HomeMy WebLinkAboutLarchmont Reservoir - James G. Johnson Jr. Conservancy Walk Book 1986-88 Larchmont Reservoir —
James G. Johnson Jr. Conservancy
WALK BOOK
"077-,
1986 - 88
VILLAGE OF LARCHMONT RESERVOIR COMMITTEE
TOWN OF MAMARONECK
CONSERVATION ADVISORY COMMISSION
FRIENDS OF THE RESERVOIR
L.I.F.E. CENTER
'Welcome Larchmont Reservoir -
to the James G. Johnson, Jr. Conservancy
LARCHMONT RESERVOIR— WALK BOOK
JAMES G. JOHNSON JR. CONSERVANCY
A conservation area dedicated to public use
for activities appropriate to its natural
setting and quiet beauty. Owned by the Vil- 11 r9 w 6
•
lage of Larchmont and managed in cooperation a i2,.,,,,, F. �`�,`•4G 0...� Bonnie
Briar
with the Town of Mamaroneck and the Cit of � a P /--�..,
y $ o-f �,' Golf
New Rochelle. �W j: �
f3 '"""'" � course
I '' Sheldrake
OPEN DAWN TO DUSK _
For the benefit of all, please observe L✓�� , 4-A,t we,.rst.
' ke
the rules for its use.* �dr.w,
YOU MAY YOU MAY NOT r , Y` ` _ohdQ —:
Walk Collect or disturb °
%
o.t
Observe plants or wildlife �. _�__ ' . �MARO"BOM '
Listen Swim i Yip
Ro:NF«1M ,,,E r '
Learn Set fires -a' zs
Discover Use vehicle on trails vslhiranc
Photograph Use radios or make
Sketch loud noise
Read Litter Ti
le
Study
Hunt '1e Conservancy rai`s...•�..��988
Bird watch Dump
Meditate Skate
Refresh your spirit Picnic
Leave only footprints Trespass on dam or
Enjoy in fenced preserves This Walk Book, revised and updated, was
prepared by Liz Stern, Dorothy Rainier,
—VILLAGE OF LARCHMONT Sandra Marraffino, Donna Stuurop, Irma
Volk, and Wallace Irwin Jr.
*The full text of the official rules is printed on
the inside back cover. It is dedicated to the memory of
Ethel Whitehorn, one of the Reservoir' s
most devoted Friends.
Printed May 1986 Rerrinted March 1989
2
INTRODUCTION 3
Welcome! You Are Walking On History a result of all that interaction by natural forces
through eons of time? If so, you would be exactly
When you walk in the Conservancy, you may want to right--except for one thing: human beings, the only
think a moment about the very, very ancient history species that can build, or destroy, on a truly grand
that lies just a few inches under your shoes. scale. Perhaps 5,000 years ago small bands of North
American Indians entered the virgin forests of our
Did you know the bedrock down there is about 300 area. They hunted, fished, and used the fruits, plants
million years old? It was formed from layers of and woods of the forest. Not very numerous, they made
sediment (innumerable crumbs of still older rocks little change in the natural environment. Then
and remains of tinyjust
primitive life forms) drifting over 300 years ago, Europeans came with their more
to the bottoms of ancient seas--seas that vanished advanced technology.* One early settler, the Quaker
long before animals appeared on the Earth. In some Samuel Palmer, owned the Reservoir area. Long before
places around the Reservoir you can see big chunks the Revolutionary War his family dammed the Sheldrake
of rock which were thrust up much later by earth- to run a sawmill and a grist mill.
quakes. Can you see fine lines formed by the layers
of sediment in the gray stone? The big changes began in the 1870s when John T. Good-
liffe bought this property. He built the lower dam and
Still later, great ice sheets moved through our
area. The last of them disappeared with the warming the stone gate house (® on map, p. 12) , enlarging the
old millpond to about the size of the lower reservoir
climate about 10,000 years ago. Can you see grooves
scratched across the grain in some of our rocks? (Goodliffe Pond) today. He used it in his ice business
--there were no electric refrigerators then! About 15
They were made by the massive glacier, pushing other
rocks over them as it slowly slid downhill. Here and years later a water company bought the property to
there it also left behind big boulders, transported supply what became the Village of Larchmont. Pipes
were laid to the lower reservoir--a convenient source
by it from afar, called "erratics."
of pure water as well as ice. But soon a growing
Larchmont needed more water, and around the turn of
During millions of years, valleys were cut in the
the century the big upper dam was built to form the
earth by the glaciers and by streams flowing from
high ground in what is now mid-Westchester. We are upper reservoir, also called Sheldrake Lake. (Southeast
of the upper reservoir you can still see a chasm about
in one such valley, that of the Sheldrake River.
