Natural Heritage Information Centre
Natural Areas Report: WALPOLE ISLAND MARSHES, FENS AND PRAIRIES
| Area Id: 13 | Area Type: ANSI-LS |
| Alias(es): WALPOLE ISLAND PRAIRIE, SAVANNAH AND MARSH |
|
| Size (ha): 1600.0 | Significance Level: Regional |
|
Site District: 7E-1 |
Counties: LAMBTON |
Topographic Maps: 40J/10 40J/7 40J/8 40J/9 |
| UTM Centroid: 17 372000 4711000 |
| Decimal Latitude/Longitude: 42.5427564080549 -82.5587311775374 |
| Description: | The Walpole ANSI is made up of 3 large delta islands, Walpole, Squirrel and St. Anne, at the mouth of the St. Clair River. The site is primarily made up of cattail marsh interspersed with a series of upland oak-hickory forested ridges (ONCDC, 1991). |
| Vegetation: | Wetland vegetation types present include wet meadows, fen, cattail marsh & reed marsh (Klinkenberg, 1984).
Deciduous woodlands, shrubs, and sedge meadows form the upper part of this island, but much of the natural shrub and meadow zones have been cleared and plowed into row-crop agriculture. A diked and water-level regulated cattail marsh occurs north of Goose lake. South of Goose lake the wetlands are dominated by cattails and sedge communities along the distributary channels and shoreline beaches. The wetlands near Johnston Bay are open to Lake St. Clair (Herendorf et al., 1986).
The forest is classic oak savannah habitat perpetuated as such by frequent fires. Some significant areas of natural grassland (rich in prairie elements) are found here (ONCDC, 1991). |
| Landform: | |
| Representation: | Among wetlands in Ontario, the Walpole Island Complex is outstanding, containing a broad range of biophysical values. The marsh system is one of the best wet prairies in North America (Van Patter and Hilts, 1985). |
| Management Agency: |
| Minimum Elevation: | Maximum Elevation: |
References
| Id | Citation |
| 9587 |
Allen, G. 1988. Notes on sites within Walpole Island Indian Reserve. |
| 7575 |
Allen, G., R. Brown and M. J. Oldham. 1987. Walpole Island Plant List. Appendix to Walpole Island Rare Plant Annotations (N88ALL01ONCA). 19 pp + maps |
| 9768 |
Allen, G., R. Brown and M.J. Oldham. 1988. Walpole Island Rare Plant Annotations. Draft. 9 pp. + map. |
| 11264 |
Anonymous. n.d. A Preliminary Ranking of the Top Priority Natural Areas of the Walpole Island Indian Reserve. . 9 pp. |
| 7217 |
Anonymous. n.d. Walpole Island. 13 pp. |
| 7118 |
Anonymous. n.d. Walpole Island. Ontario Out of Doors (July): 24-27, 44-45. |
| 10725 |
Brown, J.R. 1985. PLATANTHERA LEUCOPHAEA (Nutt.) Lind. (prairie fringed orchid) on Walpole Island, Lambton County. The plant Press 3(4):126-128 |
| 3854 |
Campbell, C.A. 1974. A Preliminary Assessment of Ecological Assets and Impacts on Walpole Island Indian Reserve. Prepared For Indian and Northern Affairs, Ontario Regional Office, Planning Section. 29 pp. |
| 6413 |
Darbyshire, S.J. and M.J. Oldham. 1985. Ohio Buckeye, Aesculus glabra, on Walpole Island, Lambton County, Ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist 99(3):370-372. |
| 3991 |
Ecologistics Limited. 1979. Biophysical Walpole Island Indian Reserve. Walpole Island Band Council Under Contract by Dept. of Indian and Northern Affairs. 54 pp. + appendices. |
| 4007 |
Environment Canada. 1987. Draft Proposed Designation of the Wetlands of Walpole Island Indian Reserve # 46 For Recognition in the List of Wetlands of International Importance. NIN.DA.WAAB.JIG. by Canadian Wildlife Service. 32 pp. |
| 4013 |
Faber - Langendoen, D. and P.F. Maycock. 1987. Composition and soil-environment analysis of prairies on Walpole Island, Southwestern Ontario. Canadian Journal of Botany 65: 2410-2419. |
| 4065 |
