Watershed Conservation Plan - Destination Erie

Cranesville area, and the lower reaches of the main tributaries of the West Branch of Conneaut Creek
within an area known as "Jumbo Woods," which is situated in and near Pennsylvania Game Land 101.
It is significant that several of the largest uninterrupted tracts of forest (with mixed forest "core") in
the western part of the study area are directly associated with large palustrine forested wetlands in the
West Branch of Conneaut Creek and in the lake plain portion of Crooked Creek immediately west of Erie
Bluffs State Park. These "combination" habitats would be expected to provide optimum resources for
many species of herptiles and other wildlife. The wetland-rich Raccoon and Turkey Creeks
subwatersheds also present tandem elements of aquatic and forested habitats including mixed (coniferous)
elements. The importance of such areas for aquatic-dependent wildlife is well demonstrated in the Turkey
Creek subwatershed near West Springfield, where Gray and Lethaby (2006) have documented a
remarkably diverse herptile community (see Figure 6.8).
The largest continuous tract (ca. 15–20 mi 2 [39–52 km 2 ]) of mainly deciduous forest (indicated by
dark green shading) in the study area is the above-mentioned Jumbo Woods area of the Conneaut Creek
subwatershed (Figure 6.18; see Figure 6.17). This forest apparently includes significant tracts of
palustrine forested wetlands (see Figure 6.14) and areas of mixed forest within a core forest that is one of
most distinctive natural features of the northwestern corner of the state, shared between Erie and
Crawford Counties and extending into eastern Ohio. The fact that Pennsylvania Game Land 101 is
already a prominent part of this forest (see Chapter 7) suggests that bringing additional adjoining
properties into the realm of "public protection" is a worthwhile goal that should be advanced by this plan.
Other large areas of deciduous forest in the western part of the watershed are found in the Elk Creek
subwatershed between Interstate 79 and Little Elk Creek, surrounding significant tracts of mixed forest
(described above). There are also large areas of mainly deciduous forest in the Elk Creek subwatershed
east of Interstate 79 and McKean Borough between the tributaries flowing into Dunn Valley from the
easternmost part of the watershed, and the large branch of Elk Creek that flows along Pennsylvania Route
99 from the vicinity of Edinboro. A noteworthy large tract of deciduous forest was found in the Thomas
Run area of the Walnut Creek subwatershed (see Figure 6.16), but large portions of this forest have been
recently been converted to housing developments.
The general outer perimeter of the main urban area of Erie, which extends south to the edge of the
study area, presents many large tracts of mostly deciduous forest interspersed with farmland (keyed dark
brown in Figures 6.16 and 6.17) and transitional vegetation (keyed red), likely including residential
developments. Many of these forested areas have probably been converted to transitional vegetation in the
newer subdivisions of Harborcreek, Green, Millcreek, Summit, and McKean Townships since 2005, when
this data layer was created. In the eastern part of the watershed, the upper slopes of the ridge south of the
lake plain, from the Sixmile Creek subwatershed east to the New York line, present numerous large tracts
of deciduous forest interspersed with farmland.
6.3.3 Distribution of Disturbed Vegetation Areas
Transitional vegetation includes areas with scattered trees mixed with predominantly lower-growing
plants, and may indicate abandoned farmland in early stages of succession, agricultural operations in
which young trees are being grown in open fields, low-density residential areas near towns, or other
disturbed areas such as railroad rights-of-way. In Figures 6.16 and 6.17, this vegetation type (keyed red)
is most noticeable in association with human population centers surrounding black-shaded barren/hard
surface areas (keyed black). Transitional vegetation occupies a zone of varying width around the City of
Erie and all of the boroughs of the study area, where it indicates residential/suburban landscapes. In the
many locations throughout the study area where small or irregular patches of transitional vegetation are
found interspersed with larger areas of deciduous forest, transitional vegetation most likely indicates of
sites where forests have been recently logged or where former farmland is reverting to a forested
condition.
Perennial herbaceous vegetation (keyed yellow in Figure s 6.16 and 6.17) includes vineyards and
other open agricultural sites that are not cultivated, such as pastures and hay fields. The greatest
concentration of perennial herbaceous vegetation is found in the lake plain between the City of Erie and
the New York State line, indicative of grape vineyards. There are also many large areas of this vegetation
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