CNC Wetlands EarthCache
Hidden : 9/17/2009
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:


This EarthCache is located in the Chippewa Nature Center. The CNC has 1,348 acres of woodlands, wetlands, rivers and upland fields. There are more than 15 miles of marked trails open to walking, cross-country skiing or showshoeing. The trails are free to the public year round, dawn to dark.

This EarthCache was developed with permission from the CNC.

A marsh is a type of wetland which is distinguished from other wetland varieties by having an assortment of grasses, reeds, and sedges, without large bushes and tall trees. The height of standing water in a marsh can range, depending on the location and the season, but the mud or clay that forms the base of the marsh is always heavily saturated. A marsh can be salt or fresh water, and often has large spaces of open water which are heavily colonized by birds. Like other wetlands, a marsh provides vital habitat to many plant and animal species as well as protecting neighboring areas of land from flooding.

About 13,000 years ago, the Wisconsin Glacier was retreating. As the glacier melted, glacial lakes covered this area with water up to 70 feet deep. Around 8,700 years ago, the lake had drained, and Spruce trees flourished in a cool wetland forest. After about 1,500 years of the climate warming up, the area became a drier pine forest. About 6,800 ago, a bog formed as water drained from a 30 foot sand dune left behind by the glacial lake. Finally, about 5,000 the climate cooled and stabilized, favoring leafy deciduous trees.

About 400 years ago, the Europeans first arrived to this area. At that time, one third of Michigan was wetlands. Over the last 100 years, a lot of the local wetlands were destroyed because of logging and sand mining. Over 70% of Michigan’s wetlands are gone.

From 1986 to 1990, concern about wetland loss delayed construction of a shopping mall north of Midland which would destroy 20 acres of wetlands. Michigan's Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that wetlands must be created nearby to replace the acreage destroyed. At the invitation of the Chippewa Nature Center, the mall developer inspected locations at CNC and began plans to comply with government regulations.

From 1990 to 1992, three basins totaling 40 acres were excavated here. Soil and muck were hauled from the mall construction site, and many new plants were transplanted, speeding development of the marshes. By spring of 1992, the basins were filled with runoff and shallow groundwater. Spillways were constructed to allow water to flow between basins, into the Burgoon drain and then to CNC's Oxbow.

The mud in this wetland came from a natural wetland miles from here. It was no ordinary “mud puddle” mud, however, but wetlands “muck,”-chock full of the seeds and tubers of wetland plants, and the eggs and larvae of many wetland animal species.

The transfer of 1,700 truckloads of such muck provided a serious shot in the arm for the immediate productivity and biodiversity of the wetland you see here. But why work so hard to replace a lost wetland? Because wetlands are critical habitats for not only frogs, insects and cattails, but for people, too! We might not want to build a house out of cattails like a muskrat, but we need wetlands to filter groundwater, and slow down runoff to reduce flooding.

The posted coordinates are for parking. The two waypoints mark docks that reach out into two of the marshes. From the end of each dock, measure how deep the water is.

To log this cache:

1 Take a picture of yourself with your GPSr on either of the docks with the marsh behind you. Post this with your online log.

2 Email me the depth of both marshes at the end of the dock. Do not include this with your online log.

Special thanks to the Chippewa Nature Center for allowing this EarthCache.

Congrats to Hiker Willie and mboensch for FTF.

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