100 feet across where stonecutters quarried building
With the moving waters came silt and sediments in
blocks to make the upper dam.) Then in 1922 the Village
which life could thrive--plants, insects, fish,
shellfish, reptiles and birds. Winds, water, and
birds carried far and wide the seeds of grasses, Here's a question for you.
vines and trees. Dying, countless generations of Imagine the 300,000,000 years since the bedrock was
plants and animals were decomposed by fungi and formed as being just one day and night--24 hours.
bacteria. Thus, over long ages, rich topsoil was How long ago, on the same abbreviated time scale,
laid down, a few inches to several feet deep. did the Europeans arrive in this area? (Answer below.)
Would you believe that what you see around you is •puooas s to ul1Tama auo ATalsmzxozddV
4 5
of Larchmont bought the water company. The upper \ \ /
GOODLIFFE POND TRAIL WALK*
reservoir continued to provide its water supply `/ At the end of the drivewayon Sheldrake
for 53 years.
_ Lane, a short wood-chip trail leads to a
- semi-circle of logs which can be used as
Today, the Larchmont water supply comes from the - an orientation point for groups about to
big upstate New York City system. But the Reservoir _ -
area remains. In our overbuilt, flood-prone watershed - - walk the Goodliffe Pond trail. The logs
it has become a key device in local flood control. O were cut from a pine tree which grew just
It is also a beautiful patch of water and woodland, a few feet away.
maintained for all who seek the quiet of nature or Continue uphill to your left to the stone
want to learn more about the way living species O gate house at the southeast end of the
work together in the wild. / Goodliffe Dam. Both the gate house and the
cc dam itself were constructed with stone blocks'
Aware of these values, in October 1984 the Village ``r
cut from a quarry here on the property.
of Larchmont, in an historic step, dedicated its '•\A!! , The slate roof and door were restored in
Reservoir property "inperpetuity" as o en s ace to ��r
p p y p p n �- 1985--one step in improving the Reservoir
be used for flood control, education, nature re- 1Vaar-,Kilmitt
serve, and other public purposes. A year later thep Property since the 1984 dedication.
Village renamed the area the Larchmont Reservoir-
O - For many years a house stood nearby; it
James G. Johnson Jr. Conservancy in honor of the was the home of the reservoir caretaker.
president of the Friends of the Reservoir who led �i•�
The cedar and pine trees, the hydrangea,
s;•:t myrtle, lilacs andphlox were
the movement for dedication. Today the Village of s' • planted in
Nvo that era and still flourish in the wild.
Larchmont, the Town of Mamaroneck, the Friends of . v
the Reservoir, the L.I.F.E. Center, and increasingly But you may see wildflowers too near the
the City of New Rochelle all cooperate to maintain Itir stone house, such as garlic mustard; it
and enhance the beauty of the Conservancy and to 1 5* has heart-shaped, toothed leaves and, in
develop its value for the public benefit and enjoy- GarL m
l• us+a spring, small white four-petaled flowers.
ment. The Village remains owner of the property and Walkinganother 50
oversees its use through a special Reservoir Com- yards or so to the left
of the reservoir, you will come to a large
mittee. tulip tree. At its foot is a large flat cir-
It took millions of years for this small ecosystem cular stone, once thought to be a millstone.
Actually it is the cover for a well-like struc-
to evolve. Now it has come down to us as our inheri- ture
l
tance. The powerful tools of the industrial age have rese related to the control system for the lower
changed and adapted it, but have left most of its
reservoir.
natural beauty for us to enjoy. With due care, it can *Circled numbers in the text or with drawings
continue to be tended and preserved as the common correspond to numbered markers along the trail.
treasure of all who live nearby, now and in the future. For their locations see map, p. 12-13.
leaf � �7 Captions under flower and fruit drawings show
Enjoy the Reservoir and help to keep it beautiful! f(ower_� �,i,..,w season when flower or fruit appears.
.,' ��
,� •* As Seen in--.
4,71;e4i-.2. '14011
* 5e-Serint PI- ,0(
P 5,i-Surr.raer W—���+er
6 - / -\ Leaf ga kl 7
I.t.)ii-c In- kkaQ(
Much of the underbrush and vines you see fiA From the top of the bedrock, continue on the
'y' in winter on both sides of the trail will woodland path. You can spot several kinds of
41
i z_ bear in spring and summer the telltale p trees here. Shagbark hickory has peeling bark
r triple leaf of POISON IVY. Its climbing Q¢ecl. and five unequal leaflets on each leaf. White
form clings to trees with furry reddish- \ oak is found here; also swamp oak with its
i - brown hairs along the vine. All parts of e
unique long-stemmed acorn. Witchhazel has wavy
n a
this plant ill seasons give off an oil leaves, many with growths (galls) like little
that causes severe skin eruptions. Don't witches' hats. On the right is a big old Amer-
' aiSo" Y let it touch you or your clothes. u1 ican beech with a buffalo carved on its smooth
gray bark. Many small satellite beeches sprout
3Ahead of you is an area of bedrock. To the SK,wk cabb�e- from its roots.
