Friends of Quabbin

04/07/2026

The Friends of the Quabbin (www.FriendsOfQuabbin.org) will hold their Annual Meeting on Sunday, April 12 at 1:00 PM at the Belchertown United Church of Christ, 6 Park Street, Belchertown. The meeting is open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend.

The program will feature a special presentation titled “Clearing the Valley” by Maria Beiter-Tucker, Department of Conservation and Recreation-Division of Water Supply Protection’s Interpretive Services Supervisor from the Les and Terry Campbell Quabbin Visitor Center.

In 1927, the Swift River Valley was home to four towns and more than 2,000 residents. Just twelve years later, the valley began its transformation into what is now the Quabbin Reservoir, the largest water supply in Massachusetts. This presentation explores the complex and often overlooked process that reshaped the region, including the surveying of land, mapping of cemeteries, rerouting of rivers, and removal of more than 1,000 structures.

Beiter-Tucker’s talk draws on detailed historical records and engineering documentation to provide a compelling account of the dismantling of entire communities and the lasting environmental and human impacts of the project. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how the Quabbin Reservoir was created and the legacy it left behind.

03/07/2026

Rescheduled - Quabbin Photo Group to Host Presentation on Wildlife Tracking for Photography

• Monday, March 23, 2026
• 7:00 pm
• Belchertown Recreation Department
• 66 State Street, Belchertown (behind the Belchertown Police Department)

Due to the snowstorm in February, the Quabbin Photo Group (QPG) has rescheduled its presentation featuring Outdoor Education Specialist Jack Bonafini from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. His presentation will focus on tracking deer, designed especially for photographers.

With nearly a decade of experience in the Hunter Education and Learn to Hunt programs, Jack brings deep field knowledge and practical insight into deer biology, habitat, food preferences, and tracking techniques. This session will give you a clearer understanding of deer behavior and movement patterns, along with real-world strategies for reading sign and interpreting the landscape.

You’ll come away with tools and techniques to improve your chances of meaningful, ethical, and respectful close encounters and to capture stronger, more informed wildlife photographs. Whether you’re new to wildlife photography or looking to sharpen your field skills, this informative seminar will help take your work to the next level.

Founded in 1984, the Quabbin Photo Group traces its roots to the Belchertown Color Camera Club that was established in 1948 by noted local photographer Les Campbell. QPG welcomes anyone with an interest in nature photography, whether beginner or experienced. Meetings throughout the year feature educational presentations, guest speakers, and Member Nights where participants share and discuss their photographs.

For more information, visit our website at quabbinphotogroup.com or contact QPG President Mark Lindhult at [email protected] or Program Chair Ed Comeau at [email protected].

02/24/2026

DCR Quabbin Visitor Center- Virtual Presentation

Sunday, March 1, 2pm-3pm
Respect What You Find: DCR's Office of Cultural Resources Stewardship Mission
Cultural Resources are non-renewable material evidence of our past relationships to the lands and waters of Massachusetts over many generations. DCR Office of Cultural Resources archaeological staff will share teachings on how to recognize and respect what you may see while out and about as part of being a good cultural resources steward.
Register here:

02/24/2026

Safeguarding Quabbin- The Work of a DCR Watershed Ranger- presented at the DCR Quabbin Visitor Center 2-15-26

From before the sun rises to well after it sets, DCR Watershed Rangers dutifully safeguard the over 80,000 acres of land and water within the Quabbin Watersh...

02/24/2026

The Frozen Quabbin: Glacial Geology in Our Watershed recorded presentation- DCR Visitor Center- 2-22-26

Have you ever wondered about the geologic origin of the landscape we now observe around Quabbin Reservoir? Join us as we explore the genesis of some of the l...

02/10/2026

Recorded DCR Presentation from Jan 25

This fall marked the successful completion of the stabilization phase of the historic Keystone Bridge at Gate 30 in New Salem. This essential work marks a ma...

02/10/2026

Recorded DCR presentation from Feb. 1

Along the old road to Dana Common are foundations, fields, walls and trees that tell the story of the towns now long gone. Take a virtual hike as we talk ab...

12/02/2025

Friends of the Quabbin is excited to announce the successful completion of the stabilization phase of the historic Keystone Bridge at Gate 30 in New Salem.

