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Notable Mid-Atlantic Wetland Site - Presque Isle, Pennsylvania

Aerial view of Presque Isle. Credit: Pennsylvania Dept. of Env'l Protection

Emergent wetland at Presque Isle. Credit: Pennsylvania Dept. of Env'l Protection

Presque Isle is a sandy peninsula that curves away from Pennsylvania's Lake Erie coast and is continually pushed eastward by wave and wind action. The peninsula was created by a moraine (a collection of gravel, sand, and clay) left behind by the last continental glaciation.

The isle hosts 6 ecological zones:

  1. old marshes and ponds
  2. ridges and dunes
  3. the Lake Erie shoreline
  4. new ponds and sand plains
  5. sub-climax and thicket forests, and
  6. climax forests

Presque Isle is an important resting spot for migratory birds traveling along the Atlantic Flyway Exit EPA Click for Disclaimer, including 45 species of special concern. Its variety of habitats, swimming beaches, hiking trails, and birdwatching opportunities make Presque Isle State Park Exit EPA Click for Disclaimerthe most heavily visited state park in Pennsylvania.

Additional Information:
Characteristic Wetland Types for the Mid-Atlantic Region
Notable Wetland Sites in the Mid-Atlantic Region

 

 

 

Mid-Atlantic Region || Mid-Atlantic Env'l Assessment & Innovation || Mid-Atlantic Wetlands

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