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Midreach Streams

Black Rock Brook in winter

Black Rock Brook in winter

Description

Streams that flow through areas with a gentle slope accumulate sediment in their beds. Every spring, the water flow increases and the streambeds are scoured, but through most of the year, the water flows slowly. The stream beds usually do not support many plants, except in the slow-running pools. Wet rocks are often covered with mosses and liverworts.

Selected Plants

Herbs

Occurrence

Sections of Mineral Spring Brook, lower Canterbury Brook, and lower Black Rock Brook all form midreach streams. The easiest to see are lower Black Rock Brook, along Brook Road, between 9W and the chlorinator, and the brook flowing between the Science Center parking area and the upper reservoir.

Ecology

White Oak Brook

White Oak Brook

Midreach streams rarely dry up in the summers, though water flow may become very slow. In the spring, there is a heavy flow from snowmelt. The streams in the Forest are somewhat isolated, so they have few fish in the upper areas, but leopard frogs, pickerel frogs, and red spotted salamanders are relatively common.

Streamflow and nutrient content of the water in the forest is carefully monitored by scientists studying the flow of water and nutrients through the forest.

History

Since the constuction of the reservoirs, water has been drawn away from the streams. The pattern of winter and spring runoff has changed as runoff fills the reservoirs. It is also likely that summer streamflow lessens earlier.

Also Called

Selected References

For general references see the reference page.

Photos: Kerry Barringer