left is an uphill trail leading to the I /
1 The downhill trail next crosses a foot bridge
main quarry. Two boulders to the right of p�
Ii over an intermittent stream bed. Just beyond
.2• this trail were left by the glacier. Could it you will cross the Mamaroneck-New Rochelle
they have come from the same source? How
boundary. After a second foot bridge, the trail
C
�P do they compare with the bedrock? ! g f 5P divides at it . The left fork leads to the south
When you come to the second boulder, walk gi,.{I„ I,;, end of the upper dam at b@ and 0 , then down
- a-rry @ left a short way to the quarry's edge. to rejoin the main trail. Our walk, along the
(Caution: don't fall in!) Imagine the mass /$0,40Lr right fork, skirts marshy ground where skunk
of rock that came from here to build the ft„a � cabbage, blue flag iris, jack-in-the pulpit
/ two dams and the stone gate house. As you and several fern species make a wetland garden.
go back down thebig s°lomon's-SeaISP A big fallen tree here is home to insects and
path, broken rocks on
i— L your right show drill holes for dynamite-- animals. It will gradually add its nutrients
further evidence of quarrying. to the soil as it decays.
The main trail continues across a wide, ''= As you pass through these woods beyond the
"���"1Q flat outcropping of bedrock that slopes Ae.,,
9marshy ground, note the varied vegetation on
down toward the pond. Take a moment to the forest floor. In spring, before tree leaves
enjoy the view across the pond to the spill- � block out the sunlight, you may see wildflowers
way and the white house. The house was once w.id Gra,.7,S4 in bloom: Solomon's seal, wild geranium, trout
?} the home of the ice-house supervisor and his lily in large patches, Dutchman's breeches,
...,,,��� '� family; ice-wagon horses were stabled below. tall meadow rue, blue cohosh, and the ever-
�M,� present celandine, among others. In summer and
4,01 Now l44400k closely at the bedrock under your i1 fall all these will produce seed-bearing fruit,
feet. The green-gray film is a species of w /
L.c,l..e ,ti lichen, a large class of tiny plants which d u s as will the shrubs seen here--mapleleaf
thrive only where the air is not heavily I / I. viburnum, Japanese barberry, huckleberry, and
°"` LAI sweet
polluted. Lichen is easy to tell from moss, (or coast) pepperbush. Many young trees
Ili
ti also grow here, their roots adding to the dense
1102r
several kinds of which also grow on the rock.Q VI': 4' ,
t �u1 D,ck�'"a"�h4
;,..j.o
QF
.ark 61, LOkile °O-k S Warn e onK \ S p MaP�..i�a� tf p
J• cry 115".'ae(b,as� �;b ��",., V0.�Q�1ese �'-rbe�('t
9 r
8
9
e2 ftNitf
5' on this part of the pond. In summeryou may web that holds the soil, retains water, and S ,
thus lessens flooding and erosion downstream. F even see a turtle or two, and find on the
ii , Among the trees, sassafras is easy to tell by moist ground here the water-loving jewel-
s F its green twigs and its leaves which have LlWee4, weed or "touch-me-not" with its dangling
three shapes--oval, mitten, and three-lobed. orange-yellow flower and exploding seed pod.
Beside the bench on the left as you walk on
Also on this part of the trail you will come is a winged euonymus, also called burningbush.
Umercti ,( to many vine-covered trees which give this _ Its branchlets have oddly flattened "wings,"
$CIrerweef area a jungle-like atmosphere. Look again for _ and in fall its leaves turn a bright rose red.
poison ivy, clinging with its brown root-hairstil 10 On the right, an American basswood, or linden,
Oriental bittersweet vines have greyish bark, dips its heart-shaped leaves toward the water.
6round leaves, and, in fall and winter, bright WI, ;bash
orange berries. Wild grape, with brown shaggy A rock outcropping just ahead shows the effect
of erosion. Veins of white quartz stand out
bark, wraps its tendrils around other plants.
Five leaflets from a central point identify from the surrounding rock because quartz is
Virginia creeper. Other familiar vines here harder and wears away more slowly. On the
e are multiflora rose (white flower, red fruit) , rock is an eastern cedar whose roots have
Grace— honeysuckle, and catbrier with its leathery penetrated cracks in the bedrock. Pressure
leaves and thorns. All these vines climb (and - - -- from growing tree roots is one of the natural
often kill) trees, but their fruits are valu- A ar'ca^
�assweod forces that split rock.
able food for birds and other wildlife.
