Hay Swamp
Encyclopedia
Hay Swamp is a provincially significant wetland
complex, 1839 hectares (4544 acres) in size, located in parts of the central land areas of the municipalities of Bluewater
and South Huron
, in southwestern Ontario
, Canada
. Approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) in length and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) in width, at its widest point; it consists of 15 extensively forested individual wetlands, situated on either side, of sections of both the upper drainage of the Ausable River and its tributary, Black Creek.
Hay Swamp is situated at the northern limit of the Carolinian Biotic Province
and is categorized as consisting of 98% swamp
and 2% marsh
land. Apart from the Ausable and the Black, its primary source of water is considered to be the local Wyoming Moraine aquifer
. Hay Swamp is an important regional habitat for bird, fish and wildlife populations including white-tailed deer
, Great Blue Heron
, ducks, geese, as well as a significant beaver
presence. The swamp is also home to several plant species at risk
, including Green Dragon and Riddell's Goldenrod. Endangered fish and mussel species present in Hay Swamp include, Eastern Sand Darter
, Greenside Darter, Northern Riffleshell
, Snuffbox,Wavy-rayed Lampmussel, Rainbow Mussel and Kidneyshell.
Historic logging operations, as well as continuing intensive drainage practices to obtain access to the rich underlying organic soil
s of the swamp, have affected its overall size and health as a natural habitat
. Since the Ausable River only partially drains the swamp on an ongoing basis, Hay Swamp acts as a natural water 'storage basin', guarding against large-scale flood
ing in other areas downstream and helping to maintain and moderate baseflow
conditions during the summer months. By doing so it improves both the overall water quality
in the Ausable system and aids local fish, bird and wildlife populations during the times of the year when water sources that are available for local wildlife are at a premium. The swamp contains several sites of abandoned 19th and early 20th century farms, including the location of the former community of Sodom
. Hay Swamp (Hay Swamp Management Area) is administered by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority.
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....
complex, 1839 hectares (4544 acres) in size, located in parts of the central land areas of the municipalities of Bluewater
Bluewater, Ontario
The Municipality of Bluewater is located in Huron County, Ontario, Canada. It was formed in 2001 when the Ontario Government instituted the amalgamation of municipalities throughout the province. Specifically, the former townships of Hay and Stanley were merged with the villages of Bayfield,...
and South Huron
South Huron, Ontario
South Huron is a municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the southern part of Huron County. It was formed by amalgamation of the townships of Stephen and Usborne with the Town of Exeter in 2001, in an Ontario-wide municipal restructuring imposed by the provincial...
, in southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) in length and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) in width, at its widest point; it consists of 15 extensively forested individual wetlands, situated on either side, of sections of both the upper drainage of the Ausable River and its tributary, Black Creek.
Hay Swamp is situated at the northern limit of the Carolinian Biotic Province
Carolinian forest
The Carolinian forest is a life zone in eastern North America characterized primarily by a predominance of deciduous, or broad-leaf trees. The term "Carolinian forest" is used primarily in Canada...
and is categorized as consisting of 98% swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
and 2% marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
land. Apart from the Ausable and the Black, its primary source of water is considered to be the local Wyoming Moraine aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
. Hay Swamp is an important regional habitat for bird, fish and wildlife populations including white-tailed deer
White-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...
, Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
, ducks, geese, as well as a significant 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...
presence. The swamp is also home to several plant species at risk
Species at Risk Act
The Species at Risk Act is a piece of Canadian federal legislation which became law in Canada on December 12, 2002. It is designed to meet one of Canada's key commitments under the International Convention on Biological Diversity. The goal of the Act is to protect endangered or threatened...
, including Green Dragon and Riddell's Goldenrod. Endangered fish and mussel species present in Hay Swamp include, Eastern Sand Darter
Ammocrypta
Sand darters are a genus, Ammocrypta, of perches native to Canada and the continental United States.-Species:* Naked sand darter, Ammocrypta beanii Jordan, 1877.* Florida sand darter, Ammocrypta bifascia Williams, 1975....
, Greenside Darter, Northern Riffleshell
Northern riffleshell
The northern riffleshell, scientific name Epioblasma torulosa rangiana, is a subspecies of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.This subspecies is endangered....
, Snuffbox,Wavy-rayed Lampmussel, Rainbow Mussel and Kidneyshell.
Historic logging operations, as well as continuing intensive drainage practices to obtain access to the rich underlying organic soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
s of the swamp, have affected its overall size and health as a natural habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
. Since the Ausable River only partially drains the swamp on an ongoing basis, Hay Swamp acts as a natural water 'storage basin', guarding against large-scale flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing in other areas downstream and helping to maintain and moderate baseflow
Baseflow
Baseflow is the portion of streamflow that comes from "the sum of deep subsurface flow and delayed shallow subsurface flow"...
conditions during the summer months. By doing so it improves both the overall water quality
Water quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
in the Ausable system and aids local fish, bird and wildlife populations during the times of the year when water sources that are available for local wildlife are at a premium. The swamp contains several sites of abandoned 19th and early 20th century farms, including the location of the former community of Sodom
Sodom, Ontario
Sodom, Ontario was a former small logging industry-based community that existed in the last quarter of the 19th and first half of the 20th century...
. Hay Swamp (Hay Swamp Management Area) is administered by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority.