Wye Marsh

Last updated
Wye Marsh
Wye Marsh View 1.jpg
Canada Ontario location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Wye Marsh in Ontario
Location Simcoe County
Nearest city Midland, Ontario
Coordinates 44°43′N79°51′W / 44.717°N 79.850°W / 44.717; -79.850
Area1000 hectares
920 hectares (Wye Marsh Wildlife Management Area)
47 hectares (Wye Marsh National Wildlife Area)
Visitors35000(in 2001)

The Wye Marsh is a wetland area on the south shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada. The Wye Marsh National Wildlife Area was established on the location in 1978. [1] It is designated a Provincially Significant Wetland by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. [2]

Contents

Settlement

The area was inhabited by Huron Indians when the Jesuit missionaries arrived in 1639. The Jesuit established a mission on the north-east corner of Wye Lake, the site is now known as Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. The largest Huron village of the time was situated between Wye Marsh and nearby Tiny Marsh. [3] By 1650 conflict with Iroquois had driven all of the surviving missionaries to Quebec, along with the surviving Huron. The area remained unpopulated for 150 years. [3]

In the early 19th century, a naval base open in Penetanguishene, and settlement of the area by Europeans began in earnest. [3] Wyebridge became the major business centre of Simcoe County, and by the 1860s Midland was surpassed only by Ottawa as a logging town in Ontario. [3] Deforestation led to small streams which fed the marsh drying up, and serious soil erosion along the Wye River depositing into Wye Lake. [3] In the 20th century the site of Wye Marsh was a privately owned hunting preserve, until it was turned into a wildlife area by the federal and provincial governments. [3]

Administration

The Canadian Wildlife Service established the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in 1969. [4] In 1985, the day-to-day administration of the centre was taken over by the Friends of the Wye Marsh through special agreement with Environment Canada. [5] Most of the land is owned by the Province of Ontario, and administered through the Wye Marsh Wildlife Management Area, and some land is owned by Environment Canada and administered through the Wye Marsh National Wildlife Area.

Description

The marsh covers an area of around 4.5 km by 1.5 km. [6] The area is primarily cattail marsh, although some areas are fen. [6] Inside the parklands there is also a small amount of dense coniferous swamp and upland forests. [3] In the centre of the marsh is an area of open water known as Mud Lake or Wye Lake. [5] The lake covers 125 hectares and has a typical depth of 80 to 140 centimeters. [3]

Ecology

Trumpeter swans at the Wye Marsh TrumpeterSwansWyeMarsh.jpg
Trumpeter swans at the Wye Marsh

The Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre runs a breeding programme for trumpeter swans. [7] The centre, and its volunteers, monitor approximately one-third of all trumpeter swans in Ontario. [8] The swans had been absent from the marsh until a reintroduction programme by Harry Lumsden in the 1980s, as an employee of the Ontario Department of Natural Resources. [3] Archeological evidence collected by Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century suggests that the area previously had significant concentrations of trumpeter swans, and historical references indicate the same. [3] While hunters armed only with bows and arrows would have had a difficult time hunting the swan, the introduction of firearms by European explorers would have made the swan a tempting target for hunters. [3] By 1850, only small numbers of the swan remained in Eastern Canada, and the last sighting of a trumpeter swan in Ontario before reintroduction occurred in 1884. [3] Among Ontarians, the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre has is known as the Home of the Trumpeter Swan. [3]

The marsh is also an important breeding site for black terns and least bitterns. [9] At least 1% of the breeding pairs of least bitterns in Canada nest in the Wye Marsh. [3] [10]

Other bird species known to inhabit the marsh include: red-winged blackbirds, [11] common grackles, [11] brown-headed cowbirds, [11] sandhill cranes, [12] common mergansers, [12] double-crested cormorants, [12] great blue herons, [12] marsh wrens, tree swallows, common yellowthroats, ring-billed gulls, common moorhens, mallard ducks, wood ducks, Canada geese, barn swallows and soras. [3]

Historically, the marsh supported large amounts of wild rice, which served as an important food source for waterfowl. The introduction of carp in the early 20th century significantly reduced the amount of wild rice, and consequently the number of waterfowl. [3]

Public recreation

Hunting, fishing and trapping are all conducted in the Wye Marsh, although their popularity is decreasing. By 2001, the annual number of hunting permits issued had dropped from the 1970s level of 250 - 300 per year to 60 - 90 per year. [3] Fishing dropped off after 1990 due to low water levels and increasing vegetation levels, and Muskrats, the most popular animal for trapping, experienced an unexplained population crash in 1994. [3]

