Nottawasaga River

Nottawasaga River
Nottawasaga River just before its mouth
Data
location	Ontario ( Canada )
River system	Saint Lawrence River
Drain over	St. Clair River  → Detroit River  → Niagara River  → Saint Lawrence River  → Atlantic Ocean
origin	Orangeville Reservoir 43 ° 56 '32 "  N , 80 ° 5' 30"  W.
Source height	476  m
muzzle	Nottawasaga Bay (Huron Sea) Coordinates: 44 ° 32 ′ 17 "  N , 80 ° 0 ′ 29"  W 44 ° 32 ′ 17 "  N , 80 ° 0 ′ 29"  W
Mouth height	176  m
Height difference	300 m
Bottom slope	2.5 ‰
length	121 km
Catchment area	3700 km²
Left tributaries	Mono Center Creek, Sheldon Creek, Boyne River, Pine River, Mad River, Coates Creek, McIntyre Creek
Right tributaries	White's Creek, Innisfil Creek, Egbert Creek, Thorton Creek, Bear Creek, Willow Creek, Black Creek, Little Marl Creek, Marl Creek, Sturgeon Creek
Flowing lakes	Jacks Lake
Reservoirs flowed through	Nicolston Dam
Small towns	Wasaga Beach
Residents in the catchment area	190,000
View of Nancy Island from Wasaga Beach

Nottawasaga River is a small, ecologically significant river in southern Ontario , Canada .

geography

The result is the river at the end of the last ice age ( Weichsel - or Würm glaciation; in America Wisconsin glaciation ) 11,000 years ago, when the thawing waters of the terrain slope of the area north of the Niagara Escarpment (English Niagara Escarpment ) following the north and northeast flowed off.

course

The river is created by two source streams: the northern branch (North Branch) has its source in the Niagara layer near the hamlet of Elba, Shelburne municipality, Ontario in the Mono Hills; the southern branch near Camilla, near Orangeville, Ontario at the western end of the Oak Ridges Moraine, part of the Niagara strata that lies between Lake Simcoe and Lake Ontario . After about 12 (north arm) and 9 km (south arm) both headwaters unite in the area of ​​the city of Mono (Dufferin County) near the hamlet of Glen Cross to Nottawasaga. It winds in many loops to the northeast and receives its first important tributary, Innisfil Creek, from the east just before Alliston, Ontario, diverting the course of the Nottawasaga to the north. East of Alliston, the river is dammed to the Nicolston Dam. After the dam, the Boyne River flows into the Nottawasaga from the east. The river now flows north and irrigates the Minesing Wetlands, a swamp area of ​​around 60 km². Shortly before its confluence in Wasaga Beach , it forms a small lake, Jacks Lake, in the east of the city. It then flows about six kilometers parallel to Lake Huron - only separated from it by large dunes - and flows into Lake Huron in the north of the city. There are several small islands in the river, the only significant one being Nancy Island in Wasaga Beach.

Localities

Nottawasaga flows through the following communities, counting from the source: City of Mono ( Dufferin County ), New Tecumseh Township, Essa Township, Clearview Township, Springwater Township, City of Wasaga (all Simcoe County ).

history

The floodplains of the Nottawasaga, which are rich in fish, were obviously soon the target of human settlement. The first known residents were the Tionontati or Petun, who settled in this area in the 17th century. After the lost wars against the Iroquois , the remaining Tiononati emigrated and the Algonquin immigrated from the Ottawa area . The name Nottawasaga comes from these, where “nottawa” means Iroquois and “saga” the estuary. The name originated when Algonquian scouts patrolling the river discovered Iroquois raid units and means something like "Iroquois at the mouth of the river".

The first Europeans are likely to have come to this area with the expedition of Samuel de Champlain in 1615. A systematic European settlement did not experience the area until the 19th century.

A British schooner , The Nancy , who managed to flee the Americans at the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813, hid from the American fleet in the mouth of the Nottawasaga, but was discovered and sunk by the Americans on August 13, 1814 , which at the same time blocked the British supply route. A small island, Nancy Island, has formed at the wreck site, dividing the river into two arms of equal size. The island has a small lighthouse, an open-air theater, and a museum about the history of Wasaga Beach and the British-American War of 1812.

environment

The Nottawasaga flows through an ecologically important area. The following protected areas have been established on its banks: In the headwaters of the Nottawasaga Bluffs Conservation Area, then following the course of the river, the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve, Beattie Pinery Provincial Nature Reserve, Minesing Wetlands Conservation Area, Edenvale Conversation Area and at the end of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, which is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The Minesing Wetlands is an approx. 60 km² large wetland of international rank according to the Ramsar Convention with numerous rare animal and plant species. The Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, which also houses the estuary, is home to the only transverse dunes in the Great Lakes area .

fauna

The Nottawasaga is the main fishing area for rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) and king salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) on Lake Huron. The river is also an important breeding and rearing area for the endangered sea ​​sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ). In addition, u. a. the following species in the river: carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) (in Jacks Lake), spotted catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ), brown trout ( Salmo trutta ), American char ( Salvelinus namaycush ), northern pikeminnow ( Ptychocheilus oregonensis ), rock perch ( Ambloplites ), Black bass ( Micropterus dolomieu ), eye perch (also: American pikeperch; Sander vitreus ), herring vendace ( Coregonus clupeaformis ).

