlands Protection Act. In addition, the project's restoration consultant has advised that accurate evaluation of habitat conditions and restoration options for the upstream bog cell requires that it be allowed to drain, at least temporarily, so that the former brook channel and bog surface can be properly assessed in non-flooded conditions. It was noted that the ownership pattern is complex. Properties on the Mashpee side are largely association- owned,while buffer areas on the Falmouth side are privately owned. The Town and project partners are actively working on land acquisition and long-term restoration planning. Because of this ongoing relationship-building, staff recommended a careful, low-key approach to enforcement and corrective action. Mr. McManus proposed contacting the president of the Seabrook Village Association on the Mashpee side, with whom he has had constructive communication,to explain that the culvert blockage is a violation that cannot remain in place and that the Town intends to remove the boards, clamps, and stone to restore flow and enable proper assessment of restoration options. He stressed that this would be presented as an informational notice of necessary corrective action rather than a request for permission, while still maintaining transparency and respecting the Association's role as a key stakeholder. Commissioners supported this approach and acknowledged that, in light of both public safety concerns related to the failed road culvert and the long-term goal of restoring Red Brook and associated wetlands, the culvert obstruction must ultimately be removed. • Upper Quashnet Restoration Next was a brief update on the Upper Quashnet River restoration project. The consulting firm is nearing completion of 50% design plans for the next phase of restoration. Once those plans are ready, the consultant will schedule a meeting with the Commission to present the design, receive feedback, and take public comments, similar to the process followed at the 25% design milestone. Commissioners will be provided materials in advance to allow for review and questions at that session. • Johns Pond and Santuit Pond Milfoil Mr. McManus received the year-end report for the John's Pond milfoil management project from Water& Wetlands,the Town's consultant. It was reported that the results are very positive: there is currently no visible evidence of milfoil within the treatment area. He reminded the Commission that the original infestation covered roughly 4.5 acres, concentrated primarily in the southern portion of the pond near the lagoon, and that a reinfestation or reintroduction occurred after the initial control efforts. A draft of the next treatment plan has been provided to Town Counsel, who has returned comments that staff are now incorporating. Based on that feedback and the recommendations, the Town is targeting early to mid-spring, likely late March, or early April—for the next round of treatment, as that period is considered the most effective time of year for managing aquatic invasive species such as milfoil. • Chop Chaque Bog Restoration Mr. McManus provided an update on the Chop Chaque Bog restoration project and noted one unanticipated but not necessarily negative development: the surface water on the site has not receded as quickly as originally expected in the restoration plan. As a result, wetland succession is occurring more slowly than projected. He clarified that this is only a"problem"in relation to the timeline envisioned in the plan; from an ecological standpoint, the extended 9