Cornish Swimming Area (2023 No. 3)

Conservation Commission Notes

Did you know that Cornish has its very own swimming area that also does double duty as a fire pond? If you travel to Cornish Flat, turn onto School Street and go to the end of the street to the intersection of School Street and Leavitt Hill Road, you can take a refreshing dip in the dammed area of Blow-Me-Down Brook

Town history tells us that in January 1967 Irene LeClair granted the town of Cornish a parcel of land that included portions along Blow-Me-Down Brook. The dam located at the corner of Leavitt Hill Road and School Street forms a “natural” pool that makes for an ideal swimming hole. Because of the condition of the old dam, an on-site inspection was completed in 1973 in order to acquire grant funds to repair and improve the dam. In June 1975, following a second pre-award on-site inspection (Image 1), a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for $3000 was approved and matched by the Town of Cornish for improvements to the dam and the formal establishment of a public recreation area.

At the time of the grant request the proposed scope of the improvements included a stop-log control gate, fill for the shoulder, excavation and installation of 4” of beach sand, excavation of silt from behind the dam, landscaping and installation of a guardrail on the dam. The project was completed in July 1976 (Image 2) with the project finalized in 1981 (Image 3).

Image 2. Photo (August 27, 1976) of Blow-Me-Down Brook dam at Leavitt Hill Road taken after improvements were completed. The photo is taken from the bridge looking upstream. (Image credit: Cornish Swimming Area, Final On-site Inspection)
Image 3. Photo (August 19, 1981) of Blow-Me-Down Brook dam and swimming area at Leavitt Hill Road taken during the completion inspection. The photo is taken from the bridge looking upstream. (Image credit: Cornish Swimming Area, Completion On-site Inspection)

Although the beach sand and guardrails on the dam are gone, the swimming hole is still a refreshing break from the dog days of summer (hopefully we will have a few in August!), and who knows, you might even share the water with a duck or other wildlife during your visit (Images 4–6).

There is no lifeguard on duty, or trash receptacles provided, so please take appropriate precautions, supervise children, clean up after pets if needed and remove any trash from the area.

Many thanks to the town road crew and local volunteers for keeping the grass mowed and the area accessible. Parking is on the street.

Image 4. Photo (July 11, 2023) of Blow-Me-Down Brook dam and swimming area at Leavitt Hill Road. The swimming hole is open for business! (Image credit: J Foote)
Image 5. Photo (July 11, 2023) of Blow-Me-Down Brook dam and swimming area at Leavitt Hill Road after the rains of July 10, 2023. (Image credit: J Foote)
Image 6. Photo (July 11, 2023) of Blow-Me-Down Brook dam and swimming area at Leavitt Hill Road. Lots of sun and shade to relax. (Image credit: J Foote)

Wild About Cornish: Beginner Bird Walk (May 7, 2022)

Conservation Commission Past Events

CREA (Cornish Recreation and Education Area)
On May 7 a group of 15 folks interested in learning more about resident, and newly arriving migrant birds, rambled through the diverse CREA habitats to find 23 different species. Highlights included watching 7 newly hatched goslings swim in the beaver pond with their protective parents, feeding Tree Swallows swooping among us and back over the water to catch insects, and an up-close view of a perched male Bluebird, several Tree Swallows and a brightly colored Yellow-rumped Warbler all in a row on shrubs at the water’s edge.

A few takeaways…

  • Anyone can enjoy our resident winter birds by putting up a feeder or two during the winter months, and even participate in citizen science by joining Cornell’s Project FeederWatch and reporting your species at feederwatch.org
  • Early morning is the best time to hear and see the spring/summer birds (it’s quiet and cool)
  • Ruby-throated hummingbirds spend the summer with us, put up a feeder and enjoy the show!
  • Acquire a field guide, and/or a birding app, binoculars, then invite a few friends to join in, and you are on the path to a fun new hobby!
  • The CREA land has a nice diversity of birds because the habitat is so varied; it includes a mix of mature deciduous and pine trees (thrushes, warblers and vireos), scrub/thickets (catbirds, sparrows), stream/wetland/pond (geese, ducks, bitterns, red-winged blackbirds), open grassy fields (sparrows, bluebirds) and surrounding hills and ridges (hawks, ravens).
  • The songbirds we enjoy from late March-August are mostly migrants flying into NE, and some push to points even further north to breed. Many fly significant distances under ever increasing peril.
  • North America has lost ~3 billion birds since 1970, the leading reason is the loss of/or degradation of wintering and breeding grounds, as well as travel rest points on the migratory routes.

There are simple but powerful actions we can take to help:

  • Support conservation of critical habitat, participate in Citizen Science
  • Keep your cats inside (at least during the breeding season)
  • Minimize bird/window collisions (use bird tape and decals)
  • Increase bird friendly native plant species in your yard, manage invasives, reduce or eliminate pesticides and insecticides
  • Leave dead trees whenever possible for use by cavity nesters and as an insect hotel /food source for the birds
  • Support shade grown coffee product (bird-friendly)

Read more about the State of NH’s Birds, A Conservation Guide 2020, available on the web at www.nhaudubon.org

Wild About Cornish: The Wonders of Vernal Pools (April 28, 2022)

Conservation Commission Past Events

On April 28 a group of 17 vernal pool enthusiasts including guests from Cornish and Plainfield, speaker Matt Tarr, PhD, State Wildlife Specialist/UNH Extension Professor/NH Licensed Forester, and representatives from the CCC braved the wind to dive into the magic and wonder of vernal pools.

We highlight a few takeaways…

  • Vernal pools can exist almost anywhere—they are wetlands with a seasonal cycle of flooding and drying.
  • Life and survival within and dependent upon these pools is strange, fragile, surprising and deserve our attention and protection: there were “eggs and spermatozoa galore” (frogs and spotted salamanders). We all came away better educated and eager to go egg-spotting on our own.
  • Trained and experienced wildlife specialist Matt Tarr brought us more than we thought: Matt stood in the cold CREA pools in his waders for an hour, gently netting samples of egg masses (wood frogs were already emerging as tiny tadpoles), and helped us understand how the pools and their temporary inhabitants fit into the surrounding woodland ecologies. To have Matt and so many others from the UNH Extension and surrounding organizations available to our communities is a great resource we should use to the fullest.
  • CREA is a fabulous learning environment and an incredibly valuable community resource. A continuing debt of thankfulness is extended to all town volunteers, past and present, as well as donors and town officials who made and keep CREA a town resource for the enjoyment of all.

Learn more about Vernal Pools >