OXBOW WETLANDS IPFW Plant Community Profile Landscape Data

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OXBOW WETLANDSIPFW Plant Community
ProfileLandscape Data

• Overview
• The Stoney Run Stream, a small tributary of the
  St. Joseph River, is bordered by several remnant
  oxbow wetlands that were presumably produced in
  association with the channelization of the
  stream. In 1997, six separate oxbow remnants,
  ranging from 0.02 to 0.71 acres in size were
  identified and mapped. The surveys were
  conducted by Earth Source One Inc., as part of
  the permitting process the preceded construction
  of the bridge over Stoney Run Creek that provides
  automobile access to the McKay soccer fields.
  Four of the oxbow remnants identified contained
  a closed tree canopy, but two (0.10 and 0.71
  acres in size) retained open areas, with
  herb-dominated wetlands. These two oxbow
  remnants, located to the south of Stoney Run, are
  the focus of this survey. Both normally drain
  into Stoney Run but are charged with water from
  the stream during high water periods. The larger
  remnant appears to be continuous with the Stoney
  Run floodplain and presumably has a greater water
  budget than the smaller oxbow remnant which is
  more hydraulically isolated.
• Both of the oxbow wetlands are floristically
  interesting in that the appear to represent
  communities which are transitional between
  shallow marshes and sedge meadows. Sedge meadows
  are one of the rarest wetland types in the state.
  Although bands of sedges are frequently found at
  the transition between marshes and adjacent
  forested wetlands or wet prairies, the
  establishment and maintenance of sedge meadows,
  as a separate and distinctive community type,
  appears to require a very specific hydrological
  regime that is characterized by saturated, but
  not flooded, soil conditions for most of the
  growing season. Conditions favoring sedge meadow
  development are perhaps most typically observed
  in broad, shallow topographic depressions that
  are not deep enough to support marshes or lakes.
  Over the past century, large tracts of sedge
  meadow have been replaced by cat-tail marsh or
  shrub-dominated wetlands, as a result of
  drainage, nutrient enrichment (favoring
  cat-tails), or hydrological perturbations
  resulting in increased levels of hydrological
  variability (apparently also favoring cat-tails).
  Other distinctive floristic features of the
  larger oxbow remnant include the presence of a
  large populations of blue flag iris, barnyard
  grass and beggars-ticks.

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• Location (Campus Map)

Geographic Coordinates and ElevationLarger
remnant, 0.71 Acres Latitude 41º 0708.64
N, at the center of the oxbow Longitude 85º
0709.82 W, at the center of the oxbow County,
Township Allen, Washington Township, Range,
Section T31N, R12E, Section 24, SE ¼ of SE ¼
Elevation 760-765 ft above sea level. The
elevation of Stoney Run Stream ranges from 760
to 755 ft (running West to East). The elevation
of surrounding upland communities ranges from
770-775 ft.
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• Location (Wetland Survey, McKay Farms)

Section III marks the
position of the larger oxbow wetland, with the
smaller oxbow remnant being indicated as Section
IV. Sections I and XIII-XV are also oxbow
wetlands but with closed forest canopies.
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• Location (Aerial Photograph)

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• Location (Aerial Photograph)

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• Photographic Overview

F
E
Photographs of the larger oxbow wetland as viewed
from adjacent upland positions. A,B As seen
from its southern edge, looking north in Image A
and north by northwest in Image B C The
wetland as viewed from its eastern edge, looking
west across the oxbow basin showing the region of
sedge meadow in the oxbow interior D The
wetland as viewed from its NE edge. Since the
oxbow connects with the floodplain of Stoney Run
Stream at its northern edge, the elevation of the
adjacent upland fringe is much lower at
this position than is typical of its southern or
western fringes.
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• Photographic Overview

Photographs of the larger wetland as viewed from
within its basin. A Looking southwest from the
NE corner in winter B Standing at the
southern edge, looking east. The ground cover at
this position in the Basin is primarily barnyard
grass, with a fringe of honeysuckles at the
wetland fringe (with the leaves of the
honeysuckle remaining green late into the fall)
C Standing at the SE edge of the basin, looking
west past the barnyard grass (closer, gray
green) and the sedges (more distant) D Near
the center of the oxbow, Surrounded by sedges,
looking to west to northwest.
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• Photographic Overview

B
A
D
C
Photographs of the smaller oxbow wetland. A
South of California avenue, looking east. The
oxbow runs approximately parallel with the road
at the position indicated in by the arrow
(further east) B Standing at the western edge
of the wetland, looking east C Stoney Run
Stream as seen north of the wetland position D
The wetland as seen from the northwest, looking
east by southeast.
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• Topographic Data

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• Soils Data

The soils of the oxbow remnants are classified as
Eel silt loams (Es), and are recognized as part
of the Eel-Martinsville-Genesee association.
This association consists of deep, well drained
to moderately well-drained, level to moderately
sloping, medium-textured to moderately fine
textured alluvial soils on bottom lands and
stream terraces. The Eel and Genesee soils are
located on the bottom lands and the Martinsville
soils are on the stream terraces. Eel soils have
a 20-inch surface layer of dark grayish-brown,
friable silt loam. The underlying material is
firm silty clay loam that is brown in the
uppermost 4 inches and dark yellowish brown
mottled with gray in the lower part. The C
horizon may contain calcareous material at a
depth of more than 38 inches. The native
vegetation was mostly water-tolerant hardwood
trees. The soils of more upland sites bordering
the oxbows to the south are classified as
moderately eroded Morley silt loams, with 6-12
slopes (MrC2). The Morley soil series consists
of deep, moderately well drained, gently sloping
to steep upland soils. Morley soils have a
6-inch surface layer of friable silt loam that is
very dark grayish brown in the uppermost 3 inches
and grayish brown in the lower part. The 18-inch
subsoil is mostly dark yellowish-brown and brown,
very firm clay mottled with yellowish brown in
the lower part. The parent material is a dark
grayish brown, firm calcareous clay loam. The
native vegetation was hardwood forests. The
major hazards are erosion and with runoff being
an associated problem.