Rocky Lake
T18 ED BPP
Vital Statistics:
- Size: 1,516 acres
- Regulated: 767 acres
- Non-Regulated: 749 acres
- Upland: 746 acres
- Forested Wetland (NWI): 210 acres
- Non-Forested Wetland: 458 acres
- Open Water: 105 acres
- Roads: trails-1 mile
- Biophysical Region: Eastern Interior
- BPL Region: East
Rare Species and Exemplary Natural Community Table for Rocky Lake
| Type | Common Name | Latin Name | S-RANK | G-RANK | State Status | EO-RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exemplary Natural Communities | Red pine - white pine forest | S3S4 | N/A | N/A | E | |
| Streamshore ecosystem | S4 | N/A | N/A | E | ||
| Rare Plants | None found | |||||
| Rare Animals | None found |
Description
Straddling the East Machias River, the Rocky Lake ecological reserve supports a diverse 500+ acre streamshore ecosystem. Much of this streamshore is emergent wetland, including two peatland areas identified as acidic fens. The streamshore also includes a small but interesting floodplain forest on a river levee. Floodplain forests with silver maple are uncommon in this region of the state, and one silver maple was measured at 64 inches in diameter.
Upland forests within the reserve are unremarkable and characteristic of Downeast Maine. Much of the upland acreage is a post-burn association of red oak, red maple, bigtooth aspen, and red and white pine. According to BPL stand type maps, only 10% of the acreage is within the sawtimber class. Conifer dominated stands indicate a heavy past influence of spruce budworm.
Resources
Rocky Lake Management District: Management Plan. 1981. Bureau of Public Lands, Department of Conservation, Augusta, Maine. 42 pp.