The Westport Land Conservation Trust (WLCT) has been awarded $12,783.00 from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to improve shrubland habitat and conduct stream restoration work at the 159-acre Dunham’s Brook Conservation Area.

Opened to the public in 2009 by WLCT, Dunham’s Brook Conservation Area contains diverse habitats, including meadow, wet forest, corn fields and oak-holly forests. Portions of the property, located at 1520 Main Road along Dunham’s Brook, also support extensive wetland and vernal pool habitats.

In a 2009 management plan, WLCT identified two culverts impeding fish passage under an old roadway that crosses over Dunham’s Brook. A 2007 Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife survey of Dunham’s Brook found American eel and banded killifish, and confirmed a breeding native brook trout population south of Main Road which was originally documented in a 1990 survey. WLCT intends to replace these culverts with footbridges to improve water quality conditions and available habitat for Brook trout in the upper reaches of Dunham’s Brook.

Native sea-run brook trout, also known as salters, spend most of their adult life in saltwater but return to freshwater to spawn. Considered a keystone species in the Northeastern U.S., eastern Massachusetts populations of native Brook trout have been greatly reduced in recent history. Today, geographically isolated populations of trout remain in only about 10 percent of the sub-watersheds in eastern Massachusetts.

maintain our unique environment.”

“This is the second time in less than three years that state funding has been awarded to WLCT for habitat work in Westport through this competitive grant program. The state’s total contribution towards habitat improvement in Westport now exceeds $20,000.00 since 2016. “This is another urgently needed project that will greatly enhance shrubland and wetland habitat in Westport,” said WLCT Executive Director Ross Moran. “We hope to continue to partner with the state on many more initiatives like these.”

“The proposed stream restoration will improve opportunities for freshwater fishing.” And that “removing these impediments (culverts) will also improve the visitor experience to Dunham’s Brook Conservation Area and highlight the significance of Dunham’s Brook as a main freshwater tributary to the west branch of the Westport River.”

Senator Michael Rodrigues from Westport applauded the state for its efforts. “The grant awarded to the Westport Land Conservation Trust will go a long way in revitalizing our community’s natural resources.”

 “In order to preserve our diverse habitats on the South Coast, we first must recognize the importance of land conservation,” said Representative Paul Schmid. “Thank you to the Baker-Polito Administration and MassWildlife for providing the Westport Land Conservation Trust the opportunity to continue their great work in our community and