Numerous streams drain the swamps and uplands forests along this upper Lake Huron coastal area. High-quality fens are common along the northeastern Michigan shoreline of Lake Huron.  Large areas of state land and undeveloped private lands provide a variety of natural habitats for many species of flora and fauna.  Unlike other parts of the state where the primary and sometimes only ecological corridors are narrow riparian zones along rivers, coastal ecological corridors cut wide swaths through the Huron Greenways. 

Two large water bodies, Grand and Long Lakes, have  glacial origins different than the numerous kettle lakes found further inland.  Acting like large bulldozers, the glaciers broke apart the level sedimentary bedrock and scoured out the long linear lake basins we know today.  The linear orientation of these lakes is similar to the drumlins found near Onaway. 

Several larger rivers, that drain hundreds of square miles of interior Michigan, pierce through these narrow coastal watersheds and empty into Lake Michigan.  The Cheboygan River, Ocqueoc River, Thunder Bay River, and Pine River systems form critical ecological corridors; linking coastal areas to interior Michigan by water, wetlands and riparian forests. 

Northeast Michigan river scene

Poorly drained, lowland areas support northern white cedar, tamarack, balsam fir, black spruce, eastern hemlock, white pine, balsam poplar, trembling aspen, paper birch, black ash, speckled alder and shrub willows.  Northern white cedar dominates the wetland areas where there is good lateral water movement and areas where a thin mantel of calcareous soil covers limestone bedrock. 

Squaw Bay, Grass Bay and Duncan Bay are excellent examples of coastal marshes.   The open wetlands support plants such as rushes, bulrushes, sedges, cattails, and willow shrubs.  In the narrow wetlands on the landward side of the low dunes, carnivorous plants such as the pitcher plant and sundews, survive in the fluctuating water levels.  High quality fens are common along the coastal areas of Lake Huron.
 

Click on the map for an enlargement. Use the BACK gadget of your browser to return here. Pitcher Plant

Click on the map for an enlargement. Use the BACK gadget of your browser to return here. Fall leaves

The glacial landforms (materials deposited by continental glaciers) or surface geology developed 10,000 to 12,000 years ago through continental glacial activity.  Numerous advances and retreats by the glaciers resulted in complex patterns of erosion and deposition.  The sand plains, vast swamps, dune and swale complexes, rolling hills, peat bogs and inland marshes were all formed by glacial and post glacial activity. Large peat deposits can be found in northeastern Cheboygan County.  Areas once mined for peat are being converted to raise cranberries.

Along the shoreline is a three to eighteen mile wide band of a sand lake plain.  The sandy plains were formed along the edges of large glacial lakes created by the melting continental glaciers towards the end of the Wisconsin glacial period.  The dune and swale complexes are a series of alternating old beach ridges and linear depressions that parallel the Lake Huron shoreline.  Near the lake shore the ridges are covered with oak, pine and aspen while lowland conifers and brush can be found growing in the wet depressions.  Further inland the depressions become better drained and support upland plants.  The dune and swale complexes can be found in several places along the Huron Greenways, east of Cheboygan, Hammond Bay, and Negwagon State Park.