Sturgeon River Preserve

Otsego County

History

The Preserve was purchased on September 6, 2011 from Herbert S. Bensinger, Matthew A. Bensinger and Lauren E. Bensinger. The family served as joint tenants of the Property. Herbert Bensinger approached HWLC with the intention of selling the forty-acre parcel. The J.A. Woollam Foundation, a long-time supporter of land conservancies, generously funded the entire purchase of the Preserve.

Land

The Property has two primary land types. The majority of the property is an outwash plain, which includes the river corridor. The soil is mostly muck and therefore is poorly drained. On the east side of the property, there are steep moraine ridges that support upland systems. The steep ridges are possible points of erosion and should be treated with care. While the riverbanks are not steep, they are also susceptible to erosion.
On the moraine, the highest elevation is approximately 1,000 feet. The lowest point is approximately 950 feet. Illustrating the steep gradient of the moraine, 50 feet of elevation is lost in a matter of a few hundred horizontal feet in the northeast corner.

Planning a Visit

The Sturgeon River Nature Preserve has two trails, a large loop(Red Trail) and a smaller loop(Green Trail). There is an accessible boardwalk running 440ft alongside the Sturgeon River.

Please enjoy

hiking, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, and similar low-impact activities. Many of the properties include water frontage and one could easily canoe or kayak these, but please note that none of these properties include boat launch facilities for larger vessels.