TIMELINE: - C - AQUIFER DISRUPTION

 Photo  C-1 — Groundwater emergence area on Lot 3

 This image shows the area on Lot 3 where groundwater and surface water have historically emerged and created persistent wet conditions. Based on Carl Hale's site observations, groundwater has continued to appear in this area during periods of high water table and wet-weather conditions from approximately 2010 to the present.

In early 2010, rock and clay were placed within portions of this groundwater-emergence area. Carl Hale personally observed this work. Following that work, groundwater continued to emerge during high-water conditions, indicating that the underlying groundwater source remained active.

Grading and slope conditions in the surrounding disturbed area appear to direct groundwater and surface water generally northward during wet periods, toward the Lot 2 boundary.

Additional town, registry, engineering, or drainage records may help identify any easements, drainage structures, or other features associated with water movement near Pitcher Street. Until those records are located and reviewed, this exhibit relies on photographs, firsthand site observations, physical site conditions, and later wetland behavior.

Exhibit C — Photo C-2: Groundwater-Fed Wetland Area / Localized Flow Path

Purpose

This exhibit documents site conditions associated with groundwater and seasonal flow originating from the area of adjacent Lot 3 and affecting a limited portion of Lot 2.

Summary

Based on site observations, a groundwater-fed area associated with adjacent Lot 3 produces seasonal surface and subsurface water movement during periods of high groundwater, spring runoff, and prolonged wet weather. Water appears to enter or affect Lot 2 from the south and then move generally eastward across a limited portion of the property.

The affected wet area appears to be oriented primarily east to west and is estimated from site observations to be approximately 200 feet long and approximately 50 feet wide. Dense wetland-type vegetation and brush have developed within this localized band.

After crossing the affected portion of Lot 2, water appears to move back toward Lot 3 and continue downslope. Based on site observations, the localized flow path does not appear to maintain a continuous surface-water connection to Cooley Brook during ordinary conditions.

Surface-water conditions are seasonal. During spring runoff, prolonged rain, and periods of high groundwater, visible water may be present. During drier summer conditions, visible surface flow typically diminishes or ceases and surrounding areas dry substantially.

Stone crossings, drainage features, and later piping in nearby areas also indicate that recurring water movement required physical accommodation. These features should be considered together with photographs, field observations, wetland delineations, and available drainage records when evaluating the source and extent of wet conditions affecting Lot 2.

 Photo C-3 — Spring Aerial Image Showing WS1 Wetland Mapping, Seasonal Thaw Conditions, and Apparent Groundwater Flow Path — 2018 

 This spring aerial image shows the mapped wetland boundary labeled WS1 near Pitcher Street and the driveway area. A darker area is also visible on Lot 2 during spring conditions. That darker appearance may result from a combination of snow or ice melt, shade, lower ground, temporary ponding, and seasonal soil saturation. The aerial image alone therefore does not establish the duration, source, or full extent of wetland hydrology.

The image also appears to show a darker localized path extending from the area associated with groundwater emergence on Lot 3 and continuing downslope. This pattern is consistent with site observations of seasonal water movement affecting a limited portion of Lot 2.

Purpose

This exhibit is intended to compare the mapped WS1 wetland boundary with visible spring-thaw conditions and the apparent groundwater-fed drainage pattern. It illustrates why aerial imagery should be considered together with field observations, seasonal conditions, soil information, wetland delineation work, and drainage history before drawing conclusions about the extent of wetlands across Lot 2.

Summary

Based on site observations, groundwater conditions affecting this portion of Lot 2 appear localized and associated with water originating from or passing through the adjacent Lot 3 area. The darker seasonal pattern visible in the aerial photograph is consistent with temporary spring saturation and localized drainage rather than uniform wet conditions across the full Lot 2 frontage.

During spring thaw, darker areas may reflect melting snow or ice, shade, lower elevations, temporary ponding, and seasonal saturation. During drier periods, these areas dry substantially and do not display the same visible surface-water conditions.

Areas north of the localized wet band were previously evaluated for septic design and perc testing and were treated as suitable for non-wetland use at that time. Those records should be considered together with later wetland mapping when evaluating whether wetland conditions extend across the entire frontage.

Carl Hale has firsthand experience observing drainage, seasonal saturation, soil conditions, and water movement on the property. His observations are presented as site-history evidence and should be considered together with professional wetland delineations, agency records, photographs, and other available documentation.

Based on the site observations described above, Lot 2 does not appear to contain the principal groundwater source. The observed source appears associated with adjacent Lot 3, with seasonal water movement affecting a limited portion of Lot 2 under higher-groundwater and wet-weather conditions.

Photo C-4 — Lot 2 Field Observation Area and Historical Drainage Direction

This 2017 photograph shows Carl Hale in the Lot 2 field area where he made repeated observations of surface-water and groundwater movement over a period of years.

Based on those firsthand observations, water historically moved in a generally southeasterly direction through an area that appeared to function as wetland and continued toward the drainage system associated with Cooley Brook.

Following later grading and construction of the driveway on Lot 3, Carl Hale observed a change in the apparent drainage pattern. Water that had previously moved toward the southeast was instead redirected in other directions, including toward and over the mountainside.

Based on these observations, some of the present-day flow paths do not appear to maintain the same surface-water connection toward Cooley Brook that was observed before the driveway and related grading altered the area.

Purpose

This exhibit documents the Lot 2 field area from which long-term observations were made and provides site-history context for evaluating whether later grading and driveway construction altered the direction of surface-water flow.

Summary

Carl Hale’s observations indicate that the earlier drainage pattern carried water generally southeast through a wet area toward Cooley Brook. After driveway construction and associated grading, the observed flow pattern changed, with water redirected toward other portions of the site and, in some locations, over the mountainside.

These observations do not, by themselves, establish the legal extent of wetlands or the precise historical hydrologic connection. They are presented as firsthand site-history evidence to be considered together with photographs, aerial imagery, drainage records, wetland delineations, and agency records.