Stephen's Gulch Conservation Area

Stephen's Gulch Conservation Area
Location	Clarington, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates	43°57′55.8″N 78°40′31.3″W
Area	354 acres
Governing body	Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority

Stephen's Gulch is a conservation area located in the municipality of Clarington, Ontario. The conservation area borders a large section of the Soper Creek, and contains 354 acres of deciduous forests as well as coniferous forests and swamps. The conservation area is also an important watershed area for Ontario.

History

Administration and management

The Stephen's Gulch conservation area is under the administration of the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority who are responsible for a variety of watershed services as well as upkeep of Stephen's Gulch.

Climate

Stephen's Gulch has a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and hot summers. During winters temperatures can drop below -10 °C and can exceed 20 °C during summers. Rainfall averages 1093 mm per year, with late summer/early fall being the wettest months and winter the driest.

Stephens Gulch Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     91     −8 −13     85     −6 −12     38     2 −6     113     14 −2     77     19 5     122     26 12     107     24 15     82     24 15     113     21 11     133     12 4     53     6 −2     79     −5 −9 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.6     18 9     3.3     21 10     1.5     36 21     4.4     57 28     3     66 41     4.8     79 54     4.2     75 59     3.2     75 59     4.4     70 52     5.2     54 39     2.1     43 28     3.1     23 16 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Geology and soils

Stephen's Gulch is mostly underlain by the Precambrian-era metamorphic and igneous rock of the Canadian Shield. Soils in the conservation area are mostly fine and high-quality, and average high levels of infiltration.

Flora and Fauna

There are a wide variety of animals that live in Stephen's Gulch, including 46 species of birds and 13 species of mammals. Animals that inhabit Stephen's Gulch include White-tailed deer, Red Foxes, Black-capped chickadees, and Pileated woodpeckers.

Old growth balsam firs, black pines, and white ash are common in the conservation area.