Grand River and Carolinian Forest
With 87 kilometres of Lake Erie waterfront and the heritage Grand River running through the municipality, Haldimand is home to abundant forests and water assets. The Carolinian Forests are a unique eco-zone in Canada with more endangered and rare species than any other life zone in Canada.
The Carolinian Forest
Haldimand County is located in the Carolinian Life Zone. In Canada, this is found only in southern Ontario within a band of territory along the northern shore of Lake Erie. It contains many species and communities of plants and animals found nowhere else in Canada. Southern Ontario represents the northernmost edge of the Carolinian Life Zone. Many species found within this zone in Canada are consequently at the extreme northern end of their range.
This extremity of range and the small size of the Carolinian Life Zone in Canada mean that many of the Carolinian species found in Canada are considered nationally uncommon or rare.
The Carolinian Forests consist of deciduous trees including broad-leaf species such as oak, hickory, ash, chestnut, walnut, maple, sassafras, tulip and beech.
The Grand River
The Grand River most definitely lives up to its name. Bordered by the area’s Carolinian forest it contains 80 different species of fish. In fact, over half of the fish species in Canada can be found in the Grand River watershed. The diversity in the structure of the river varies greatly from place to place.
The heritage river spans 280 km, providing many options for both novice and expert anglers. During times of regular flow, fly fishermen can wade clear across the river along the stretch from Caledonia to York. The river deepens and widens from Cayuga to the Dunnville dam and south of the Dunnville dam to Port Maitland making it more suitable for powerboats. When fishing the Grand River, one of the best parts is the fact that you’re never quite sure what species you’re going to get. While targeting channel catfish you may pull out a trophy walleye instead!
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