by Dr. Joe Shorthouse
WAGG’S WOOD—Spring run-off was still in full force across much of Manitoulin Island when this photo was taken of the creek that runs through Wagg’s Wood in Mindemoya, across from the municipal office and library. The creek was at its highest level with its crystal clear waters filtered by habitats to the east.
The stream bed is lined with pieces of flat, fossil-rich limestone rock and is found at the base of a section of the Niagara escarpment. The stream then flows northwest from here, under Highway 542 and then appears again near the museum on Highway 551 next to Mum’s Restaurant. It then makes its way to Mindemoya Lake.
The stream drops over several small waterfalls near the museum which oxygenates the water before it enters Mindemoya Lake, to the benefit of fish. Banks of the stream near Highway 551 are graced with daffodils, likely escaped from a nearby garden.
The stream is temporary and the bed in Wagg’s Wood is now dry until next spring. The banks and bed of the stream will support a rich selection of ferns and wildflowers for the rest of the summer.
