The Lake Huron Centre For Coastal Conservation
Advocating Wise Stewardship of Lake Huron's Coastal Ecosystems
Coastal Processes
Coastal processes like water level fluctuations, flooding, erosion, coastal wetland processes, and beach and dune systems, are vital to the ecology of Lake Huron.
It is important to understand these processes in the context of the coastal ecosystem so that we don't harm the lakeshore environment through unwise actions. Through education, research, community stewardship and its technical advisory service, the Coastal Centre helps individuals, community groups and municipalities work with the coastal environment to minimize their impact.
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Beaches and Dunes
Coastal Dune systems are considered to be among the most fragile ecological features in North America. Great Lakes dune systems in Ontario, due to their extreme rarity and ecological fragility, have been suggested to be of national significance. |
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Bluff Conservation - Vegetation Management
Owners of bluff properties have many questions about site development, erosion control, view clearing and beach access. Often, these questions are asked too late. |
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Coastal Wetlands
Coastal wetlands are critical ecosystems that are tied closely to, and dependent upon, water level fluctuations for optimum function. They provide important habitat for fish and wildlife, and provide a water purification role that helps to filter pollutants washing off the land from reaching the lake. |
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Water Levels
Water levels on Lake Huron are always changing. They can change within a few hours (short-term changes) in response to a storm system, undergo seasonal changes in response to higher evaporation rates in the late fall, winter and spring, and higher precipitation and melting snow-pack in spring, to long-term changes that can see Lake Huron fluctuate within a range of about two metres between highs and lows. |
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Previous page: Working Toward Clarity
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The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation P.O. Box 178, Blyth, Ontario, Canada N0M 1H0 Phone: (519) 523-4478 Email: coastalcentre@lakehuron.on.ca |
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