The Minesing Wetlands – Jewel of the Nottawasaga River Watershed

“For many of us, water simply flows from a faucet, and we think little about it beyond this point of contact. We have lost a sense of respect for the wild river, for the complex workings of a wetland, for the intricate web of life that water supports.” – Sandra Postel, Last Oasis: Facing Water Scarcity, 2003.

History of the Minesing

The term “minesing” is from the Objibway for “island” referring to an island that once was present within Lake Edenvale, which encompassed the present location of the Minesing Wetlands, as we know it today. It is a remnant of Pleistocene Glaciers of 18,000 to 11,000 years ago and the large glacial body of water called Lake Algonquin which covered a great deal of the lower Nottawasaga Valley of today. With melting and receding glaciers, about 5,000 years ago, these lowlands again were inundated with increasing lake levels from what is now Georgian Bay. With changes in the lower Great Lakes drainage, the wetland began to take shape with new vegetative communities, flood plain forests and boreal forests and fen established to what is now the Minesing Wetlands. The wetland centers about the convergence of the main Nottawasaga River and its tributaries, the Mad, Willow Creek and Coates Creek.

Estimates determine that the original coverage of these wetlands prior to early European colonization was almost 15,000 ha. Early settlement pushed for replacement of wetlands with agricultural use. Research in the 1970’s pointed out with concern, the loss of these wetlands. With factors such as climate change, encroaching development and land use change, the wetlands continue to shrink and are determined to be less than 7,000 ha today. It is the largest example of fen bog in southern Ontario and the most diverse undisturbed wetland in Canada. It encompasses three townships (Clearview, Essa and Springwater). The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, the province through the MNR and the County of Simcoe own and manage most of the 60 square kilometers of the wetland. Even today, bordering growth and development in addition to development along the entire Nottawasaga watershed continue to impact and stress the Minesing.

Decontaminant and Flood Control Master

The Minesing Wetlands is internationally recognized as a very significant wetland and an essential feature of the Nottawasaga River watershed. This key wetland serves as a critical nutrient and contaminant filter for the watershed and provides a sponge-like shock absorbency that protects lower communities including Wasaga Beach from catastrophic flooding. As an angler I have witnessed blockages of the Nottawasaga River at Baxter with water levels 6 feet above the adjacent road level or an astounding 20 feet above normal river levels. With increased flow pressures, the blockages cleared and the rushing onslaught continued downstream to the saving natural flood control of the Minesing. If it were not for the Minesing, I would hazard to speculate the extent of damage that would have occurred downstream below it.

The Internationally Recognized Minesing, a Wetland in Demise

The Minesing Wetlands (formerly described as a “swamp” which seemed to infer some sort of stagnated accumulation of water… NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH) was recognized in 1996 by the RAMSAR Convention of 1971 as one of only 2,000 significant wetlands in the world. It is amazing that the world sees this “jewel” as significant yet our continued “mal”practices, land use or perhaps best termed, “abuse”, neglect and lack of recognition over the years have sent this important feature into serious decline. A recent extensive and provocative report by the NVCA “60 years of Forest Change in the Minesing Wetlands” which describes this deterioration, was kept hidden in the minutes of one of the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority Board minutes meeting (May 2014) by that board. It was crying for release and only was done so by later in the year and due to criticism and pressing requests from the Nottawasaga Steelheaders and AWARE Simcoe.

http://www.ramsar.org/minesing-swamp

https://rsis.ramsar.org/RISapp/files/RISrep/CA865RIS.pdf

http://www.nvca.on.ca/Shared%20Documents/60%20years%20of%20forest%20change%20in%20the%20Minesing%20Wetlands%20May%202014.pdf

Minesing’s Unique Biodiversity

An important interdependent and unique biodiversity exists in the Minesing. The presence and health of its species is a barometer of not only the Minesing Wetlands well being, but in many ways, our own.

The Minesing Wetlands provides habitat to over 400 plant species, of which 11 are provincially rare. It supports numerous plant species which are at the extremities of their natural range, including those indigenous to the arctic tundra in the north and the Carolinian forests to the south. It is home to the largest pure stand of silver maple in the province.

It is home to 206 species of birds (including 114 breeders) and an important staging area for thousands of migratory waterfowl.  Provincially rare birds indigenous to the swamp include the Blue-winged Warble, Prothonotary Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, the Golden-winged Warbler and the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. It has also one of the largest Great Blue Heronries in the province.

Many rare and unique insect species make the Minesing home including the Hines Emerald Dragonfly which has recently been placed on the endangered species list both in Ontario and the United States. The Minesing is the only wetland in Ontario that it is found and its demise is closely connected to wetland disappearance.

Numerous Dependent Fish Species Challenged by Minesing’s Change

Many migratory fish species pass through the Minesing on route to their spawning grounds including rainbow trout (steelhead), Chinook salmon and Great Lakes sturgeon (provincial status – threatened). In the fall of 2014, Nottawasaga Steelheaders as part of their 4-year steelhead assessment found fewer numbers of rainbow trout passing through the Minesing to their usual pre-spawn staging area (the Notty between the confluence of the Boyne and the confluence of the Pine). It possible that that the highly adaptive rainbow trout due to a number of factors may have decided to winter over in the Minesing.

The Minesing is the spawning area for one of only two strains of shallow wetland spawning walleye on the Great Lakes. They have all but disappeared over the past 20 years from the Nottawasaga likely due to deterioration of the Minesing. Walleye are a key component to a $7 billion dollar Great Lakes fishery.

Migratory salmonids such as steelhead and Chinook salmon during the fall are signaled to migrate on their spawning run as water levels rise and begin to fall after a rain event. That signal is further enhanced by an extremely acute ability to sense minute particulate that originates from their place of birth and guides them to their home. As a steelhead angler, I can gauge and target my angling activity based on the water levels of the Nottawasaga River. From the upper Notty, the water levels swell and move quickly downstream signaling fish to move further upstream. That blast of downstream water hits the Minesing and is absorbed by the wetlands. It subsequently gently releases the water downstream and water levels slowly climb signaling steelhead all the way downstream and at the river mouth to ascend. That shock-absorbing ability and gentle release is an important factor to flood prevention throughout the lower levels and Wasaga Beach.

The Minesing a Canoeist’s Dream

The Minesing Wetlands are one of the significant tourist drawing experiences for canoeists. Groups such as the Friends of the Minesing along with other groups often organize canoe expeditions. The enriching calm and quiet broken occasionally by the harmony and music of the many resident birds and amphibians is enough to make many want to stay a bit longer.

http://minesingwetlands.ca/

When I think of the Minesing Wetlands as the “Jewel of the Nottawasaga River Watershed” I come back to how I view a jewel.

It is a gem.

It has many brilliant facets.

And …It is precious!