Mer Bleue Conservation Area - Hydrological Values

Hydrological Values

Mer Bleue drains both westward into Green's Creek and eastward into Bear Brook. Drainage was formerly through small creeks, which now have been modified through a series of ditches dug in the late 19th century. These ditches are no longer functioning efficiently due to the many beaver ponds which started up in the late 1950s. As in a typical bog, the water level is at or near the surface for most of the year. Much of the bog is surrounded by the "lagg" which is basically a moat of standing or slow flowing water found between the outer perimeter of the bog and the land. Flooding is controlled naturally through beaver dams and the ability of sphagnum to absorb large amounts of water.

The bog receives most of its water in the form of atmospheric precipitation. Flow velocities of ground and surface waters are very low given the impermeability of the underlying clay soils, the absorption qualities of Sphagnum and the presence of numerous beaver dams. Shoreline stabilization is not a significant concern as the impact of water on the ridges is minimal and most of the land is relatively flat.