This essential work marks a major step forward in preserving one of the rarest and most significant dry-stone structures in the Quabbin watershed, but much more has yet to be done, and the Friends are continuing their fundraising efforts. The Friends funded the stabilization project, which cost approximately $120,000, and now efforts are turning to replenishing the organization’s funds. Detailed updates on the project and information on how to donate can be found at www.friendsofquabbin.org/keystone.

Built in 1866 by stoneworker Adolphus Porter, the Keystone Bridge is an extraordinary example of 19th-century dry-stone arch construction. Porter’s method relied entirely on the precision shaping and interlocking of granite blocks—no mortar was used—culminating in the placement of the central keystone that distributes weight and locks the arch into compression. Only a handful of bridges of this type remain in Massachusetts, making the Keystone Bridge a particularly important survivor of early engineering and craftsmanship.

11/14/2025

The Quabbin Photo Group (QPG) will hold its next meeting on Monday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m. at the Belchertown Recreation Department, 66 State Street, Belchertown. The meeting is open to the public, and all are welcome to attend.

This month’s guest speaker will be Jillian Whitney, a wildlife biologist with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Water Supply Protection. Whitney began her career with DCR in 2005 as a seasonal technician and has been with the agency ever since. She will share insights from her work studying wildlife around the Quabbin and Ware River watersheds, highlighting projects such as Common Loon monitoring, vernal pool surveys, and other efforts to better understand and protect local wildlife.

11/10/2025

November 10, 2025 - Update on Progress with the Keystone Bridge Stabilization

It’s been three weeks since work started on stabilizing the Keystone Bridge. In the first three days of construction, a platform was built so that the large-tracked excavator could sit close enough to the stream to allow placement of large stones at the edge of the water. This platform will be largely left in place when the work is completed.

After the construction of the excavator platform, work began on a wing wall that, as of Friday November 7, rises approximately ten feet above the water. The wing wall is being built in lieu of restoring the collapsed spandrel wall; once finished, the backfill (which includes the mass of the excavator platform) behind the wing wall will support the roadway and provide sufficient ballast to ensure even loading on the vault.

To build this wall, large stones have been trucked in by DCR from two sites within the Quabbin reservation that are fairly close to the bridge. You probably have passed both sites if you have driven up Route 202 from Belchertown to Orange. One site is a short way south of the Route 122 exit; it is a pile of stones that were left on the east side of the road when it was rebuilt a number of years ago. The other site is visible from the Quabbin overlook turnoff in Pelham. These “re-homed” stones are now the face of the wing wall.

To place the large face stones, a ½” hole is drilled in the top of the stone. An expansion bolt is then inserted into the hole, and a ring is attached to the bolt so that a chain can be used to hook the stone onto the bucket of the excavator. The stone can then be lifted and moved into place.

Once the stone has been placed, the ring is removed from the bolt, which is then broken off flush with the surface of the rock. Selecting and setting each stone is a fairly time-consuming process. It takes about a day to install each course (row) of these larger rocks as well as filling in the space behind them: Additional large stones are placed behind the face stones and the remaining spaces around the larger stones filled in with smaller stones.

The top of the wing wall has reached the bottom of the last few remaining original spandrel stones and work has begun on supporting those by filling in the void underneath them with solid stonework. The wing wall and the stabilization of the remnants of the spandrel wall should be completed by November 15th.

If all goes well, the next couple of weeks should see the finishing touches being applied, including restoring the level road surface over the area that had collapsed and covering the work area with loam in preparation for seeding and mulching. Any leftover rocks will be placed elsewhere on the site or removed altogether and the approach roadway will be restored to close to its original condition.

10/31/2025

The Pelham Free Public Library (2 South Valley Rd, Pelham, MA) is featuring an archival exhibit showing Pelham’s history in the Swift River Valley and the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir. Just one of the stations is shown in this image, stop by to see the full exhibit!

Mondays 2-7 p.m., Tuesdays 2:30-7 p.m.,Wednesdays 1-7 p.m., Thursdays 2:30-7 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m.-noon, Saturdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

10/31/2025

A unique perspective of the Keystone Bridge Stabilization Project being done by the Friends and DCR at Gate 30.

Reminder, the site is closed to the public, but you can find updates on our website at https://www.FriendsOfQuabbin.org/keystone