Stephen's Gulch Conservation Area

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Stephen's Gulch Conservation Area
Stephen's Gulch Conservation Area, Durham Region, Ontario.jpg
Location Clarington, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates 43°57′55.8″N78°40′31.3″W / 43.965500°N 78.675361°W / 43.965500; -78.675361
Area354 acres
Governing body Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority

Stephen's Gulch is a conservation area located in the municipality of Clarington, Ontario. The conservation area borders a large section of the Soper Creek, and contains 354 acres of deciduous forests as well as coniferous forests and swamps. [1] The conservation area is also an important watershed area for Ontario.

Contents

History

Administration and management

The Stephen's Gulch conservation area is under the administration of the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority who are responsible for a variety of watershed services as well as upkeep of Stephen's Gulch. [2]

Climate

Stephen's Gulch has a humid continental climate [3] with long, cold winters and hot summers. During winters temperatures can drop below -10 °C and can exceed 20 °C during summers. [4] Rainfall averages 1093 mm per year, with late summer/early fall being the wettest months and winter the driest.

Stephens Gulch
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
91
 
 
−8
−13
 
 
85
 
 
−6
−12
 
 
38
 
 
2
−6
 
 
113
 
 
14
−2
 
 
77
 
 
19
5
 
 
122
 
 
26
12
 
 
107
 
 
24
15
 
 
82
 
 
24
15
 
 
113
 
 
21
11
 
 
133
 
 
12
4
 
 
53
 
 
6
−2
 
 
79
 
 
−5
−9
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [4]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
3.6
 
 
18
9
 
 
3.3
 
 
21
10
 
 
1.5
 
 
36
21
 
 
4.4
 
 
57
28
 
 
3
 
 
66
41
 
 
4.8
 
 
79
54
 
 
4.2
 
 
75
59
 
 
3.2
 
 
75
59
 
 
4.4
 
 
70
52
 
 
5.2
 
 
54
39
 
 
2.1
 
 
43
28
 
 
3.1
 
 
23
16
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches

Geology and soils

Stephen's Gulch is mostly underlain by the Precambrian-era metamorphic and igneous rock of the Canadian Shield. [5] Soils in the conservation area are mostly fine and high-quality, and average high levels of infiltration. [6]

Flora and Fauna

There are a wide variety of animals that live in Stephen's Gulch, including 46 species of birds and 13 species of mammals. [7] Animals that inhabit Stephen's Gulch include White-tailed deer, Red Foxes, Black-capped chickadees, and Pileated woodpeckers.

Old growth balsam firs, black pines, and white ash are common in the conservation area.

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References

  1. "Stephen's Gulch | Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority" www.cloca.com. Retrieved 15 December 2020
  2. "Conservation Areas | Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority".www.cloca.com. Accessed 15 December 2020
  3. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (11 October 2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification". Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi: 10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 .
  4. 1 2 NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index. NASA.
  5. Earthfx Inc. 2006. Groundwater Modelling Of The Oak Ridges Moraine Area. Prepared for the York Peel Durham Toronto (YPDT) Groundwater Management Study and the Conservation Authorities Moraine Coalition (CAMC). CAMC/YPDT Technical Report #01-06. February.
  6. "BOWMANVILLE/SOPER CREEK WATERSHED EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT CHAPTER 6-PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY." www.cloca.ca. Accessed 15 December 2020
  7. "Home". cloca.ca.