The Wildlife Center offers a number of services to tourists of the marsh. Canoe rentals are available, including guided canoe tours of the marsh. [12] The wildlife areas have over 30 kilometers of hiking trails, and offer programmes for school groups and private groups. [13] Other available recreation activities include skiing and snowshoeing. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Point, Ontario</span> Community of Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada

Long Point is a sand spit and medium-sized hamlet on the north shore of Lake Erie, part of Norfolk County in the province of Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area</span> National Wildlife Area in Quebec, Canada

The Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area is a National Wildlife Area (NWA) located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in the National Provincial Capital Region of Quebec, established on 28 April 1978. It is one of the critical habitats for the greater snow goose during migration. Flocks of tens of thousands of these birds stop over to feed on the bullrushes in the spring and fall. The tidal marsh was recognized as a wetland of international significance per the Ramsar Convention in 1981, the first North American site to receive that distinction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midland, Ontario</span> Town in Ontario, Canada

Midland is a town located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Huronia/Wendat region of Central Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trumpeter swan</span> Species of bird

The trumpeter swan is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of 185 to 304.8 cm. It is the American counterpart and a close relative of the whooper swan of Eurasia, and even has been considered the same species by some authorities. By 1933, fewer than 70 wild trumpeters were known to exist, and extinction seemed imminent, until aerial surveys discovered a Pacific population of several thousand trumpeters around Alaska's Copper River. Careful reintroductions by wildlife agencies and the Trumpeter Swan Society gradually restored the North American wild population to over 46,000 birds by 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tantramar Marshes</span>

The Tantramar Marshes, also known as the Tintamarre National Wildlife Area, is a tidal saltmarsh around the Bay of Fundy on the Isthmus of Chignecto. The area borders between Route 940, Route 16 and Route 2 near Sackville, New Brunswick. The government of Canada proposed the boundaries of the Tantramar Marshes in 1966 and was declared a National Wildlife Area in 1978.

The St. Clair National Wildlife Area is a nature reserve located in the southwestern part of the Canadian province of Ontario, on eastern Lake St. Clair, west of Chatham. It consists of two properties: St. Clair and Bear Creek, about 16 km apart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiny Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area</span>

The Tiny Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area, located in Simcoe County, Central Ontario, Canada, is Ontario’s first provincially owned and managed wetland and is one of approximately 1200 Important Bird Areas recognized in Canada. The marsh is situated near Elmvale, approximately three kilometres inland from Nottawasaga Bay. Open to visitors year-round, the area consists of 8.5 square kilometres (3.3 sq mi) of marshes, open water, bog, and upland forest. There are 25 kilometres (16 mi) of trails taking visitors to dikes, two observation towers, a marsh viewing mound, and a boardwalk. There is a nature centre, featuring displays of the marsh and its flora and fauna.

Grays Lake is a wetland in Idaho, United States. It lies in Bonneville County and Caribou County. Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in the area in 1965. Ranching is the predominant use of surrounding lands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oak Hammock Marsh</span> Marsh in Manitoba, Canada

Oak Hammock Marsh is a marsh and a wildlife management area located 34 kilometres (21 mi) north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The WMA is considered to be a Class IV protected area under the IUCN protected area management categories. The marsh is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) for its globally significant numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds. It is a designated Ramsar site due to its international importance as a breeding and staging area for waterfowl and other migratory birds. It is 3,578.47 hectares in size.

Delta Marsh consists of an extensive open marsh located near the south shore of Lake Manitoba, approximately 24 km north of the town of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. The marsh extends for nearly 30 km along the shore of the lake, and has a breadth of up to 4 km. The marsh consists of a network of interconnected shallow bays separated from Lake Manitoba by a wooded barrier dune ridge of 300m to 600m width.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pointe Mouillee State Game Area</span> Protected area in Michigan, U.S.

Pointe Mouillee State Game Area (; pointmoo-yay or is a state game area in the U.S. state of Michigan. It encompasses 7,483 acres of hunting, recreational, and protected wildlife and wetland areas at the mouth of the Huron River at Lake Erie, as well as smaller outlying areas within the Detroit River. Pointe Mouillee State Game Area was established in 1945 and is administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area is an Illinois state park covering 4,363 acres (1,766 ha) in Fulton County, Illinois, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge</span> National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, United States

The Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge is located in Hyde County, North Carolina near the village of Swan Quarter. The area is a federally protected land and home to many species of wildlife and waterfowl. The refuge is administered from the nearby Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge has a total area of 16,411 acres (66.41 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ana River</span> River in Oregon, United States of America

