Cootes Paradise
Encyclopedia
Cootes Paradise is the largest wetland
at the western end of Lake Ontario
, on the west side of Hamilton Harbour. It is bordered by the cities of Hamilton
and Burlington, Ontario
, Canada. It is owned and managed by the Royal Botanical Gardens
(RBG), a private charitable status organization. These lands represent 99% of the unaltered lands along the local Lake Ontario shoreline. Originally a seasonally flooded river mouth marsh providing habitat to a wide variety of lifeforms, the habitat went into decline beginning in the late 19th century a result of water pollution, human overuse and the introduction of carp
into Lake Ontario. By 1985, 85% of its plant cover was lost, 90% of the remainder was non native species, and the carp population numbered over 70,000 fish. As part of ongoing efforts to reverse this ecological decline, the Gardens' introduced Project Paradise in 1993, part of the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan. The project focuses on removing sources of stress to the marsh by focusing attention on water pollution, minimizing the number of spawning carp
and re-establishing native plants. There are a number of identified anthropogenic stresses that have led to the unbalanced populations of carp and Canada Geese
. These are water quality and quantity based. Poor water clarity is a result of extremely high nutrient and sediment levels derived from sewage and urban runoff. Rapid sediment accumulation is the result of unmanaged land use
patterns in the watersheds, and the regulated water level in Lake Ontario have dramatically altered the flooding pattern. Project Paradise is one of the largest wetland rehabilitation projects in North America
.
Controlled burns have also been conducted in an effort to restore some of the old field areas to their original Oak savanna
ecosystem, a rare grouping of Carolinian plants and animals. Cootes Paradise is connected to Hamilton Harbour via the Desjardins Canal
, which was dug through Burlington Heights
in the early 19th century in an effort to connect Dundas, Ontario
with shipping on the Great Lakes
.
In 2000, the City of Hamilton constructed a 3 km recreational trail connecting Royal Botanical Gardens to Pier 4 Park
; this trail is also part of the Waterfront Trail
system. Royal Botanical Gardens' trails are open to passive recreation only as the area is a National Historic site, Nationally Important Bird Area (IBA), and Nationally Important Reptile and Amphibian Area (IMPARA), containing numerous endangered species. As such, activities such as biking, jogging and orienteering
are against the By-laws.
Cootes Paradise is designated a nationally Important Bird Area (IBA) due its strategic location at the tip of Lake Ontario and with the Central and Mississippi Flyways. As a result hundreds of species of birds use Cootes Paradise at some point during the year, most notably during the spring and autumn migratory periods. Notable species include the Least Bittern, Hooded Warbler, White Pelican, Caspian tern
, Black-crowned night heron
, Osprey
, Pileated woodpecker
, and the Prothonotary warbler
. Recently, a nesting pair of Bald Eagle
s have recolonized the marsh on the north shore of Cootes Paradise. This is the first such nest on Lake Ontario in more than 40 years.
hotspot for Canada with over 60 species present. Each spring thousands of spawning fish migrate in through the fishway from the harbour and lake, laying eggs and leaving shortly after, allowing the marsh to function as a giant fish hatchery. Annually between 5 and 20 million fish are produced for the lake depending on water levels and water pollution events. The species present reflect the degraded marsh habitat with the most common the Gizzard shad. Also common are night time predators species Channel Catfish and Brown bullhead
, along with invasive species such as Alewife
and White perch
. Popular angling species present in limited numbers include pike, Largemouth bass
, and Yellow perch
, but the large adults are only present in the marsh during the spawning season which is closed to fishing. The spring and fall season also brings several migrating salmon and trout to the marshes main inflowing river.
In 2007, when there was low water level in Lake Ontario and a favourable wind, all the water was pushed out of Cootes Paradise and the remaining carp swam out into Hamilton Harbour. RBG staff removed the fish gates and herded out the last of the carp, and then replaced the gates. Since then the Paradise has been relatively carp free. In the absence of these large destructive bottom feeders there is a gradual return natural native plant species populations.
