Size
35.3 Acres

Description
Seldom has the land bank waited so long to acquire a property: this land sat on its priority list for close to fifteen years before it became available at a reasonable price. Drinking water protection was the primary goal; the land is squarely in the drawdown zone for the town well at the Upper Lagoon Pond and is known as a property of springs. None flows atop the land itself — they instead surface on the adjacent water district property via a stream known as the Stepping Stones Brook. The property has been named the Weahtaqua Springs Preserve, in honor of the Wampanoag name for land at the head of the Lagoon Pond. The preserve also is biologically interesting: a corner of it is an emerging beech grove, while the heart of the property is an extensive swath of reindeer lichen and bearberry. These low-growing plants, which occupy some 40% of the preserve, are being threatened by an invasion of oaks and will need to be protected by the land bank.

Uses
Nature study, hiking, picnicking, mountain-biking, horseback-riding, dog-walking, scenic vista.

Directions
Park in the trailhead at the Featherstone Farm (property no. 32) and follow signs.

Trail / Property Map

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Features