The trail continues through a tangled thicket
To the left of the trail is a yew--the only to a larger foot bridge that crosses the chute
,, reen ever
e �. g in this part of the woods. Often i , through which water flows from the upper dam
401Pplanted near houses, yew looks out of place s ;4'.-- into Goodliffe Pond. Near the bridge, at 6 ,
r� here. A bird probably dropped the seed from "4A the upper trail which branched off ate joins
a iinniaCre�per which it sprouted. .i." i our trail. If you stand on the bridge after a
rainy period, when the upper reservoir is full
Crossing the catwalk over wet ground by the
44+ water's edge, you will see a white birch tree and overflowing, you will see water rushing
4 leaninggracefullyover the water. Near it is Q spillway.
l � .,61,- down the s illwa Below and to the right of
a cousin of the birches, an alder tree with the spillway you can see a large pipe through
many trunks. A water-loving tree, alder is �.� which water can be released by a control valve
u��YS4`k` like oak and birch in producing its flowers � to lower the level in the upper reservoir.
on drooping stems called catkins. Its fruit This is done when heavy rains begin, making
Cak P is a small woody cone. more room to contain runoff and lessen flooding
brxr U A wide expanse of water lilies can be seen �' - downstream along the Sheldrake watershed.
For a look at the upper reservoir (Sheldrake
Lake--see mapon title page) ,ti,
10 . ---- p g ) , walk uphill past
@9 to 0 . Here you can look across to the
-= -- _ ' stone bridge where the river enters the reser-
-
, 't c---- --- -1.\--- 4
�' /i SmooFh r11�6r \ / \
�4 yew 1 ,A l..a er_L.i I �
11
10 (,,,
- - F ". y y voir under Pine Brook Boulevard. From here
14
«,_, - , 4Ili )41 you may see swans, geese, ducks and other
\ �; � �/ waterfowl in all seasons. (One frequent
i,, , 441 '' visitor, the hooded merganser, may be the
=`' �i bird early English settlers called "shel-
s" 4.' . drake" after a brightly colored European
Queen :Ads Laae -\ = '� _ duck it resembled--thus giving our river
famm t ' Sp and lake their name.)
S `� �,�may, �Lik S`' �,,IA Retracing your steps downhill and turning
sty/• Cam., ncn left, you will pass through an open area.
�\ ,/ �� Plants that bloom here in spring and summer
\�% ,,, Ja a�neSe include mullein, Queen Anne's lace (wild
�� �� i �% f kp tweed carrot) , milkweed, burdock, Japanese knot-
4c weed, common ragweed, yarrow, sow-thistle,
nn&ll �'� '.-
y� multiflora rose, several species of aster
White f., 6 7,i:
-7-__ AleAs d ," ; and goldenrod, and sumac with its red fuzzy
o enro berries. In this area too, many trees are
being choked by vines. Do you recognize any
of the vines?
Y,.=
, \yV
0Coming to the paved area at , you see on
° � your left a low brick building, the West-
Cemmoei mMmn i
�UR10C�C ed Chester Joint Waterworks Substation. Larch-
mont's drinking water--obtained since 1975
from the New York City reservoir system,
Iri f
;g"�: - _ mainly in the Catskills and the Delaware
APP'so
=� / Valley--passes through here. Opposite this
� / building, near the pond's edge, are fire-hose
r fittings, used by local fire departments for
'`�; Y f venting their pumps and for training. Just
`�/ down the road at left, the taller brick
yarrow 1 C,c( Gen N�yfk.to 18 building is the old filter plant which from
su Aster 1929 to 1975 treated water from the upper
+!ice• reservoir to supply Larchmont Village.
0 _N Pr
At Q the trail continues beside Goodliffe
� % Pond through a patch of lawn and a small area
� il�- 1f' ': \' where youngtrees have been�� purposely cut
�,j�! Qj "`� r4 back to make a miniature meadow. Then it re-
;�J" i, enters the trees at and-side. It is worth
sP Q No-5e r�tt'''j pond-side.
ora
gse
r' [Continued
�� �.•_ smoo+h s,,,a,
Common page
sow-rh s+Ic s)F on a e 14]
12
13
o CI:\ 1.' /
1p' 441 \----;
� + 11
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SC)44 40 IJJ=
1 ''''---------- ..\ /'
ir_ "...to
0 S 11 ry,f. %,-'--
/ p {
I
'C LL-1
- 1-------\----- 7-,,..
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. .. .P__ ROCk - -- . --0\\n c `♦„ •10‘.W7 1% %lira'.
/ t/ ` tii
PEDESTRIA e� VISTA 1
ENTRANCE ---- 'i % " heili )
FIOOT tit ��auuui-^;, 1r too';
BR��e� A' —,_.,,�'•, � , 000DLIFFE POND %+ '; w
��. �4'.' r1� , E 1. I o5 �-�J . f.`o.- = _' tr��ot Q
~�`•— -/ •� ii �♦1 S 9� Is land 1 _ .._-• �`
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40
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FILE' P� T STA s, \
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(687 wEAVER ST)
AN I)\KATEa.WoRKS Scale ---
5UBSTATI Oht
0 190 2000
I a !