, Red Fox
, Raccoon
, Beaver
, Cottontail Rabbit, Muskrat
, Mink, Opossum, Red Squirrel
, Coyote, Southern Flying Squirrel, Northern Flying Squirrel, star-nosed mole, and peculiar species such as the water vole.
tree, Kentucky Coffee Tree, and tulip tree. Examples can be found along the native trees walk across from the nature centre. In recent years there has been a noticeable loss of trees due to ongoing anthropogenic stresses on the RBG property surrounding Cootes Paradise, and in 2005, following the death of a child participating on a nature hike, the RBG was forced to cut down numerous dead and dying trees that posed a public-safety concern, and alter the trail system to ensure some of the sensitive habitat could remain undisturbed by these activities.
A recent analysis of the checklist of all plants growing within the various nature sanctuaries of RBG reveals that these properties are among the richest spots in Canada for plant diversity, with 24% of the flora of Canada and 38% of the flora of Ontario present. Among this diversity are multiple nationally and provincially endangered species.
.
Exit Highway 403
at Highway 6 North
. Turn right at the York Rd off ramp and follow the signs to the Plains Rd/York Blvd intersection. A left turn onto Plains Road West leads to Royal Botanical Gardens Centre, (RBG Centre), and the Hendrie Valley Trails. A right turn onto York Boulevard
leads to Old Guelph Road, the Nature Centre, and the north shore of Cootes Paradise. Following York Boulevard across the Thomas McQuesten
high-level bridge, with right turns to Dundurn, King St, and then Macklin Ave leads to Princess Point. Lookouts just north of the high-level bridge area offer spectacular panoramic views of Cootes Paradise and Hamilton Harbour.
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
at the western end of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, on the west side of Hamilton Harbour. It is bordered by the cities of Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
and Burlington, Ontario
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
, Canada. It is owned and managed by the Royal Botanical Gardens
Royal Botanical Gardens, Ontario
Royal Botanical Gardens is headquartered in Burlington and also include lands in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the major tourist attractions between Niagara Falls and Toronto, as well as a significant local and regional horticultural, education, conservation and scientific resource...
(RBG), a private charitable status organization. These lands represent 99% of the unaltered lands along the local Lake Ontario shoreline. Originally a seasonally flooded river mouth marsh providing habitat to a wide variety of lifeforms, the habitat went into decline beginning in the late 19th century a result of water pollution, human overuse and the introduction of carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
into Lake Ontario. By 1985, 85% of its plant cover was lost, 90% of the remainder was non native species, and the carp population numbered over 70,000 fish. As part of ongoing efforts to reverse this ecological decline, the Gardens' introduced Project Paradise in 1993, part of the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan. The project focuses on removing sources of stress to the marsh by focusing attention on water pollution, minimizing the number of spawning carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
and re-establishing native plants. There are a number of identified anthropogenic stresses that have led to the unbalanced populations of carp and Canada Geese
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
. These are water quality and quantity based. Poor water clarity is a result of extremely high nutrient and sediment levels derived from sewage and urban runoff. Rapid sediment accumulation is the result of unmanaged land use
Land use
Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...
patterns in the watersheds, and the regulated water level in Lake Ontario have dramatically altered the flooding pattern. Project Paradise is one of the largest wetland rehabilitation projects in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Controlled burns have also been conducted in an effort to restore some of the old field areas to their original Oak savanna
Oak savanna
An oak savanna is a type of savanna, or lightly forested grassland, where oaks are the dominant tree species. These savannas were maintained historically through wildfires set by lightning, grazing, low precipitation, poor soil, and/or fires set by Native Americans...
ecosystem, a rare grouping of Carolinian plants and animals. Cootes Paradise is connected to Hamilton Harbour via the Desjardins Canal
Desjardins Canal
The Desjardins Canal, named after its promoter Pierre Desjardins, was built to give Dundas, Ontario, easier access to Lake Ontario and the Great Lakes system of North America...
