Along The Rivers Edge

Along The Rivers Edge. . , Early Canoeists , When you look at the River Raisin, you are seeing what remains of an ancient highway. Thousands of years before European settlement, Native Americans were exploring Michigan's waterways in birch-bark and dugout canoes., Before settlers drained the land for agriculture, the River Raisin's flow was higher and more stable, which made it navigable far into its upper reaches. To travel between rivers. Native Americans would portage, or carry their canoes overland to the next suitable launching site. The River Raisin and the Huron River were important connections from Lake Erie to the Grand, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph Rivers, all of which lead eventually to the shores of Lake Michigan on the other side of the peninsula., The Riparian Zone , Sharon Mills is located near the riparian zone of the River-Raisin. The term riparian zone is used to describe the land immediately adjacent to a river or stream where land and water ecosystems collide. Ecologists call this type of transitional area an ecotone., The riparian zone usually contains the river's floodplain or the land around that floods seasonally after heavy rains Riparian zones are places of constant change, sometimes flooded and sometimes dry: The plants that grow here are adapted to changing water levels., Riparian zones, are important for many reasons: , Clean water. Plants in the riparian zone provide a buffer between the steam and adjacent urban or agricultural areas, slowing and filtering runoff that may contain pollutants., Wildlife hoblot. The riparian land provides three resources that animals need to survive cover (a place to hide), food, and water. Many animals also use the stream auricular as a route to travel from place to place., High habitat thees leaning over the stream cool the water, making it better habitation fish. Leaves and twigs that fall off leaning riverside entree a food source for the stream-insects that some fish eat., Kroston control, Tress and shrubs help hold soil on riverbanks, reducing the amount of sediment that enters the stream., Flood Control, Plants in the floodplain can help slow and absorb Floodwaters before they reach higher ground., Riparian vegetation , The picture on the right shows what an undisturbed riparian zone looks like. However, many riverside areas have been altered by human activity. Dams on the River Raisin have made it flood less often. The riverbank was cleared in some areas. The woods along the back of the picnic area at Sharon Mills are the best example of riparian vegetation in the Park., To see more floodplain forests, visit Parker Mill County Park or Lower Huron Metropark., Wildlife of the Riparian Zone , Great Blue Heron , Ardea herodias , The Great Blue Heron is a large, blue-grey water bird with a yellowish bill and six-foot wingspan. It nests in trees near rivers, lakes, and ponds. Frogs, fish, insects, and small mammals are a heron's favorite foods, which it stalks slowly, then spears with its sharp beak. Its call is a harsh squawk. Herons are easy to identify in the air, because they fly with their necks crooked in a "U" shape., Yellow Warbler , Dendroica petechia , The Yellow Warbler is a small song bird. bright yellow with a light olive green tinge on its back. The male has fine rusty streaks on his breast." Its, song' is a musical "sweet-sweet-sweet, sweeter. than sweet" The Yellow Warbler mi grates long distances each year from the tropics to the north. This species, is threatened by loss of riparian habitat and by Cowbirds, who, lay eggs in Yellow Warbler nests., White Tailed Deer , Odacoileus virginiana , The White-Tailed Deer is the largest animal usually seen near human settlement. Its coat is brown, with a white belly, throat, nose band, eye ring, underside of tail and inside of ears. It is a swift runner, attaining speeds up to 36 mph. Deer eat green plants in the summer; acorns, beechnuts, and corn in the fall; and in winter eat tree twigs and buds. When alarmed, it shows the white underside of its fail as a warning to either deer. Once deer were hunted by predators such as wolves and mountain lions; today, their main predators are human hunters., Common Muskrat , Ondatra zibethicus , An excellent swimmer, this aquatic rodent spends much of its time in water. Its fur is sleek and waterproof, Muskrats live in lodges.constructed out of branches, similar to but smaller than beaver lodges; they also tunnel into riverbanks to construct their dens: Lodges and deeps usually have underwater entrances to protect the muskrat from predators. The Common Muskrat. eats mostly aquatic vegetation, such as cattails, sedge, rushes, water lilies, and point weeds, along with some terrestrial plants. In some areas, this animal eats freshwater clams, along with crayfish, frogs, and fish. Muskrats were hunted extensively in the last century for their waterproof pelts; their meat, sold as "marsh rabbit," was also eaten., Painted Turtle , Chrysemys picta , A small-turtle with an olive or black patterned shell and yellow and red stripes on neck, legs, and tail. Painted turtles like slow-moving streams with plenty of logs to bask-on. Young turtles are carnivorous, eating insects and other small creatures; older Painted, Turtles eat mainly plants.