The land surrounding the Cobble Mountain and Borden Brook Reservoirs, which are the Commission’s main drinking water supplies, is known as the Little River watershed. Approximately 14,000 acres within the Little River Watershed in Blandford, Otis, and Granville, Massachusetts is protected, owned, and/or managed by the Commission for the purpose of water quality protection. Public access to Commission-owned property is limited to a narrow range of uses on select parcels in the Little River watershed, and to the Commission's emergency backup reservoir in Ludlow.
The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is pleased to open the Ludlow Reservoir area to limited public access. Please note that this area is different from a park – it is a public drinking water supply.
Hours of Operation
The Ludlow Reservoir is open 6 days per week, Thursday through Tuesday. The reservoir is closed on Wednesdays for maintenance activities and for three holidays every year: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Hours vary seasonally throughout the year:
Winter Season – November 1 to March 31 – 7:30 AM to 4 PM
Spring/Summer Season – April 1 to Labor Day – 7:00 AM to 7:30 PM
Fall Season – Day after Labor Day to October 31 – 7:30 AM to 6 PM (no entry after 5:30 PM)
View an interactive map of the Ludlow Reservoir watershed.
The Ludlow Reservoir
Conservation
The Ludlow Reservoir Conservation Area is conserved via a Conservation Restriction (CR) held by Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife. The CR is to maintain the natural, scenic, and open conditions of the property for fish and wildlife conservation, native habitat protection, hunting and fishing, forest management, and public recreation. The CR protects the property in perpetuity for these purposes, while also allowing the Commission to carry out forest management and necessary water supply activities. Click here to learn about recent forest management activities.
Permitted Recreational Activities
- Hiking, running, jogging, walking on paved and dirt roads
- Fat-tire bicycles on dirt roads in publicly accessible areas
- Non-commercial hunting/fishing in designated areas with valid state license
Prohibited Activities
- Access to Cherry Valley or Ludlow Dams; treatment & maintenance facilities; canals/canal roads; and all associated structures
- Open or camp fires, cookouts, picnics
- Camping
- Filling, storing, placing, dumping
- Introduction of non-native plants, animals or insects
- Activities affecting drainage, flood, control, water conservation, quality, erosion, etc.
- Domestic animals or livestock
- Drunkenness, breach of peace, profanity, disorderly conduct
- Vandalism
- Construction of any object or structure
- Swimming or wading
- Organized sports, including but not limited to orienteering, road races, etc.
- Public assemblies or groups of more than 10 persons unless with written authorization from the Commission
- Motorized vehicles of any kind
- Boats, with or without motors
- Metal detectors or use of similar devices
Parking/Access
There is a paved parking lot located at the trailhead to the reservoir trail.
History
Ludlow Reservoir was completed in 1875 and was the City of Springfield’s primary drinking water source at the time. The land surrounding the reservoir was purchased by the City of Springfield in the late 19th century. With a growing population and demand for water, Springfield shifted its water source west of the city to Borden Brook Reservoir in 1910, yet retained Ludlow Reservoir as an emergency source and continued to manage the surrounding forest for water supply protection. In 2004, the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife acquired a conservation restriction on the property surrounding the reservoir, placing it under permanent protection.
The Commission actively manages its watershed lands to protect and promote resilient and biologically and structurally diverse forests in order to maximize water quality protection.
Gate House at Borden Brook Reservoir
To protect drinking water quality, the Borden Brook Reservoir and Cobble Mountain Reservoir are closed to the public. No recreational activities are allowed at Borden Brook Reservoir or Cobble Mountain Reservoir, or on Commission-owned property surrounding the reservoirs with the exception of approximately ten parcels that allow specified passive recreational activities.
View our interactive map showing publicly accessible land owned by the Commission. You may also download a PDF file of the map for printing.
Public Access Areas in the Little River Watershed
The Commission owns 10 parcels of land that are public access areas, which allow specified passive recreational activities. Learn more about each of these conservation areas below.
Moody Vetter Conservation Area