Introduction

The Libby River Farm consists of 121 acres of fields, forest, coastal wetlands, and forested freshwater wetlands adjacent to an 180 acre camp and a saltwater farm. The Lucy Sprague Memorial Trail meanders through forested wetlands, a deciduous forest, and crosses a perennial stream, ending up in a field that overlooks the Libby River. Maine's outdoor heritage includes a history of public access, fishing and farming. In addition to protecting wildlife habitat, the Libby River Farm conserves all three of these outdoor heritage elements.

Geology

Between Kittery and Portland is the area where sandy land is covered with pine trees, and where glacial meltwater streams, loaded with sand and gravel, once met the sea. Although some outcrops of granite can be seen, most of the rocks are metamorphic quartzites and schists. This part of southern Maine sees the most sandy beaches and sandy soils, with only outcroppings of the granite so well known in Maine.

Geologic maps typically describe the bedrock of an area and/or its surficial material - sand, gravel, and landscape features. The patterns of colors on bedrock maps allow geologists to draw cross-sections based on thousands of observations about the pattern of folding and faulting of bedded rocks, and the intrusion of igneous rocks. It gives them an image of the underlying structure of the earth's crust at a particular point. Surficial geological maps are made similarly with a combination of observation and inference of roadcuts, agricultural uses, mining, and so on. And then there are soils maps that attempt to integrate both the bedrock features and the surficial features.

The Cumberland County Soil Survey indicates that the soils that were formed on the Libby River property originate from either glacial outwash deposits (Windsor, Merrimac and Deerfield soils), glaciofluvial origins (Elmwood soils), glaciofluvial origins over sands of marine and lucustrian origin (Swanton soils), and old marine estuaries (Scantic silt loams). The geological definition of a terrace is an old alluvial plain, ordinarily flat or undulating, bordering a river, lake, or the sea. These are not the current flood plains that we know today. Stream terraces are frequently called second bottoms, as contrasted to flood plains, and are seldom subject to overflow. Marine terraces were deposited by the sea and are generally wide.

Habitats

The salt marshes of Scarborough support nesting willets and provide important wintering and migration habitat for many other birds. They support a breeding and summer population of waterfowl and other state and federally protected species. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) considers the Scarborough marsh an area of "special concern" because of its importance as a recreational resource and its economic importance to the region and the State.

The MDIFW has assessed the value of some habitats in Scarborough, but not all. It has rated the Libby River as high value wetlands for wildlife habitat along the main stem of the river and near the outlet to the Scarborough River, moderate value wetlands adjacent to the main stem of the Libby River, and indeterminate value wetlands off the tributaries.

It is rated low and indeterminate value for fisheries. Indeterminate means that the department has not yet determined the value of the resource. The tidal waters of the Libby River are rated by the state as Class SA which is the highest classification of a salt water body. The classification designates the minimum level of quality required for its intended use.

A preliminary study done by the town and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in 1989 recommended a land management program for the Libby River watershed because of its value to the clam industry. 170 marine fishing licenses were recorded for Scarborough in 1988, including 43 dealers. These included lobster, crab, shellfish, commercial, scallop, seaweed harvest, scallop, and worms. In 1990, the value of the lobster catch alone off Scarborough was $1,226,700. Libby's Point and the Libby River is one of the traditional clam digging areas of the marsh and the harbor. The flats of the Libby River were opened in 1992 as a result of the hard work of the Scarborough Shellfish Committee. The value of clams dug in Scarborough was $86,790 in 1991.

MDIFW has been able to identify shorebird feeding / roosting areas along the Scarborough River near the outlets of the Libby River. One site is indicated along the Libby River. Unfortunately, there is little recorded data about the subwatersheds of the Scarborough marsh such as the Libby River watershed.

It is likely that many of the same species found in the Scarborough River marsh and the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge (RCNWR) use the Libby River Farm wetlands for food, cover and migratory habitat. The acquisition of the property would give the MDIFW the opportunity to find out which birds are using the Libby River wetlands.

The Gulf of Maine Project checked their database regarding the Libby River Farm property. They provided the following data:

• Piping plover essential habitat is immediately south of the Libby River Farm.
• Coastal Waterfowl Concentration areas, as identified by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are immediately south of the Libby River Farm.
• It seems highly probable that shorebirds feed and roost in the wetlands on the Libby River Farm. The shorebird data that has been collected to-date is far from comprehensive or conclusive.
• Anadromous fish (rainbow smelt, American eel, alewife, blueback herring and American shad) inhabit the Scarborough River and the Nonesuch River. It is likely that anadromous fish are in the Libby River too. The data may not be detailed enough or too old.

The Spurwink River in Scarborough supports a striped bass sport fishery.

In addition to species already known to be present, protecting this wetland resource will protect species that may have not yet been located recently, but do exist on the property, or have been known to exist. The Maine Natural Heritage Program lists two species of threatened or endangered plants that were historically located in the Libby River watershed but not recently studied.

The stiff gentian Gentianella quinquefolia was was located in the Libby River watershed and was possibly extirpated. Agalinis martima or saltmarsh false-foxglove has been placed on the "watch list" by the State. This small pink to purple flowered annual is confined to salt marshes. It has been sighted in the Libby River watershed. Research on these species at this location is dated.

Scarborough Land Conservation Trust
P.O. Box 1237
Scarborough, Maine 04070
how to contact

The American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus, is a bird common to the freshwater and brackish marshes of Scarborough, although it is not seen very often because of its evasive behavior and its ability to blend in with the grasses. When it is seen, it is usually alone, and often in a frozen position with its head pointed upward. The best field mark is the broad black whisker, which no other heron or bittern has. In flight, you can see blackish flight feathers that are not seen on the ground.

Herons are wading birds with long legs, necks and bills. Most feed on aquatic animal life in shallow water. They are in the same family as bitterns and egrets, Ardeidae. Snowy Egrets and Great Blue Herons are common in Scarborough. Sometimes tricolored or great egrets are seen in our marshes. The Snowy Egret has snow white plumage with a thin black bill, and bare yellow skin at the base. Its legs are black and its feet are bright yellow. Great Egrets have complete yellow bills, and its legs and feet are all black. Great Blues are the largest herons, their bodies are gray-brown, with a bluish tint, and their heads are white with some black feathers on the top.