Upper Welland River Watershed Plan - Niagara Peninsula ...

UPPER WELLAND RIVER WATERSHED PLANGreen Ash with some Sugar Maple and Red Maple. The understory was a mix of Common Clearweed,Thicket Creeper, Cinnamon fern, and Royal fern. The drier areas of this study site were noted asDeciduous Forest with a dominance of Sugar Maple, Black Walnut, and Red Oak.The understory in these areas was characterized by Spicebush, Maple-leaved Viburnum, and Witchhazelwith Large-leaved Aster. Also noted for this study site were several small swamps with sectionsof open marsh. These areas were largely dominated by Buttonbush, Winterberry and HighbushBlueberry and an herbaceous layer of Beggar-ticks and Spotted Touch-me-nots.The associated tree species where they existed were Freeman‟s Maple, Yellow Birch, and some BlackGum.There are a total of 266 recorded taxa for this study site.This site is also in part designated as Little Forks Creek and Little Forks Creek Wetland ComplexProvincially Significant Wetlands.Name: Welland RiverSite ID: WF-29-00-00-00-00Municipality: City of Hamilton, Township of West Lincoln, Township of Wainfleet, City of WellandSize: 357 hectaresSubwatershed: Welland River WestGeneral Summary: This study site includes the main channel of the Welland River, and its closelyassociated woodlands from the headwaters near Sinclairville Road in the City of Hamilton, to theWelland Canal in the City of Welland.Summary: This study site is unique in that its boundaries are based on the floodplain of the WellandRiver and the closely associated woodlands. Most of the communities recorded were fresh-moistDeciduous Forests with some Thicket Swamps and Shallow or Meadow Marsh communities. TheDeciduous Forests were dominated by Black Walnut, Red Oak, Silver Maple, and Green Ash. Theassociated understory contained Choke Cherry, Hawthorns, Basswood, and Gray Dogwood. Theherbaceous layer was characterized by a mix of Grasses, Sedges, Asters, and in some cases, GarlicMustard.The Thicket Swamp communities were dominates by Red Maple, Poison Sumac, and Yellow Birch withHawthorn, Winterberry, Highbush Cranberry, and Buttonbush. The herbaceous layer was commonly amix of Ferns, Mosses and Sedges.The Shallow Marsh communities were characterized by Reed Canary Grass and Broad-leaved Cattailswith associated Rice Cut Grass, Devil‟s Beggar-ticks, and Sedges. The Meadow Marshes were largelyCommon Elderberry, Gray Dogwood, and Reed Canary Grass with scattered Green Ash and WhiteElm. The successional meadow areas were dominated by Kentucky Blue Gras, New England Aster,Tall Goldenrod, and Grass-leaved Goldenrod. There are a total of 373 recorded taxa for this study site.This site is also in part designated as Welland River West Provincially Significant WetlandName: Mill Creek – Inverary WoodsFormerly: Inverary Woods (Brady, et al. 1980)Site ID: WL-02-00-00-00-00Municipality: Township of West LincolnSize: 363 hectaresSubwatershed: Mill Creek with a small portion in the south/east draining to Moores Creek.General Summary: This study site is located near the boundary of the Niagara Region and the City ofHamilton. It is between Sixteen Road in the north and Bismark Road in the south. It extends fromWestbrook Road in the west to Caistor Centre Road in the east.190