14 [continued from p. 11] 15
stopping here for a few minutes in spring Across the road from the white house is
and summer to watch for birds--including the • the foundation of what was once a green-
brilliantly colored oriole and yellow warbler 0 house, part of a neighboring estate.
--that feed, and in some cases nest, in the Adjoining it is a small structure that
brush and trees here. Several beautiful spe- 16 served as a potting shed. Plans are under
cies of dragonfly can be seen skimming the way to restore and remodel it to serve
water and the pond's edge on calm summer as a reception point for visitors to the
days--prey for both fish and birds. And in Conservancy. Other plans for the green-
all seasons this is a good vantage point for house area and the open space behind it
seeing Canada geese, ducks and swans on the call for a wildflower garden and facili-
pond. Geese sometimes use the small island ties for feeding and viewing birds.
\ of rock near the west end of the pond as a Returning across the road and down the
nesting site.
hill to 09 , a left turn on the trail
('--V;---1---ir-liContinuing on the trail through the trees, brings you to a foot bridge across the
ri_ you arrive at O3 the north end of the stone Sheldrake immediately below the Goodliffe
._��1=12-1 ' dam that surrounds nearly all of the pond. - Pond spillway. When the water is high
� - The spillway below which the Sheldrake re- TA" after heavy rain or spring thaw, thesumes its winding course, is a few yards Sheldrake becomes an impressive force as
it thunders and boils down toward Weaver
away. Taking the uphill path on your left, 10\ ' Street. Little wonder that for over 100
you see at left a log cabin, constructed in
14 �� years water power at this location was
1917 by Boy Scouts of Troop 2. The white used to turn mill wheels. Today, in our
0 frame house to your right (which you viewed
across the pond from the rock vista at 0 ) 1-0 wet highly developed watershed, the same
was built nearly a century ago to service SFIN\wn7 water can be a destructive force, to be
the ice business. In the back you can see tamed only by constant attention to flood
where the ice-wagon horses were stabled. Ice control.
wagons were kept on the street-level floor, Just past the foot bridge, a small loop
and the ice foreman and his family lived on trail to the left gives you a close look
the upper floors. The ice was sawed in blocks at this part of the Sheldrake River,
from Goodliffe Pond and stored in sawdust, to whose course winds for about two miles
12 retard melting, in an "ice house" near the through the Town and the Village of Mama-
present Waterworks substation. roneck before joining the Mamaroneck
River in Columbus Park. This part of the
river bed was probably created along with
. Goodliffe Pond itself in the 1870s, some
distance north of the river's former
.\ '
• _� _ • �,. _ 1� course across Weaver Street.
* -t
--------------_,.` t_K�
16
17
The trail walk ends where it began, at the
orientation point by the semicircle of logs 01 The Larchmont Reservoir: Historical Highlights
just above the end of Sheldrake Lane.
1661 John Richbell establishes claims to Mamaroneck
This may be a good place to stop and think lands.
about the many important values which our
busy and crowded suburban community derives 1696- Samuel Palmer, a prominent Quaker, settles in Ma-
from these 60 acres of natural open space: maroneck and is elected the first town supervisor.
He rents, then purchases, the Richbell family inter-
* Flood control in the Sheldrake watershed ests in Middle Neck, bounded by Long Island Sound,
Weaver Street, and New Rochelle.
* Larchmont's standby water supply in case
of severe drought c.1750 Nehemiah Palmer, Samuel's son, recognizing the
value of Sheldrake Creek's water power, erects a
* A varied, peaceful habitat for wildlife sawmill near the present lower reservoir. His
grandson, Drake Palmer, later adds a grist mill.
* An outdoor classroom for the study of
nature by people of all ages 1876 John T. Goodliffe acquires and closes the mills and
enlarges the mill-pond to become what is now Good-
* A beautiful natural setting to enrich liffe Pond, for use in his ice business.
our minds and refresh our spirits.
c.1889 The Larchmont Water Company, organized by Charles
H. Murray, buys Goodliffe Pond and lays pipes to a
new development, Larchmont Manor--first to assure
a steady water supply for the fire department, later
also for drinking and household use. Route followed
by the pipes later becomes a street, Murray Avenue.
,� _ • The company later buys Carpenter's Pond and Shel-
o� � � �� �� �� - � drake Pond, upstream in New Rochelle, to serve as
c:.---� � :per
®E supplementary reservoirs.
