Misplaced Pages

West English River Provincial Park

Article snapshot taken from[REDACTED] with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Provincial park in Ontario, Canada
West English Provincial Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Map showing the location of West English Provincial ParkMap showing the location of West English Provincial ParkLocation of West English Provincial Park in Ontario
LocationKenora District, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates50°25′43″N 93°52′34″W / 50.42861°N 93.87611°W / 50.42861; -93.87611
Area22,922.00 ha (88.5023 sq mi)
Elevation382 m (1,253 ft)
DesignationWaterway
Established2003
Named forEnglish River
Governing bodyOntario Parks
www.ontarioparks.com/park/westenglishriver

West English River Provincial Park is a provincial park in Kenora District, Ontario, Canada. It spans 65 kilometres (40 mi) along the English River from Barnston Lake to Tide Lake and also includes all the shores and waters of Wegg, Goose, Wilcox, Unexpected, Oak, and Maynard Lakes. The park's notable features include old growth red and white pine stands at the northern extent of their range, and migmatites that are provincially-significant examples of metatexitic and diatexitic metasedimentary rocks. It borders on Tide Lake and Maynard Lake Provincial Nature Reserves.

It can be accessed via Highway 671 and Highway 804.

Flora and fauna are mostly typical of the southern boreal forest. Almost half of the park’s forests consist of fir-spruce mixedwood. 307 vascular plant species have been identified, of which 18 are provincially rare species. 16 species of mammals, 76 birds, 5 amphibians, 2 reptiles, and 18 odonates have been found, including the following 6 provincially-rare species: woodland caribou, bald eagle, American white pelican, elusive clubtail, Williamson’s emerald, and lake sturgeon. Predominant fish species in the park are bass, ciscoes, mooneye, muskellunge, perch, pike, sauger, and walleye.

The river inside this park is affected by 2 dams (Manitou Dam and Caribou Falls Dam) that have an unnatural flow regime with a water level peak in October (typically peak is in May for unregulated rivers). This has probably had a negative impact on vegetation, wildlife, and shoreline erosion. The lakes, making up 66% of the park's area, are mesotrophic and relatively turbid.

It is a non-operating park without any facilities or services, but there are some commercial outfitters on Unexpected and Maynard Lakes. The park can be used for recreational activities such as boating, backcountry camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking, swimming, and hunting.

See also

References

  1. "West English River Provincial Park". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  2. ^ "West English River". www.ontarioparks.com. Ontario Parks. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  3. ^ "West English River Provincial Park Management Statement". Ontario.ca. Ministry of Natural Resources Ontario. February 2004. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  4. "Welcome to West English River Provincial Park". ontarioparks.com.
  5. "The Mighty English River System". www.northernontario.travel. Destination Northern Ontario. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
Protected areas of Ontario
CRHP
Central
County of Brant
Eastern
Essex County
Greater Sudbury
Golden Horseshoe
Kingston
Middlesex County
Niagara RM
Northern
Ottawa
Perth County
Peel RM
Southwestern
Toronto
Waterloo RM
Wellington County
York RM
National parks and affiliated areas
National Parks
National Marine
Conservation Areas
National Historic Sites
National Wildlife Areas
National Wildlife Areas
Migratory Bird Sanctuaries
Provincial parks and affiliated areas
Northern Ontario
Algoma District
Cochrane District
Kenora District
Nipissing District
Parry Sound District
Sudbury District
Thunder Bay District
Timiskaming District
Eastern Ontario
Central Ontario
Golden Horseshoe
Southwestern Ontario
Conservation reserves
Former parks
Conservation Authorities and Areas
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves
Greenbelts
Related Departments and Agencies
Categories:
West English River Provincial Park Add topic