Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR) encompasses open waters,

barrier beach Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a ...

es,

marshland A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

s and uplands on the south shore of

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...

in the towns of Falmouth and Mashpee. The park is managed by the

Department of Conservation and Recreation The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission is ...

(DCR) and the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

. The WBNERR is representative of the northern section (Cape Cod to

Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern en ...

) of the

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

biogeographic Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, ...

region. WBNERR is located within the transitional border between the Virginian and

Acadia Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17th and early ...

n biogeographic regions.

Reserve areas

The reserve comprises several individual sites: *Visitor Center/Headquarters Property The Visitor's Center is open year round, Monday through Friday, 10 am – 4 pm. Has a short nature trail and runs numerous seasonal education programs. * South Cape Beach State Park, Sage Lot Pond and Flat Pond This eastern section of the reserve serves has a swimming beach which is a noted surf casting site during the annual

bluefish The bluefish (''Pomatomus saltatrix'') is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish are known as ta ...

and

striped bass The striped bass (''Morone saxatilis''), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has al ...

migrations. It is also a nesting ground for protected species such as

piping plover The piping plover (''Charadrius melodus'') is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange-red legs, a black band across the forehead from e ...

and

least tern The least tern (''Sternula antillarum'') is a species of tern that breeds in North America and locally in northern South America. It is closely related to, and was formerly often considered conspecific with, the little tern of the Old World. Ot ...

. Sage Lot and Flat Ponds are salt ponds to the east of Waquoit Bay. * Washburn Island *

Quashnet River The Quashnet River, also known as Quoshnet River or Moonakis River, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 estuary in Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. It ...

Property The river is the largest source of fresh water to the Bay and is mostly surrounded by upland forests. There is a three-mile (5 km) loop trail along the river.

Trout Unlimited Trout Unlimited (TU) is a US non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of freshwater streams, rivers, and associated upland habitats for trout, salmon, other aquatic species, and people. It is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Th ...

that has converted a

cranberry bog Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium''. In Britain, cranberry may refer to the native species ''Vaccinium oxycoccos'', while in North America, cranberry ...

channel back to a river. *North Quashnet Woodlands Pine woodlands and an abandoned cranberry bog. *

Waquoit Bay Waquoit Bay is a public national estuary, which is typically used as a research reserve. It is a part of Nantucket Sound and is located on the southern shore of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, USA. This bay forms the border of the towns of Falmouth a ...

Fresh water enters the Bay from four principal sources: the Quashnet/Moonakis River, Red Brook, Childs River, and ground water flow. The following are salt ponds to the east of Waquoit Bay which are best explored by kayak: *Hamblin Pond, *Jehu Pond, *Abigail's Brook The following freshwater ponds drain to the Waquoit Bay at the northern side and offer kayaking and fishing: *Bog Pond, *Bourne Pond, is just over in surface area and consequently is considered a Great Pond under the laws of the Massachusetts. As such it is kept in trust for all citizens and is not privately owned. *Caleb Pond, . *

Childs River The Childs River, also known as Child's River, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river near Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod Cape Cod is a penin ...

: Abandoned cranberry bogs and pine woodlands.

History

Artifacts dating back 450–1000 years, including hammer flakes and shell middens, have been found on the Washburn Island. As late as the early 19th century, some

Wampanoag The Wampanoag , also rendered Wôpanâak, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands based in southeastern Massachusetts and historically parts of eastern Rhode Island,Salwen, "Indians of Southern New England and Long Island," p. 17 ...

s still lived around Bourne and Caleb ponds, at a spring supplying fresh water to both settlers and Native Americans. The administrative, research, and education buildings are located in the historic buildings of the Sargent Estate. Purchased in 1987 by the Commonwealth, great care was given in restoring the buildings. The Quashnet River Property was also purchased in 1987 and incorporated into the Reserve. The Reserve and the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife manage the river property.

Activities and amenities

In addition to interpretive programs, the reserve offers opportunities for hiking, boating, camping, fishing, and restricted hunting.

References

External links

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Department of Conservation and Recreation {{Protected areas of Massachusetts Protected areas of Massachusetts National Estuarine Research Reserves of the United States Falmouth, Massachusetts Protected areas of Barnstable County, Massachusetts Estuaries of Massachusetts Estuaries of Barnstable County, Massachusetts 1988 establishments in Massachusetts Protected areas established in 1988