. "� 1893- The Water Company buys additional lands near Shel-
1903 drake Pond from Martha E. and Watson B. Dickerman,
among others. Present upper dam is built, creating
' Sheldrake Lake (the upper reservoir) centered
l..a around Sheldrake Pond, greatly enlarging water supply.
- ►.r��` 1922 Village of Larchmont buys the Larchmont Water Com-
._. .
��� - _ _� ifiliNg0=3106111 pang, including the reservoirs and watershed lands,
- and continues its operation as the Village's Water
Department.
Goodliffe Pond as it appeared in 1903, looking
southeast from a point next to the sluiceway
below the upper dam. Large building at left is
the ice house. Drawn from a photograph
18
19
1929 Three-story brick filter plant, equipped for fil- 1981 Larchmont Village Planning Commission recommends
that virtually all the Reservoir property be per-
tration and chemical treatment of water from the
manently preserved as "open parkland."
upper reservoir, is built by the Village near where
large wooden ice storage house formerly stood.
1984 October 1: Larchmont Village Board decides to retain
1957- Westchester Joint Water Works--owned b ownership of Reservoir property and adopts law dedi-
y, and sere- Gating it "in perpetuity" as a "conservation area 1960 ing, Towns of Mamaroneck and Harrison and Village for activities appropriate to its natural setting
of Mamaroneck--leases from Larchmont Village about and quiet beauty." In December it appoints a Reser-
a half acre near the Reservoir filter plant and voir Committee to develop, and advise the Village
builds a pumping and chemical feed station. It
Board on administration of, proposals for use and
treats for WJWW customers water purchased from
the New York City system, received via a 30-inch protection of the property.
main connecting in Yonkers with the Delaware Ague- 1985 Larchmont Village Board renames the area the Larch-
duct. Lease includes an option for Larchmont to
buy a share of the New York City water. mont Reservoir-James G. Johnson Jr. Conservancy in
honor of president of the Friends of the Reservoir.
1975 Village of Larchmont exercises its option; there-
after Larchmont Water Department receives and Improvements at the Conservancy include repairs
distributes New York City water. Reservoir ceases 1986 to stone gate house, fence for bird nesting area
to be Larchmont water supply; filter plant closes. and wildlife preserve, new entrance via foot bridge
next to Weaver Street. Reconstruction of greenhouse
1976- With concurrence of the Village of Larchmont, the area begins. Plans are made for potting shed con-
version1977 tri-municipal Town of Mamaroneck Conservation Ad-
visory and further extension of walk trails.
Commission creates nature trails around
Goodliffe Pond and prints the first Larchmont
Reservoir Walk Book.
1979 The Larchmont Village Board gives consideration to \I\ I ` ,'
possible sale of the Reservoir property for devel-
pl
o ment. If
P L.I.F.E. Center urges its preservation. // ; ; ' '.' , ,i,Friends of the Reservoir organized (first inf l ti
�
ally, later as a corporate entity) to explore
It
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ways and means. Complications include f
('o,�i Iiil' I e' '!' , �`. ,i ' (ifP'the fact �, � * . i, , I. i ,that the property, owned the _ �'`�t 1 !
I �� 1 ll� '1 1{ a
by Village of Larch aM j ,,�,IY1 Nit.'".``_ '; I
mont, is located in the Town of Mamaroneck (20%) R,.., 1 }►��;� -,' '' ►�. !�
and City of New Rochelle (80%) . �s• v ', 1 - - a_ y-
1980 Using new valve in upper dam, financed by federal i. ^ y `.14 1 ,i I i ✓
�1
Urban County funds, Town engineer can better - '� __ '���= ¢
manage upper reservoir water level as flood control a
measure. Aim is to keep water not more than 3 feet
below spillway except when heavy rain is expected.