The northern mouse-eared bat, an endangered species of bat ( Myotis septentrionalis ), is at home in the caves and crevices of the Bluffs and in the Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve . Rare animal species to be found here on the river are also the stilt warbler ( Seiurus motacilla ) and the endangered Jefferson salamander ( Ambystoma jeffersonianum ). In the stream there are lampreys ( Ichthyomyzon fossor ) populations .

Minesing Wetlands Conservation Area as viewed from the southwest

The mining swamps are the most important winter quarters for the white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ). They are also an important resting place for migratory and water birds and are home to one of the largest great blue heron colonies ( Ardea herodias ) in Ontario. A great variety of insects - especially numerous dragonfly species - is native to the swamps, u. a. the endangered falcon dragonfly ( Somatochlora hineana ). Among the 206 native bird species that live here, the following are particularly rare: Blue-winged wood warbler ( Vermivora pinus ), lemon wood warbler ( Protonotaria citrea ), poplar wood warbler ( Setophaga cerulea ), golden-winged wood warbler ( Vermivora chrysoptera ) and the blue-backed warbler ( Polioptila caerulea ).

In the estuary (Wasaga Beach Provincial Park) there are also important breeding grounds for seabirds. The yellow-footed plover ( Charadrius melodus , English: Piping Plover ) should be mentioned here, which nests here in large numbers and has been on the list of endangered species since 1985. The heavily endangered bird species Henslow's bunting ( Ammodramus henslowii ), king's rail ( R. elegans ), wedge-tailed plover ( Charadrius vociferus ) and Louisiana strangler (Lanius ludovicianus) also live there. In total, more than 230 species of birds were counted. The rusty-patched bumble bee ( Bombus affinis ) should be mentioned as an endangered insect . In addition, 44 different mammal species and 32 amphibian and reptile species were counted.

flora

In the Nottasawaga Bluffs there are mainly old stands of cedar and pine forests , which were not felled due to the inaccessible location.

In the Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve, hillside forests of sugar maple ( Acer saccharum ) and black sugar maple ( Acer saccharum subsp.nigrum ), mixed with tulip trees ( Liriodendron ) and red elms ( Ulmus rubra ), grow on the banks of the Nottawasaga . There are also many butternut trees ( Juglans cinerea ) that are acutely threatened with extinction. 416 vascular plants were counted, including the meadow foam herb ( Cardamine pratensis ) and the sand violet ( Viola adunca ), a Canadian violet species, both of which are very rare and under nature protection. Other very rare plants on Nottawasaga are the Trail-Plant (an aster family, Adenocaulon bicolor ), the Menzie's Rattlesnake orchid ( Goodyera oblongifolia ), the lance shield fern ( Polystichum lonchitis ) and the Alaska orchid ( Piperia unalescensis ).

The mining wetland offers the typical flora of the swamps and moors; are emphasize the Bureichenbestände ( Quercus macrocarpa ) and the Zürgelbaumsümpfe (engl. Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis L. ) extending over large parts of the area. Over 400 plant species have been counted, 11 of which are threatened with extinction such as the forest hyacinth ( Platanthera leucophaea ).

Typical sand dwellers such as the sea mustard ( Cakile geniculata ) or the beach grass ( Ammophila ) grow in and around the mouth of the Nottawasaga . Further up the river there are remains of the original pine and oak savannah with flora that is endangered, such as the mountain woman's slipper ( Cypripedium montanum ), the hill thistle ( Cirsium pumilum ) or the very poisonous climbing poison sumac ( Toxicodendron radicans ).

Water quality

In Canada, water quality is divided into 5 levels: excellent , good , fair , poor and very poor . The upper reaches of the Nottawasaga have excellent water quality up to the confluence of the Innisfil Creek, which is rated poor . From there to the mouth, the rating is fair . One reason for this is the high concentration of phosphates , which in the years 2007–2012 had an average value of 0.039 mg / l. The proportion of E. coli bacteria ( Escherichia coli ) fluctuates strongly and increases especially after heavy rainfall. On average, a value of 71 units / 100 ml has been measured in recent years.

