TURKEY SWAMP PRESERVE

PLEASE NOTE: Turkey Swamp does not currently have legal public access, but that is being worked on.

Turkey Swamp, a forested wetland in northern Plympton with extensive stands of Atlantic White Cedar, is almost 300 acres securing a key natural area in the eastern portion of the Taunton River Watershed, as well as the easternmost headwater area contributing to the Narragansett Bay. According to BioMap2, Turkey Swamp is embedded in the third largest Landscape Block in the Eastern Eco- Region (21,015 acres), which is ranked among the largest 20% in the state. Turkey Swamp also is in Core Habitat 798, (4678 acres) which overlaps Critical Landscape 465. It is comprised of forest, wetland, and aquatic cores as well as species of concern.

Turkey Swamp provides important ecosystem services to Plympton, Taunton River Watershed towns, and other towns in Southeastern Massachusetts. Plympton is on the dividing line between the Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens ecoregion to the east and the Northeastern Coastal Zone ecoregion to the west. 

Conservation of Turkey Swamp will contribute to the resilience of these ecoregions. Its groundwater resources in the eastern section are part of the Plymouth-Carver Aquifer, an EPA-designated Sole Source Aquifer. In the western section, Turkey Swamp is a part of the Winnetuxet River, a feature tributary of the Taunton River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River. Protecting Turkey Swamp will be a keystone component in the retention of the critical green infrastructure network within the region and the town.