Rondeau Bay and the surrounding areas are independently identified as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and an Area of High Ecological Value by Environment and Climate Change Canada.12,13 These designations outline the significance of the area’s contribution to the global persistence of biodiversity and its importance for the life history of many rare and at-risk species.
Wetlands are areas that flood every season or have water permanently present.2 In the Great Lakes, wetlands include swamps, bogs, fens, and most commonly marshes. Provincially Significant Wetlands are wetland identified by the Province of Ontario as being the most ecologically valuable and as a result, received special protections.
Wetlands serve as water’s natural filter. They protect coastal areas from storms, flooding, and erosion, create habitat for many insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, and fishes, and provide beautiful areas for recreational activities.3
Despite their important functions, wetlands are becoming very rare. In the settled areas of Canada, 70% of wetlands have been destroyed or degraded. In the Kent region, 98.5% of wetlands were lost between pre-settlement (circa 1800) and 2022. Today, only 0.8% of the Kent region remains as wetland habitat.4
Restoration of the Keith McLean Conservation Lands
Pre-settlement, much of the Rondeau Bay area, including the Keith McLean Conservation Lands, was a vast coastal wetland. In the 1950’s, the existing wetland was pumped and drained for agricultural purposes. In 2022, a 2.5-hectare (6-acre) restoration project was completed to help re-establish the historic coastal wetland. This project complements previous work conducted in 2007, which restored 27 hectares (67 acres) of wetland on the southern boundary of the property along Rose Beach Line and towards Rondeau Bay. In combination, these projects form the largest continuous coastal wetland in the Greater Rondeau Area outside of Rondeau Provincial Park. Coastal wetlands are important ecosystems that aid in flood storage, and water filtration, and provide habitat for a variety of species.
What Species Can You Find at the Keith McLean Conservation Lands?
Spotted Gar were listed as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act in 2016 because the wetlands they rely on were completely destroyed or degraded by the removal of aquatic vegetation and high inputs of sediment and nutrients, leading to turbid water conditions.6 Rondeau Bay and the surrounding area is one of only three coastal wetland complexes in Canada where the Spotted Gar is still found. To reproduce, Spotted Gar require low flow, shallow, and highly vegetated water with underwater structures such as fallen tree branches.5 All Gar species have bony armour-like scales and a large, elongated jaw with needle-like teeth, however, compared to other Gar species (e.g., Longnose Gar), Spotted Gar have a shorter and stubbier alligator-like snout.1,8 (PC: Craig Paterson)
The Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus), a species of Special Concern, is a member of the sunfish family and shares a similar distribution to the Spotted Gar – they have also only been found in three Lake Erie coastal wetlands. Warmouth can be distinguished from other sunfishes in the Lepomis family by their large mouth and small patch of teeth on their tongue.9 (PC: Dominique Rumball)
- Holm, E., N.E. Mandrak, and M. Burridge. 2021. A Field Guide To Freshwater Fishes of Ontario. Second Edition. Royal Ontario Museum Publishing, Toronto, Canada.
- Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada. 2002. Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands– Science and Conservation. Accessed July 17, 2023, from https://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/En40-222-11-2002E.pdf.
- Steinman, A., B. Cardinale, W. Munns, M. Ogdahl, J. Allan, T. Angadi, S. Bartlett, K. Brauman, M. Byappanahalli, and M. Doss. 2017. Ecosystem services in the Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research 43: 161-168.
- Ducks Unlimited Canada. 2010. Southern Ontario wetland conversion analysis: final report. Ducks Unlimited. Barrie, Ontario. 23 pp.
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2021. Recovery Strategy and Action Plan for the Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) in Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa. iv + 71 pp.
- Species at Risk Act, SC 2002, c 29, <https://canlii.ca/t/55cfs> retrieved on July 15, 2023.
- Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. 2023. Invasive Phragmites. Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program. Retrieved July 21, 2023, from https://www.invadingspecies.com/invaders/plants/invasive-phragmites-2/.
- Scott W., and Crossman, E. 1973. Freshwater Fishes of Canada, Second Edition. Bulletin 184, Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Ottawa, pp 721-722.
- COSEWIC. 2015. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Warmouth Lepomis gulosus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 47 pp. (www.registrelep- sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm).
- Government of Ontario. 2021. Species at risk. ca Retrieved July 19, 2023, from https://www.ontario.ca/page/species-risk.
- Reid, S.M., Kopf, V., Morris, T.J. 2018. Diversity of freshwater mussel assemblages across Lake Ontario coastal wetlands in Canadian waters. Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3164: v + 21 p.
- Key Biodiversity Areas. 2023. Accessed October 4, 2023 from: https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/kba-data.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2022. Development and Implementation of an Approach for Identifying Areas of High Ecological Value in Canadian Great Lakes Nearshore Waters. Accessed October 4, 2023 from: https://data-donnees.ec.gc.ca/GreatLakesNearshoreWaters_HighEcologicalValue.pdf.
News & Blog
- Plains Midstream Canada supports the SCRCA’s Spring Water Awareness Program for 6th YearMay 10, 2024
- Soggy but Successful Sydenham River Canoe and Kayak Race held Sunday – Over $3,800 raised to support Conservation Education ProgramsMay 1, 2024
- Results Available – Sydenham River Canoe and Kayak Race – April 28, 2024April 30, 2024
- Sydenham River Canoe and Kayak Race to be held April 28, 2024April 17, 2024
- SCRCF New Management of Greenhill Gardens April 16, 2024