The Ana River is a short spring-fed river in south-central Oregon. It is on the northwestern edge of the Great Basin drainage. It flows 7 miles (11 km) from springs at the foot of Winter Ridge through high desert, range, and wetlands before emptying into Summer Lake. For most of its course, the Ana River flows through the Summer Lake Wildlife Area, which is maintained by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The river provides habitat for many mammal and bird species, as well as several fish species, including the rare Summer Lake Tui chub. The largest hybrid striped bass ever caught in Oregon was taken from Ana Reservoir in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer Lake Wildlife Area</span> Wildlife refuge in Oregon

The Summer Lake Wildlife Area is a 29.6-square-mile (77 km2) wildlife refuge located on the northwestern edge of the Great Basin drainage in south-central Oregon. It is administered by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The refuge is an important stop for waterfowl traveling along the Pacific Flyway during their spring and fall migrations. The Summer Lake Wildlife Area also provides habitat for shorebirds and other bird species as well as wide variety of mammals and several fish species. The Ana River supplies the water for the refuge wetlands.

Located in the southern part of British Columbia, Columbia National Wildlife Area was established to protect its wetlands and as a temporary home for migratory birds travelling to South America. The National Wildlife Area (NWA) is divided into four unit areas: Wilmer, Spillimacheen, Brisco and Harrogate, which are home to many diverse species of animals and plants which are significant in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution Marsh</span>

Constitution Marsh is a 270-acre (110 ha) fresh water and brackish tidal marsh located between Constitution Island and the eastern shores of the Hudson River in Garrison, New York. Together with 80 acres (32 ha) of bordering woodlands, it forms the National Audubon Society's Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Wildlife Sanctuary. Part of Hudson Highlands State Park, it is one of five major tidal marshes along the Hudson River. Constitution Marsh is an Audubon Important Bird Area, and has been listed as a New York State Bird Conservation Area since the early 2000s. It is also recognized by the New York State Department of State as both a Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat and a Scenic Area of Statewide Significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maple River State Game Area</span>

The Maple River State Game Area is a protected state game area in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the central region of the Lower Peninsula, it encompasses approximately 9,252 acres (3,744 ha) in segmented portions within Clinton, Gratiot, and Ionia counties. Governed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the area is considered the state's longest contiguous wetland complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foam Lake (Saskatchewan)</span> Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada

Foam Lake is a shallow lake in the aspen parkland ecoregion of the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan. It was named "Foam Lake" in 1882 by the Milligans because of the large amount of froth that forms on it. The lake and surrounding marsh are a protected area and important wildlife habitat. The primary inflows for the lake, Milligan Creek and Beckett Brook, originate to the south in the Touchwood Hills. From the north shore of the lake, Milligan Creek flows north-west into the salty Quill Lakes. The Quill Lakes are endorheic lakes as they have no outlet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magee Marsh Wildlife Area</span> Protected area in Ohio, United States

Magee Marsh Wildlife Area is a state wildlife area in Carroll Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, along the shore of Lake Erie. The marsh has a large seasonal population of waterfowl and other birds, making it a popular destination for birdwatching and hunting during migrations. It is managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

References

  1. "National Wildlife Areas in Ontario - Wye Marsh:Site Details". Environment Canada.
  2. "National Wildlife Areas in Ontario - Wye Marsh: Conservation Designations".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 William G. Wilson & Edward D. Cheskey (May 2001). "Wye Marsh Important Bird Area Conservation Action Plan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
  4. "Wye Marsh Trumpeter Swan Project". The Drucker Foundation.
  5. 1 2 "Environment Minister Renews Wye Marsh Agreement". Environment Canada.
  6. 1 2 "National Wildlife Areas in Ontario - Wye Marsh: Features and Habitat". Environment Canada.
  7. "National Wildlife Areas in Ontario - Wye Marsh:Importance to Wildlife". Environment Canada.
  8. "Wye Marsh - Trumpeter Swan".
  9. "Wye Marsh Important Bird Area Executive Summary". Important Bird Areas Canada.
  10. "Wye Marsh Midland, Ontario". Important Bird Areas of Canada.
  11. 1 2 3 David E. Joyner; James D. Somers; Frederick F. Gilbert; Ronald J. Brooks (July 1980). "Use of Methiocarb as a Blackbird Repellent in Field Corn (in Short Communications)". The Journal of Wildlife Management. 44 (3): 672–676. doi:10.2307/3808016. JSTOR   3808016.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ecotours at Wye Marsh". Green Living Online.
  13. 1 2 "The Trails of Georgian Bay - Wye Marsh Trails".