20 21
SOME LIVING SPECIES IN THE CONSERVANCY
I. Wildflowers, Ferns, Vines, and Shrubs
Smilacina racemosa (False Solomon's Seal, Solomon sPlume)
Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) Smilax rotundifolia (Catbrier, Greenbrier) [Vine]
Alinaria officinalis (Garlic Mustard) Solidago altissima (Erect Goldenrod)
Sonchus oleracius (Sow Thistle)
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Common Ragweed)
Arctium minus (Burdock) Symplocarpus foetidus (Skunk Cabbage)
Arisaema dracontium (Jack-in-the-Pulpit) Thalictrum polygamum (Tall Meadow Rue)
Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) Thelypteris noviboracensis (New York Fern) [Fern]
Aster novi-belgii (New York Aster) Verbascum thapsis (Common Mullein)
Viburnum acerifolium (Maple-leaf Viburnum)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese Barberry) [Shrub] Vitis spp. (Wild Grape) [Vine]
Caltha palustris (Marsh Marigold)
Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh)
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic Bittersweet) [Vine] II. Trees
Chelidonium majus (Celandine)
Circaea quadrisulcata (Enchanter's Nightshade) Acer negundo (Box Elder, Ash-leaf Maple)
Claytonia virginica (Spring Beauty) Acer platanoides (Norway Maple)
Clethra alnifolia (Sweet, or Coast, Pepperbush) [Shrub]
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's Lace) Acer saccharinum (Silver Maple)
Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman's Breeches) Ailanthus altissima (Ailanthus, Tree of Heaven)
Alnus rugosa (Speckled Alder)
Erithronium americanum (Trout Lily) Alnus serrulata (Smooth Alder)
Euonymus atropurpureus (Burningbush) [Shrub] Betula papyrifera (White Birch)
Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium)
Carpinus caroliniana (American Hornbeam)
Helianthus decapetalus (Thin-leaved Sunflower) Carya ovata (Shagbark Hickory)
Hieracium aurantiacum (Orange Hawkweed,Devil's Paintbrush) Fagus grandifoliaag (American Beech)
Impatiens capensis (Spotted Touch-Me-Not, Jewelweed) Fraxinus americana (White Ash)
Iris versicolor (Blue Flag Iris) Gleditsia triacanthos (Honey Locust)
Lonicera spp. (Honeysuckle) [Vine]
Hamamelis virginiana (Witchhazel)
Maianthemum canadense (Canada Mayflower) Juniperus virginiana (Red Cedar)
Nasturtium officinale (Watercress) Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum)
Nuphar variegatum (Yellow Pond Lily, Spatterdock, Cow
Lily, Bullhead Lily) Liriodendron tulipifera (Tuliptree, Tulip Poplar)
Morus rubra (Red Mulberry)
Oenothera biennis (Common Evening Primrose) Nyssa sylvatica (Black Tupelo)
Onoclea sensibilis (Sensitive Fern) [Fern] Pinus strobus (White Pine)
Parthenocissis quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper) [Vine]
Platanus occidentalis (Sycamore, Planetree)
Phytolacca americana (Pokeweed) Prunus serotina (Black Cherry).
Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon's Seal) Quercus alba (White Oak)
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese Knotweed)
Rhus radicans (Poison Ivy) Quercus bicolor (Swamp Oak)
Rhus glabra (Smooth Sumac) Quercus borealis (Red Oak)
Rosa multiflora (Multiflora Rose) [Vine]
Quercus ilicifolia (Scrub Oak)
Quercus palustris (Pin Oak)
22 23
Quercus velutina (Black Oak) American Crow* Yellow-rumped ("Myrtle")
Sassafras albidum (Sassafras) Black-capped Chickadee* Warbler
Taxus canadensis (American Yew) Tufted Titmouse* Blackpoll Warbler
Tilia americana (American Basswood, Linden) White-breasted Nuthatch* Palm Warbler
Tsuga canadensis (Eastern Hemlock) Brown Creeper** Ovenbird
Ulmus americana (American Elm) House Wren* Northern Water-thrush**
Mockingbird* Yellowthroat
Catbird* Canada Warbler**
III. Birds Brown Thrasher* American Redstart
American Robin* House Sparrow*
[This list was compiled by Andrew Vallely, then a Wood Thrush Red-winged Blackbird*
student at Mamaroneck High School, in January 1980. Hermit Thrush Northern Oriole*
It is based on his observations at the Reservoir Swainson's Thrush** Common Grackle*
between 1976 and 1979. The sequence of species in Veery Brown-headed Cowbird*
the list corresponds to that used by the American Ruby-Crowned Kinglet Scarlet Tanager*
Ornithologists Union and the Peterson Field Guide. ] American Pipit** Northern Cardinal*
Cedar Waxwing Rose-breasted Grosbeak*
Pied-Billed Grebe Kestrel European Starling* Indigo Bunting**
Great Bule Heron Ring-necked Pheasant** Solitary Vireo Purple Finch
American Egret** American Coot** Red-eyed Vireo* House Finch*
Snowy Egret* Killdeer** Warbling Vireo* Common Redpoll**
Green Heron* Spotted Sandpiper Black-and-white Warbler Pine Siskin
Mute Swan Herring Gull Parula Warbler** American Goldfinch*
Canada Goose Laughing Gull** Yellow Warbler* Rufous-sided Towhee*
Snow Goose** Rock Dove* Magnolia Warbler** Northern Junco
Mallard Mourning Dove* Black-throated Blue Chipping Sparrow*
American Widgeon Nighthawk Warbler** White-throated Sparrow
Pintail** Chimney Swift Song Sparrow*
Shoveller** Ruby-Throated Hummingbird**
Wood Duck* Belted Kingfisher
Ring-necked Duck Yellow-shafted Flicker*
IV. Land Animals
Greater Scaup** Hairy Woodpecker**
Bufflehead Downy Woodpecker* Blarina brevicauda (Short-tailed Shrew)
Hooded Merganser Eastern Kingbird Didelphis virginiana (Opossum)
Turkey Vulture Phoebe* Marmota monax (Woodchuck)
Sharp-shinned Hawk Eastern Wood Pewee** Mephitis mephitis (Striped Skunk)
Red-tailed Hawk Tree Swallow Microtus pennsylvanicus (North American Field Vole)
Red-shouldered Hawk** Bank Swallow Peromyscus leucopus (White-footed Mouse;"Deer Mouse")
Broad-winged Hawk Rough-winged Swallow Procyon lotor (Raccoon)
Golden Eagle** Barn Swallow* Scalopus aquaticus (Common Eastern Mole)
Marsh Hawk (Harrier) Blue Jay* Sciurus carolinensis (Eastern Gray Squirrel)
_Osprey Great Crested Flycatcher**
*Found breeding at least once at Reservoir or within one fourth mile radius.
