Rattray Marsh EarthCache
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Logging requirements:
Please send me the answers to the following questions:
1. At the time of your visit tell me what the water level is the Marsh.
2. At the time of your visit describe the movement of the water. (i.e. not moving, slow, fast etc...)
At the posted coordinates you will find a sign, please answer the following:
3. Where does the Barrier Beach form a border of smooth, flat rocks?
4. What is the border of smooth, flat rocks called?
Optional: A picture of yourself with your GPS with the Outlet Opening in the background.
Please note that any of the following logs will be deleted:
-logs containing the answers or spoilers of the answers
-logs for which i did not receive the answers within one week.
Rattray Marsh is one of the last coastal wetlands of its kind along Lake Ontario and the last remaining lakefront marsh between Toronto and Burlington.
This environmentally-sensitive wetland it is a natural oasis within our urban community
One special aspect of Rattray is that it is at the mercy of a "barrier beach" created thousand of years ago and influenced by Lake Ontario on one side and Sheridan Creek on the other.
Over thousands of years, the rocks shifted, weathered, and were pushed up onto the shore by Lake Ontario storms.
This barrier stopped, or slowed the flow of water from Sheridan Creek into Lake Ontario. The creek waters pooled, allowing silt and nutrients to settle to the bottom.
Plants took root and Rattray Marsh was born.
Just as water formed the shingle bar, it can also cause it to collapse.
Rainstorms raise water levels in the creek, and the force of this water flowing into the marsh can wash out unstable sections of the shingle bar, especially when lake levels are lower than the marsh, creating an opening or outlet.
The processes that create dry conditions at times and very wet conditions at other times are part of a long-term natural cycle that can go on for thousands of years.
Shorter cycles (100 years) can change levels and create habitats important for supporting he wide variety of plant and wildlife at Rattray Marsh. These cycles serve important roles in the life of the marsh. Low water levels allow for the necessary changes to the wetland community and reveal mudflats that support a variety of shorebirds. At high water levels the marsh is a perfect home for fishes, turtles and ducks.
This is an exceptionally beautiful area with an extensive boardwalk and depending on the time of your visit you could enjoy the spring trilliums, native and migrating birds and waterfront view in the heart of the city. Enjoy !!!
Additional Hints
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