Bedford, NY: Mianus River Gorge (MRG) is pleased to announce it has added 22 acres of beautiful property to the land it protects within the Mianus River Watershed. With the help of an anonymous foundation that contributed significant funding, Mianus River Gorge, using funds raised and a donation from the Stamford Land Conservation Trust, purchased 22 acres in Stamford, CT. This new land will be owned and managed by MRG and named the Taylor Preserve.
This spectacular hemlock/oak woodland with mountain laurel understory is surrounded on three sides by the Mianus River and provides crucial protection where the east branch of the Mianus meets the main stem of the river.
The land parcel also is home to rare species of flora and fauna, and is relatively free from invasive vines. Mianus River Gorge will create a management plan to ensure the Taylor Preserve remains a healthy and vital part of the Mianus River Greenway that stretches from the Mianus River Gorge Preserve to Long Island Sound.
For many years, Mianus River Gorge has worked on creating an open space greenway that stretches from the Mianus River Gorge Preserve in New York State to Cos Cob in Connecticut where the Mianus River empties into Long Island Sound. Designated an official greenway by the State of Connecticut in 2001, the Mianus River Greenway is a riparian corridor whose primary goal is the protection of the water quality of the Mianus River and the preservation of the adjacent uplands. The greenway extends north with the river into New York and includes properties owned by the State of Connecticut, municipalities, and private conservation organizations, including the Mianus River Gorge.
Long on Mianus River Gorge’s list of critical properties to protect, Taylor Preserve creates a bridge between protected land owned by Stamford Land Conservation Trust and the State of Connecticut in the southern region of the Mianus River Watershed. The southern region of the watershed is a focal point of Mianus River Gorge’s conservation plan as the Mianus River is a drinking water supply for over 130,000 residents in Greenwich and Stamford, CT, and Rye, Rye Brook, and Portchester, NY. The Mianus River has a AA Special rating and also is a breeding site for populations of alewife, blue-backed herring, and brown trout that run up the lower river to spawn in fresh water.
Upon the finalization of the management plan and installation of signage, Mianus River Gorge looks forward to inviting the community to enjoy this new Preserve.
Mianus River Gorge, located in Bedford, NY, works to protect and promote appreciation of the natural heritage of the Mianus River watershed through land acquisition, conservation science, research, and education throughout the region.