Wayland Waterfall Becomes Conservancy Preserve

A long-enjoyed property, hidden off a side road in the town of Wayland, has become Genesee Valley Conservancy’s latest conservation project.  This new 20-acre preserve is a mature hemlock forest that features Little Mill Creek cutting through the forested gully.

The property, while tucked away off a side road, has not been unknown to the local community.  For decades, this property, along Whiteman Gully Road, has been visited by community members and local explorers who came to view the spectacular waterfalls found there.

The property was protected thanks to a land donation by Jocelyn Goldberg-Schaible who owned the land for over 40 years.  As Jocelyn considered her future ownership of the property and how much joy it brought her and others over the decades, she wanted to ensure that it remained a place open to community enjoyment and that it would be properly cared for beyond her years.

After some research, video calls, and in-person property walks with Genesee Valley Conservancy staff, Jocelyn determined gifting the land to Genesee Valley Conservancy would be the best way to achieve her goals and leave this legacy for the community.  For its part, the Conservancy saw the spectacular features and important resources the property offered and agreed to accept her generous gift.  

The Conservancy will steward the land to protect those important natural resources and allow for the continued enjoyment of this truly unique property by the public.  The Gully Preserve, as it is now called, will be open to public use and managed for public-access, the protection of water quality, and the health of the forest habitat.

Background

In 1952, this property was featured in the New York Times travel section, well before the internet made it easy to search for and find places to explore.  This newspaper story is evidence of how long this place has been known and enjoyed.

Over the year, through various owners, this place continued to be visited by those looking for a little adventure.  During Jocelyn’s 40 years of ownership, she too did not post the property against trespass, but welcomed individuals to enjoy the land as long as they were respectful of the property and left things as they had found them.

After 40 years of ownership, Jocelyn realized it was nearing time to part with the property; she hadn’t visited as frequently as she used to, it was harder for her to keep an eye on things from her home in the Rochester area, and she wanted to ensure the land would still be enjoyed long after her ownership ended.

After seeing the natural resources found on the land and realizing the long history of public use and enjoyment, Genesee Valley Conservancy knew this was a top priority for permanent conservation as a nature preserve.

Clean Drinking Water

Around 5,436 residents in the Village of Dansville, Town of North Dansville and Town of West Sparta rely on Little Mill Creek, the stream running through The Gully Preserve, for their drinking water.  Located downstream of the Dansville drinking water reservoir and just upstream from the Village’s water treatment plant’s intake pipe, all of the water flowing across this property could end up on someone’s kitchen table.

Proper stewardship and management of the surrounding forest and 2,300 feet of stream on the property is important to ensure natural filtration helps clean the water as it flows toward Dansville’s water plant.

Cleaner water in the stream means less cost and chemicals needed at the treatment plan.  The Conservancy will work towards preserving the present water quality on the property and to improving it through restoration projects in the years ahead.

Habitat

The hemlock forest provides important year-round shade for the stream, keeping the stream cool and well oxygenated which helps provide great habitat for trout.  In addition to healthy trout habitat, hemlocks are used by many birds thanks to the year-round protection they offer.  The roots help secure the steep slopes at The Gully Preserve and ensure that sediment and run-off do not end up polluting the water in the stream for trout or drinking.

Almost all of the trees at The Gully Preserve are hemlocks and many of them are very, very old. In addition to their ecological value, the hemlocks are stunning to view.

An invasive forest pest, hemlock woolly adelgid, has unfortunately invaded the hemlocks at the preserve. These small insects can be spotted in the winter on the underside of hemlock branches, looking like little white, woolly, masses.  The adelgid suck sap out of the needles, causing them to drop, and leaving the tree with no means of generating photosynthesis to remain alive.

Now that the Conservancy owns the property, work is underway to immediately address the hemlock woolly adelgid threat to preserve the hemlocks and the critical services they provide to the local area.

The Waterfalls

The property drops over 160 feet in elevation along the length of Little Mill Creek, creating a stunning series of waterfalls, chutes, and cascades.  Each of these water features has a unique look, feel, and sound as the water flows year-round on its way downstream.

While the largest falls drops around 40 feet and is certainly a destination, the creek features a series of a dozen chutes, cascades and other smaller water features that are a joy to explore.

Future Management

The Conservancy has begun management planning for the property to outline goals and priorities to help guide stewardship decisions including what restoration projects to undertake, and what uses to allow on the land.  The process is expected to wrap up mid-2022.

It is already known that the basics of the plan will include allowing public access, protection of the water quality, and addressing forestry issues presented by hemlock wooly adelgid.  The property, with a steep bank off of Whiteman Gully Road, has also been the site of historical dumping of trash by some non-consciousness individuals.  The Conservancy is taking steps to end this behavior.

The Conservancy has removed two pickup truck loads of debris and garbage from the property and is taking steps to stop future dumping from occurring.  Dumping trash near a drinking water stream poses negative consequences for both the environment and the surrounding community that relies on this water source.

About Genesee Valley Conservancy

Formed in 1990, Genesee Valley Conservancy is the local non-profit working to protect important habitat, farmland, and open space in the Genesee Valley.  The organization works with private landowners to protect private property by limiting development on land to ensure important resources remain intact for future generations.  The organization also owns land as nature preserves to provide public access and educational uses for the community while also protecting the land for environmental reasons.

With its office in Geneseo, the organization works exclusively in the Genesee River watershed.  This project is the fifth nature preserve owned by the organization, and the second owned in the Town of Wayland.  The Conservancy’s other preserve in the Wayland—Mill Creek Nature Preserve—is 60 acres in size and has several new trails this year thanks to local boy scout Sawyer Barron, his troop, and other volunteers who helped plan, clear, and mark these new trails.

How to Help

The Conservancy is looking for individuals to help manage and carry out stewardship at The Gully Preserve. While the Conservancy can create management plans and oversee the administrative side of owning land, local community help is needed to execute the plan and make sure things on-the-ground are maintained in great shape for the community.

Folks with an interest in lending a hand are encouraged to reach out to the organization’s Land Steward, Lina Clifford, at steward@geneseevalleyconservancy.org to indicate their willingness to help and identify any particular skills or interest that might be needed.

From one-time volunteer days to being an ongoing preserve steward, all help is welcome so we can ensure The Gully Preserve will be a great place to enjoy for decades to come.

How It Happened

Landowner Jocelyn Goldberg-Schaible contacted the Conservancy in early 2021 to explore conservation options for her property. After discussing her goals with Conservancy staff, and learning more about the organization, the paperwork to transfer the land to the Conservancy began and the transfer took place this fall.

This is the organization’s fifth nature preserve and second in Wayland, Steuben County.  To-date, the organization has acquired 219 acres of land which it owns and manages. All of this land is open to public access for recreation and education and is stewarded to provide diverse and healthy habitat for local wildlife.

In Summary

This project was supported by the Town of Wayland and Village of Dansville due to the local popularity of this place, the drinking water stream flowing across property, and the long-term benefits of preserving this land would have for the community.

The Genesee Valley Conservancy now oversees the protection of 26,429 acres of natural habitat and productive farmland.

Landowners in the Genesee River watershed interested in pursuing conservation options for their property, be it farmland, habitat, or a potential nature preserve, can contact Genesee Valley Conservancy to learn more.