{"id":18351,"date":"2014-11-22T07:00:55","date_gmt":"2014-11-22T12:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/inbox\/?p=18351"},"modified":"2014-11-21T14:14:11","modified_gmt":"2014-11-21T19:14:11","slug":"conservation-group-buying-unusual-ottawa-valley-cave-complex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/inbox\/2014\/11\/22\/conservation-group-buying-unusual-ottawa-valley-cave-complex\/","title":{"rendered":"Conservation group buying unusual Ottawa Valley cave complex"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Channel<\/a>

Channel spring Gervais Property. Photo by: Daniel Brunton for Nature Conservancy Canada, used by permission<\/p><\/div>\n

Nature Conservancy Canada<\/a> (NCC) is negotiating the purchase of a 75-acre property with most of the entrances to the Gervais Caves,\u00a0located near\u00a0Westmeath, Ontario, about 90 miles west of Ottawa. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Gervais Caves are said to be among the longest underwater cave systems in Canada (see more on that below).<\/span><\/p>\n

From the NCC’s webpage on the project<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Beneath the surface of the Ottawa River lies a subterranean wonderland seldom seen by the human eye \u2013 the Ottawa River Caves. The labyrinth measures over 10 kilometres in length under several islands throughout the Ottawa River, and includes a four kilometre section on the Ontario side of the river known as the Gervais Caves.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Small<\/a>

Small pool in the forest after high water. Image courtesy of Nature Conservancy Canada<\/p><\/div>\n

Additional funds are still being raised to complete the purchase, which is ranked as a high priority by the organization.<\/p>\n

The most important features of the property are the karst landscape and sinkholes associated with the Gervais property. Karst landforms are an important variant of landforms created by flowing water. Water is routed underground via solutional cave systems instead of flowing at the surface in normal river channels.<\/p>\n

At least 13 of these sinkholes are connected to the Ottawa River through this extensive network of underwater caverns. Fish such as sturgeon, walleye and smallmouth bass can be found hiding in the nooks of the caves.<\/p>\n

Above ground, the Gervais property is just as impressive. This site is full of life \u2013 home to over 135 native vascular plant species and a number of at-risk plant species, including the endangered butternut tree, the provincially-rare Hooker\u2019s orchid, regionally-rare moonseed and Hitchcock\u2019s sedge. The mature forest features exceptionally large examples of Eastern white cedar, including two trees over 90 centimetres in diameter that are many centuries old.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Ottawa<\/a>

Ottawa River shoreline showing limestone rock in which the caves have formed. Image courtesy of Nature Conservancy Canada<\/p><\/div>\n

Ottawa Citizen science reporter Tom Spears\u00a0had more to say about the caves and the fish population within<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Their\u00a0passages range\u00a0from one to 38 metres wide. There\u2019s no vegetation in the dark caves, but\u00a0clams, crayfish, eels and sturgeon\u00a0move in and out from the river.<\/p>\n

Veteran cave diver David Sawatzky told a Citizen reporter several years ago\u00a0about being ambushed by a\u00a0school\u00a0of pike during one zero-visibility dive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some fairly aggressive fish in the Ottawa River, and they\u2019re in the caves as well. It\u2019s like being punched,\u201d he said. \u201cSome of the larger fish hit very hard, so I got punched a few times by fish. When one hit my hand, I didn\u2019t let go\u00a0(of the rope).\u00a0I sort of expected it might be coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

The caves aren\u2019t for amateur explorers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are pretty treacherous and completely flooded. It\u2019s not like a system that you can walk into,\u201d said Gary Bell of the\u00a0Nature Conservancy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Pretty on the surface. Spooky down below: two layers of murky caves – with attack fish. It’s great they’ll be preserved and I’m content to learn about them from others.<\/p>\n

———-<\/p>\n

Footnote: This list<\/a>\u00a0of underwater caves calls the Gervais caves the second longest in Canada.\u00a0Yet another<\/a>\u00a0ranks it at number 13. Perhaps it depends on qualifying definitions?<\/p>\n

Here’s another site with an array of info and photos on\u00a0Caves of Ontario<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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