, which was dug through Burlington Heights
Burlington Heights
Burlington Heights refers to an area of flat land sitting elevated above the west end of Burlington Bay in the city of Hamilton, Ontario.The "Heights" were the location of a British Army post during the War of 1812. Afterwards, the former army barracks were used as a hospital for immigrants with...
in the early 19th century in an effort to connect Dundas, Ontario
Dundas, Ontario
Dundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley...
with shipping on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
.
In 2000, the City of Hamilton constructed a 3 km recreational trail connecting Royal Botanical Gardens to Pier 4 Park
Pier 4 Park (Hamilton, Ontario)
Pier 4 Park is a 2.4 hectare park found in the west-end of Hamilton Harbour near Bay Street North in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.The park features a multi-use asphalt trail, 349 metres in length and 4 metres wide which provides barrier-free access to all areas of the park and linkages with the...
; this trail is also part of the Waterfront Trail
Waterfront Trail
The Waterfront Trail refers to an interconnected series of trails along the shores of Lake Ontario in Canada, currently beginning in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario and extending to Brockville, Ontario, with an extension along Former Highway 2, to the Quebec provincial border...
system. Royal Botanical Gardens' trails are open to passive recreation only as the area is a National Historic site, Nationally Important Bird Area (IBA), and Nationally Important Reptile and Amphibian Area (IMPARA), containing numerous endangered species. As such, activities such as biking, jogging and orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
are against the By-laws.
Birds
Caspian Tern
The Caspian Tern is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either...
, Black-crowned night heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
The Black-crowned Night Heron commonly abbreviated to just Night Heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia .-Description:Adults are...
, Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, Pileated woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
, and the Prothonotary warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
The Prothonotary Warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. It is the only member of the genus Protonotaria....
. Recently, a nesting pair of Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s have recolonized the marsh on the north shore of Cootes Paradise. This is the first such nest on Lake Ontario in more than 40 years.
Fish
The wetlands function as a seasonal fish nursery for Lake Ontario, and despite the historical degradation, most historical species of fish can still be found using Cootes Paradise and in increasing numbers. As with birds and plants the location is the biodiversityBiodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
hotspot for Canada with over 60 species present. Each spring thousands of spawning fish migrate in through the fishway from the harbour and lake, laying eggs and leaving shortly after, allowing the marsh to function as a giant fish hatchery. Annually between 5 and 20 million fish are produced for the lake depending on water levels and water pollution events. The species present reflect the degraded marsh habitat with the most common the Gizzard shad. Also common are night time predators species Channel Catfish and Brown bullhead
Brown bullhead
The brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus, is a fish of the Ictaluridae family that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead and yellow bullhead...
, along with invasive species such as Alewife
Alewife
The alewife is a species of herring. There are anadromous and landlocked forms. The landlocked form is also called a sawbelly or mooneye...
and White perch
White perch
The white perch, Morone americana, is not a true perch but is, rather, a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America.The name "white perch" is sometimes erroneously applied to the white crappie....
. Popular angling species present in limited numbers include pike, Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, and Yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
, but the large adults are only present in the marsh during the spawning season which is closed to fishing. The spring and fall season also brings several migrating salmon and trout to the marshes main inflowing river.
In 2007, when there was low water level in Lake Ontario and a favourable wind, all the water was pushed out of Cootes Paradise and the remaining carp swam out into Hamilton Harbour. RBG staff removed the fish gates and herded out the last of the carp, and then replaced the gates. Since then the Paradise has been relatively carp free. In the absence of these large destructive bottom feeders there is a gradual return natural native plant species populations.