**Recorded on less than three occasions during the years of observation.
24
Tamias striatus (Eastern Chipmunk)
Vulpes fulva (Red Fox)
[All these land animals are mammals, including the
opossum which is North America's only native marsupial. RULES FOR THE USE OF THE LARCHMONT RESERVOIR AS A CONSERVATION AREA
A number of land-dwelling reptiles are also present, (Adopted by the Larchmont Village Board, April 1985)
such as the Box Turtle or Tortoise (Terrapene carolina)
The Larchmont Reservoir property has been dedicated by its owner, the Village
and Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus cinereus) . ]
of Larchmont, as a conservation area for activities appropriate to its natural
setting and quiet beauty. The rules set forth below are intended to assure the
preservation of this conservation area.
V. Fish and other Aquatic Species
1. The area is open daily from dawn to dusk. No person shall enter the area at
Fish: Anguilla rostrata (American Eel)
any other time except for emergency purposes or by written permit.
Carassius auratus (Goldfish)t
Centrachidae family (Sunfish) 2. Visitors must remain on the trails. Walking through the undergrowth will
disturb or injure native wildlife and plants.
Ictalurus nebulosus (Brown Bullhead Catfish)
Micropterus salmoides (Large-mouth Bass) 3. Visitors are forbidden to dig up or pick plants, to cut or break trees or to
disturb any living thing in the area. Hunting is prohibited.
N0tr0pis cornutus (Shiner)
Perca spp. (Yellow Perch) 4. No trespassing whatsoever is permitted in any fenced-off wildlife preserve.
Shellfish: Unio spp. (Naiad, Freshwater Mussel) 5. Littering and dumping are prohibited. Visitors are encouraged to pick up any
litter that they see and deposit it in the nearest receptacle.
Turtles: Chelydra serpentina (Snapping Turtle)
Chrysemis picta picta (Painted Turtle) 6. Picnicking is not allowed.
Clemmys guttata (Spotted Turtle) 7. Fires are prohibited. Smokers are urged to be sure that they do not cause
any fires through carelessness.
* * * * * * *
8. Swimming and camping are forbidden. So too is walking on the upper dam.
Some suggested reference materials on North American 9. Ice skating is forbidden.
Flora and Fauna
10. Bicycles, scooters and other vehicles are not allowed on the trails. No radios
and tape players with external speakers are allowed. Loud noise of any kind is
Excellent standard handbooks covering all main forbidden.
categories of animal and vegetable species are
11. All organized youth groups visiting the area must be under the supervision
the Roger Tory Peterson Field Guide Series (Houghton of a responsible adult.
Mifflin) and the Golden Field Guide Series (Golden
Press) . For birds of this region another famous 12. Any individual or group wishing to volunteer to help maintain and improve the
conservation area is encouraged to present projects and suggestions to the Reservoir
handbook is The Audubon Society Field Guide to North Committee of the Village of Larchmont, Municipal Building, Larchmont, New York 10538.
American Birds: Eastern Region (Knopf) . Among
recent books on bird behavior, one of the best is 13. Except where inconsistent with the foregoing rules, and any amendments thereto
that may hereafter be adopted and published, the rules and regulations set forth in
Roger Pasquier, Watching Birds (Houghton Mifflin) . Local Law No. 3, 1966 - (A Local Law to Regulate, Protect and Promote the Orderly
Eastern American trees are compactly covered, with Use of Conservation Areas in the Town of Mamaroneck) - of the Town of Mamaroneck,
shall apply to the Larchmont Reservoir.
good narrative material on each species, in William
M. Harlow, Trees of the Eastern and Central United
States and Canada (Dover paperback) . Comparable to
the Peterson wildflower guide in scope, but with a
different identification system useful for cross-checks,
is Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Little, Brown) . Weeds In
Winter by Lauren Brown (Houghton Mifflin) is excellent.
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1979
L.I.r.E.