Stephen's Gulch Conservation Area
Map
LocationClarington, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates43°57′58″N 78°40′43″W / 43.96611°N 78.67861°W / 43.96611; -78.67861[1]
Area354 acres (143 ha)
Governing bodyCentral Lake Ontario Conservation Authority

Stephen's Gulch is a conservation area located in the municipality of Clarington, Ontario, Canada. The conservation area borders a large section of the Soper Creek, and contains 354 acres (143 ha) of deciduous forests as well as coniferous forests and swamps.[2] The conservation area is also an important watershed area for Ontario.

History

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Administration and management

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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.[3]

Climate

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Stephen's Gulch has a humid continental climate[4] with long, cold winters and hot summers. During winters temperatures can drop below −10 °C (14 °F) and can exceed 20 °C (68 °F) during summers.[5] Rainfall averages 1,093 mm (43.0 in) per year, with late summer/early fall being the wettest months and winter the driest.

Stephens Gulch
Climate chart (explanation)
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91
 
 
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [5]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
3.6
 
 
18
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70
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54
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2.1
 
 
43
28
 
 
3.1
 
 
23
16
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches

Geology and soils

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Stephen's Gulch is mostly underlain by the Precambrian-era metamorphic and igneous rock of the Canadian Shield.[6] Soils in the conservation area are mostly fine and high-quality, and average high levels of infiltration.[7]

Flora and fauna

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There are a wide variety of animals that live in Stephen's Gulch, including 46 species of birds and 13 species of mammals.[8] 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.

References

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  1. ^ "Stephen's Gulch Conservation Area". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Stephen's Gulch | Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority" Archived 26 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine www.cloca.com. Retrieved 15 December 2020
  3. ^ "Conservation Areas | Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority" Archived 1 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine.www.cloca.com. Accessed 15 December 2020
  4. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (11 October 2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification". Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  5. ^ a b NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index. NASA.
  6. ^ Earthfx Inc. 2006. Groundwater Modelling Of The Oak Ridges Moraine Area. Prepared for the York Peel Durham Toronto (YPDT) Groundwater Management Study and the Conservation Authorities Moraine Coalition (CAMC). CAMC/YPDT Technical Report #01-06. February.
  7. ^ "BOWMANVILLE/SOPER CREEK WATERSHED EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT CHAPTER 6-PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY." www.cloca.ca. Accessed 15 December 2020
  8. ^ "Home". cloca.ca. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.