Wainfleet Bog



 


 


 


 

General Information

The Wainfleet Bog Conservation Area covers 801 hectares (1980 acres) and was purchased by the Niagara Parks Conservation Authority in 1996. Located in Port Colborne, this conservation area is part of the largest, least disturbed peatland in Southern Ontario.

In the past, human actions have drastically altered the Wainfleet Bog area, reducing and fragmenting wetland habitat. Much of the bog was once owned by a peat extraction company, which dug drainage ditches to lower the water table, allowing for easier access to the bog for peat extraction, local farming, and potential development.

Wainfleet bog is one of the few acidic bogs left in Southern Ontario. Once thought to have covered 20,000 hectares (49421 acres), Wainfleet bog currently covers 801 hectares (1980 acres), which is only about 6% of its original extent. Many rare plant and animal species inhabit the bog and depend on it for their survival, including one of the smallest populations of massasauga rattlesnake. Wainfleet bog is also a source of water and aids in flood control. Various hiking trails encourage exploration of the bog and its wildlife.


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