Gould, J. 1988. A Biological Inventory and Evaluation of the Holland Landing Prairie Relict ANSI. OMNR, Parks and Recreational Areas Section, Central Region, Richmond Hill. OFER 8804. iv + 40 pp. + maps. |
| 4104 |
Herdendorf, C.E., C.N. Raphael and E. Jaworski. 1986. The Ecology of the Lake St. Clair Wetlands: A Community Profile. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 85 (7.7). 187 pp. |
| 5984 |
Hoffman, D. and L. Lamb (eds.) 1979. Background Report No. 13 to the Lambton County Official Plan - Environmentally Sensitive Areas. County of Lambton Planning Board. Funded by Ministry of Environment through Experience '79. 160 pp. |
| 4120 |
Hoffman, D. and L. Lamb (eds.) 1980. Lambton County Preliminary Environmentally Sensitive Areas Study. Prepared by the University of Waterloo Environmentally Sensitive Areas Study Team for the Lambton County Planning Department. Funded by the Lambton County Planning Board and the Ministry of the Environment under Experience '79 and Experience '80. 243 pp. |
| 6592 |
Jacobs, D.M. 1973. Land Claims Research Paper Walpole Island Indian Reserve. Assocoation of Iroquois and Allied Indians. 183 pp. |
| 3536 |
Klinkenberg, R. 1984. Life Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest in Site District 7-1: A Review and Assessment of Significant Natural Areas in Site District 7-1. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreational Areas, Southwestern Region, London. OFER 8403. vii + 22 pp. + appendices. |
| 9657 |
NIN.DA.WAAB.JIG. 1987. Proposed designation of the wetlands of Walpole Island Indian reserve #46 for recognition in the list of wetlands of international importance. Report to Walpole Island Heritage Centre. In Cooperation with Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service. |
| 6123 |
Oldham, M.J. and G.M. Allen. 1990. Sedges and Grasses of Walpole Island, Ontario. 6 pages |
| 11258 |
Ontario Conservation Data Center. 1991. Managed Area Basic Record: Walpole Island Indian Reserve. ONCDC. Manuscript. 3 pp. |
| 11265 |
Ontario Conservation Data Center. 1991. Site Basic Record: Walpole Island. ONCDC. 4 pp. |
| 11244 |
Reid, R.A., N. Patterson, L. Armour and A. Champagne. 1980. A Wetlands Evaluation Model for Southern Ontario. Federation of Ontario Naturalists. 140 pp. |
| 4498 |
Speller, A.E., W. Armstrong and D. Coatsworth. 1984. A Re-evaluation of Environmentally Sensitive Areas in the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority. Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, Chatham, Ontario. 76 pp. |
| 10466 |
The Nature Conservancy. 1995. Significant Areas of Biological Diversity in the Great Lakes Basin, Ontario. The Nature Conservancy, Midwest Regional Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Great Lakes Program Office, Chicago Illinois. |
| 4541 |
Van Patter, M. and S. Hilts. 1985. Some Important Wetlands of Ontario South of the Precambrian Shield. Federation of Ontario Naturalists, Don Mills, Ontario. 103 pp. |
| 11263 |
Woodliffe, P. Allen and Garry M. Allen. 1996. A Life Science Inventory of the Prairies, Savannahs and Woodlands of the Walpole Island First Nation. DRAFT. pp. + appendices and map. |
| 10523 |
Woodliffe, P.A. 1996. Untitled (Confidential Report). [Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources]. 2 pp. + maps. [February 12, 1996 version and September 22, 1996 version] |
| 7589 |
Woodliffe, P.A. and G.M. Allen. 1988. A life science inventory and ranking of 30 natural areas of Walpole Island Indian Reserve.. . 16 pp + appendices. |
| 4604 |
Woodliffe, P.A. and G.M. Allen. 1990. A Life Science Inventory and Ranking of 30 Natural Areas of Walpole Island Indian Reserve. Pp. 37-48, in, G.M. Allen, P.F.J. Eagles and S.D. Price (eds.) Conserving Carolinian Canada. University of Waterloo Press, Waterloo. 346 pp. |