Saturday, May 27, 2017

The Otter's Missing Link

The car to the right of the beaver lodge is traveling west on Route 2 in Gardner, Massachusetts.  I've driven this same stretch many times and wondered about the river flowing under the highway.  Signs on the highway identify it as the Otter River.  On several occasions, after passing over it, I'd go to Google maps in hopes of finding out more only to find no trace of a waterway crossing Route 2 at this location.  Did I really see one?  Google Maps does show the Otter River from its confluence with the Millers River up to the Cummings Conservation Area in Gardner where it mysteriously disappears.  There's no sign of it where it crosses under Routes 101, 2A, and 2.  While it is a small river it's not that small.  The Otter River then re-appears on Google Maps in Hubbardston near Pitcherville Road.  Tributaries to the Otter such as Pond Brook, Foster Brook, Hubbardston Brook, and Templeton Brook are all shown just ending without connecting to anything...almost like the new interpretation for determining our nation's navigable waterways.

Fortunately, I recently stumbled upon an online map of the Otter River Headwaters Blue Trail by the Millers River Watershed Organization, and yesterday that map brought me to this spot in East Templeton...

The rain showers I expected to see coming to an end were doing just the opposite as I launched from Plant Road.  Heading upriver I passed quite a gathering of male wood ducks...
They were hanging around this "Tiki Hut" looking duck blind...
...which reminded me of Gilligan's Island.

I'd traveled only .75 miles upriver when I came upon this situation at Route 2A...
A blockage of some type had the water on the upstream side higher than the downstream outlet.  Fast current and low head room resulted in an unplanned portage which after a quick scouting turned out to be shorter and easier than expected.

A little further along I had 3 corrugated culverts to choose from in passing under Route 2...

Emerging on the other side I entered the Otter River Conservation Area and felt any and all efforts to this point were worth it...


Continuing past the conservation area required a turn to the west and 2 beaver dam up and overs before reaching the end of navigable water...
...at this spot southeast from an airport runway and about 3 miles upriver from Plant Road.  The view is towards Hubbardston.  Here my camera succumbed to the moisture and stopped working.  My return trip did include one encounter with an actual otter, and seeing a female wood duck exit a box nest upon my approach.  Both of these events were so sudden I doubt I would have got a photo even if my camera did cooperate.

Once back at Plant Road my backup camera was pressed into service to record this bit of recovered flotsam...

The Otter River Headwaters Blue Trail made for an enjoyable exploration on an otherwise gloomy afternoon.  Way better than sitting on the couch waiting for the rain to end. 

Going downriver from Plant Road would have required squeezing under a large pipe crossing the river.  I'll save that for my next visit.

As to why Google Maps is missing about 5 miles of the Otter River I have no idea.  Perhaps I'll Google it.

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