Erie Marsh Preserve
Erie Marsh Preserve
© TNC/Patrick Doran
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Why You Should Visit
Erie Marsh represents 11% of the remaining marshland in southeastern Michigan and is one of the largest marshes on Lake Erie. It supports numerous animals and plants that would otherwise be hard-pressed to find suitable habitat. The most significant feature of this area is its role as a migratory and nesting area for shorebirds, waterfowl, landbirds, and in the fall, raptors. It also harbors some of Michigan’s few remaining colonies of American lotus, and swamp rose-mallow, both of which are listed as state-threatened.
Listen to or read about Erie Marsh from michigannow.org
Location
Monroe County, Lower Peninsula
Hours
For safety reasons, the preserve is closed from September 1 through December 31 each year during waterfowl hunting season.
Conditions
Many dabbling ducks, shorebirds, and marsh-loving songbirds can be seen in March and early April as they rest and refuel on their way to northern breeding grounds for the summer. They will return to this site in the fall on their way back to their Latin American and Caribbean winter homes. The marsh also provides a summer range for the great egret, great blue heron and black-crowned night heron. Dress warmly for spring visits to this preserve as the wind coming off Lake Erie can be brutally cold. Be prepared for muddy and uneven terrain walking along the series of dikes. Be sure to bring along binoculars or a spotting scope if you have one. Closure of certain trails is possible during eagle nesting periods, therefore watch for posted closure signs.
How to Prepare for Your Visit
Please see "Preserve Visitation Guidelines"
Directions
From Monroe, Michigan:
- Take I-75 south of Monroe, to Exit 2 (Summit Road).
- Head southeast on Summit Road approximately one half-mile to the first place on the left where you can execute a U-turn to head north.
- Make the U-turn to head north on Summit Road.
- Follow Summit 0.2 miles to Bay Creek Road, turn right (northeast) on Bay Creek and follow it 0.8 miles to Dean Road.
- Dean Road will be the first road on the right. Turn right (east) on Dean and follow it until you see the Erie Shooting and Fishing Club cottages.
- Park here and head north on the trail to access the dike area trails.
What to See: Plants
- Great Lakes Marsh, Lake Erie-St. Clair Lakeplain Marsh: An herbaceous wetland community restricted to the shoreline of the Great Lakes and their major connecting rivers. Lake Erie sites enjoy the most moderate climate of the Great Lakes region. As a result, the emergent marshes and wet meadows of both Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair feature a relatively southern flora with a high proportion of disturbance species.
- American Lotus: Habitats include marshes, quiet backwaters and near-shore areas, and large rivers near the Great Lakes.
- Swamp Rose-mallow: Habitats include emergent marshes and adjacent disturbed ground, including inundated margins of agricultural fields and wet ditches.
What to See: Animals
- Black-crowned Night Heron: Adults are easily identified by their black cap, upper back, and scapulars, gray wings, rump, and tail, and white to pale gray under parts. The bill is stout and black, eyes are red, and legs are yellow-green for most of the year, but pink during the height of the breeding season. The best known vocalization is its ‘Quawk’. call, most often given at night while in flight or from a perch.
- Great Blue Heron: Mostly seen wading in shallow water in marshes, ponds and along lakeshores and stream edges, these large, grayish-blue birds are sometimes confused with the sandhill crane; the heron is smaller and flies with its neck folded back, while cranes fly with their neck extended. Herons feed on fish, frogs, and other small animals, captured by a quick jab of the beak.
Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
The Nature Conservancy received the donation of Erie Marsh from the Ottawa Bay Development Company in 1978. It supports numerous animals and plants that would otherwise be hard-pressed to find suitable habitat.
What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Conservancy works with the Erie Shooting and Fishing Club to manage the site to continue to protect its wetland values. The Club has managed a portion of the property for more than a century. As part of the terms of the donation, the Club leases the site from the Conservancy for waterfowl hunting in the fall and continues to own the cottages at the southern end of the preserve.
Sources of information include MNFI and MDNR.
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