The Neponset
River Watershed is more than just water; it consists of the 129
square miles of land that drain into the Neponset River.
While the Neponset Watershed is one of the state’s
more heavily populated watersheds, with 330,000 residents,
it contains many areas of open space permanently protected
by state, local, private and federal agencies, providing
watershed residents with innumerable recreational adventures
and opportunities to explore their watershed.
Speaking
of recreational opportunities, click
here to read plans for a waterfront pathway
along the Neponset River.
Beyond their role as a unique recreational asset, these
protected lands and the many more acres of land that are
unprotected yet undeveloped, offer a diversity of
flora and fauna,
from Sensitive ferns to Coyotes, Meadow voles to Champion
Trees. In fact, during
the volunteer-based Biodiversity Days species inventory,
volunteers have documented 962 “visible”
species in just one watershed town!
Protected areas of
open space are critical for enabling rainwater to filter
into the
ground and recharge underground aquifers.