Memorial to the crew of the "Nancy"

Sights and buildings

In Edenvale, Springwater parish, there is a memorial that commemorates the events of the British-American War (see “History”). At this point, the crew of the "Nancy" wintered in 1813/14 and, under Lieutenant-Colonel R. McDouall, built small boats with which they made their way from Nottawasaga across Lake Huron to Fort Michilimackinac and so all survived.

The Wasaga Provincial Park Visitor Center, a small lighthouse from 1965 and an open-air theater have been located on Nancy Island in Wasaga Beach since 2012.

Importance as a traffic route

In the 19th century the river was used for logging; this came to a standstill at the beginning of the First World War. Today it no longer plays a role as a traffic route. In 1830 there were plans for a canal from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron, which should use the Nottawasaga. However, the project turned out to be too expensive; In addition, the railroad emerged as cheap competition, so that these plans were never realized.

Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority

The NVCA is a non-profit association of 18 parishes from Simcoe, Dufferin and Gray Counties. The Tiffin Center for Conservation is located between Barrie and Angus. Your task is the water management of the Nottawasaga river system. These include a. Constant investigations of the water quality as well as environmental protection measures, groundwater protection, flood protection and education and information programs. So far, over 3700 km² of land has been bought and renatured, and further land purchases are planned. The NVCA is financed by contributions from the municipalities and fees e.g. B. by visitors.

Web links

Commons : Nottawasaga River  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Conversations Areas in the Wasaga Valley; ed. by NVCA, Utopia, Ontario 2013 p. 15
2. ^ Conversations Areas in the Wasaga Valley; ed. by NVCA, Utopia, Ontario 2013 p. 15
3. ↑ Nottawasaga Valley Watershed; ed. by NVCA, Utopia, Ontario 2013 p. 2
4. ↑ The Wyandot
5. ^ The History of Wasaga Beach . Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 15, 2014. 
6. ↑ Champlains Route 1615, after Orsamus H. Marshall, 1878
7. ^ Connie Gray, Community Resource Binder Information, p. 2.
8. ↑ http://www.escarpment.org/biosphere/designation/index.php .
9. ^ List of Biosphere Reserves in America
10. ^ The Annotated Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance - CANADA . Ramsar Convention Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
11. ^ Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Toronto, Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
12. ↑ Nottawasaga Valley Watershed; ed. by NVCA, Utopia, Ontario 2013 p. 2
13. ↑ Wasaga Beach Fish and Game Club, 2013
14. ^ Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Information Center July 2, 2013
15. ↑ http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Species/2ColumnSubPage/MNR_SAR_WHTS_RSK_SMC_EN.html
16. ↑ http://www.minesing.ca/Home_Page.php
17. ^ Two New Canadian Sites Mark 25th Anniversary of the Ramsar Convention . Ramsar Convention Bureau. November 16, 1996. Archived from the original on July 13, 2007. Retrieved on August 3, 2007.
18. ↑ http: //www.wasaga_beach_provincial/ {{dead link | url = http: //www.wasaga_beach_provincial/ | date = 2018-12 | archivebot = 2018-12-11 22:14:15 InternetArchiveBot}} Park (link not accessible because not complete)
19. ↑ http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Species/2ColumnSubPage/MNR_SAR_WHTS_RSK_SMC_EN.html
20. ^ The Friends of Nancy Island and Wasaga Beach Park, Wasaga Beach, Reptiles & Amphibians, 2005
21. ↑ Nottawasaga Valley Watershed; ed. by NVCA, Utopia, Ontario 2013 p. 3
22. ↑ http://www.escarpment.org/about/ecology/index.php
23. ↑ http://find.gov.on.ca/?q=hockley&search.x=14&search.y=18&type=ANY&searchType=simple&offset=0&lang=en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mnr.gov.on.ca&collection= & owner = mnr
24. ↑ http://www.escarpment.org/about/ecology/index.php
25. ↑ Nottawasaga Valley Watershed; ed. by NVCA, Utopia, Ontario 2013 p. 4
26. ↑ http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Species/2ColumnSubPage/MNR_SAR_WHTS_RSK_SMC_EN.html
27. ^ The Friends of Nancy Island and Wasaga Beach Park, Wasaga Beach, Beach Ecology, 2005
28. ↑ - ( Memento of the original from August 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
29. ↑ Gilbert Collins: Guidebook to the Historic Sites of the War of 1812: 2nd Edition . Dundurn Press, 2006, ISBN 1-55002-626-7 .
30. ^ Connie Gray, Community Resource Binder Information, Wasaga Beach, p. 2
31. ^ Connie Gray, Community Resource Binder Information, Wasaga, Beach, p. 3
32. ↑ Diane Kerluke, The History of Wasaga Beach, Wasaga Beach, p.14
33. ↑ - ( Memento of the original from January 25, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.