Mammals
Over 30 mammal species inhabit Cootes Paradise, including White-tailed deerWhite-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, Red Fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
, Raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
, Beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, Cottontail Rabbit, Muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
, Mink, Opossum, Red Squirrel
Red Squirrel
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
, Coyote, Southern Flying Squirrel, Northern Flying Squirrel, star-nosed mole, and peculiar species such as the water vole.
Plants
Cootes Paradise is home to the highest concentration of plant species in Canada at over 750 native species, however an addition 300 have also been introduced following European settlement of the area, putting strain on the local ecosystems ability to function. Among the trees found in Cootes Paradise are various species of oak, maple, and pine, as well as less common species such as sassafrasSassafras
Sassafras is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia.-Overview:...
tree, Kentucky Coffee Tree, and tulip tree. Examples can be found along the native trees walk across from the nature centre. In recent years there has been a noticeable loss of trees due to ongoing anthropogenic stresses on the RBG property surrounding Cootes Paradise, and in 2005, following the death of a child participating on a nature hike, the RBG was forced to cut down numerous dead and dying trees that posed a public-safety concern, and alter the trail system to ensure some of the sensitive habitat could remain undisturbed by these activities.
A recent analysis of the checklist of all plants growing within the various nature sanctuaries of RBG reveals that these properties are among the richest spots in Canada for plant diversity, with 24% of the flora of Canada and 38% of the flora of Ontario present. Among this diversity are multiple nationally and provincially endangered species.
How to get there
There are three main access points, the Main Centre, the Nature centre and Princess PointPrincess Point
Princess Point is located in the south east corner of Cootes Paradise Marsh, and is the principle access point to the surrounding natural areas. The property is part of the Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary owned and managed by the Royal Botanical Gardens. The low waterside peninsula has made...
.
Highway 403 (Ontario)
King's Highway 403, also known as Highway 403, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that travels between Woodstock and Mississauga, branching off from and reuniting with Highway 401 at both ends and travelling south of it through Hamilton and Mississauga. It is concurrent...
at Highway 6 North
Highway 6 (Ontario)
King's Highway 6, also known as Highway 6, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. It crosses a distance of between Port Dover on the north shore of Lake Erie and Espanola on the northern shore of Lake Huron, ending at the Trans-Canada Highway in McKerrow.- Port...
. Turn right at the York Rd off ramp and follow the signs to the Plains Rd/York Blvd intersection. A left turn onto Plains Road West leads to Royal Botanical Gardens Centre, (RBG Centre), and the Hendrie Valley Trails. A right turn onto York Boulevard
York Boulevard (Hamilton, Ontario)
York Boulevard is a Lower City arterial road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Formerly known as Highway 2 and Highway 6,starts off in Burlington, Ontario at Plains Road West as a two-way arterial road that wraps around and over the Hamilton Harbour and enters the city of Hamilton in the West-end past...
leads to Old Guelph Road, the Nature Centre, and the north shore of Cootes Paradise. Following York Boulevard across the Thomas McQuesten
Thomas McQuesten
Thomas Baker McQuesten was a Canadian athlete, militiaman, lawyer, politician and government appointee who lived in Hamilton, Ontario....
high-level bridge, with right turns to Dundurn, King St, and then Macklin Ave leads to Princess Point. Lookouts just north of the high-level bridge area offer spectacular panoramic views of Cootes Paradise and Hamilton Harbour.
External links
- McGuiness, Eric. May 25, 2005. Fish Paradise [Online]. Hamilton Spectator. http://www.waterkeeper.ca/lok/index.cfm?DSP=content&ContentID=7528
- Royal Botanical Gardens. Project Paradise [Online]. http://www.rbg.ca/pages_sci_conserv/sci_conserv_proparadise.html.
- Smith, T. 2003. Checklist of the spontaneous flora of Royal Botanical Gardens' nature sanctuaries. [Online]. http://www.rbg.ca/pdf/RBGChecklist03.pdf
- Toronto Star: Carp leaving Cootes Paradise (December 6, 2007)