Protecting the Theodore Lyman Reserve

In the heart of Buzzard’s Bay, The Trustees of the Reservation and TTOR conservation partners (including MASS DFW and TU) are working to preserve Red Brook, a pristine, springfed stream that runs for 4.5 miles through Plymouth, Wareham, and Bourne before emptying into Buttermilk Bay, a part of Buzzard’s Bay.

First protected by naturalist Theodore Lyman in the late 1800s, the quality and temperature of Red Brooks’ cold waters and the absence of manufacturing dams made it home to a population of native sea-run brook trout—“salters”—that Lyman, an ardent angler, could not resist. Today, Red Brook is one of the few remaining fisheries in the state where you can find Lyman’s beloved salters, thanks to continuing stewardship by his descendants.

In 2001, the Lyman family generously donated 638 acres along Red Brook to ensure its ongoing protection. The state will manage 428 acres as the Red Brook Wildlife Management Area. The remaining 210 acres will be managed by The Trustees as the Theodore Lyman Reserve. Trout Unlimited, a nation-wide conservation and advocacy organization, the state, and The Trustees are cooperatively managing all 638 acres. (ed note:) TU volunteers Fran Smith and Warren Winders played key roles in setting up and arranging the particulars with the Lyman Family, TTOR and the State after Hal Lyman contacted Fran due to Fran's award winning volunteer work on the Quashnet River restoration project.

But creating the Lyman Reserve was just the beginning. Providing public access to this magnificent landscape, stabilizing the historic caretaker’s cottage and barn, and covering start-up costs will require $125,000. Woodland trails, a parking lot, and educational programming will allow visitors and anglers alike to experience the beauty of Red Brook while learning about the story of man’s interaction with the river, starting from the Wampanoag use of Red Brook as a campsite some 1,800 years ago. An additional $675,000 is required to complete the Lyman Family Fund to continue research on the fisheries and ecological stewardship of Red Brook’s historic and natural resources.

In 2004, all 4.5 miles of Red Brook was named one of several "Catch and Release" areas by the MADFW >>More

To visit or read more about the Lyman Reserve >>Click Here

To learn how you can help, please contact Steve Sloan, South Coast/Cape Cod Area Manager, at ssloan@ttor.org or
Warren Winders with the Southeastern MA Chapter of TU.

Above text largely taken from TTOR Special Places Newsletter, Winter 2004, V 12, #1