Al Sabo Preserve
Encyclopedia
Al Sabo Preserve is an area of northeastern Texas Township
, in southwestern Kalamazoo County, Michigan
. It comprises 741 acres (3 km²) of marsh
, forest
, stream
s, and rolling hills. Numerous trails http://www.texastownship.org/Images/AlSaboMapColor.jpg provide recreational opportunities throughout the Preserve.
to the north, Texas Drive to the south, 12th Street to the east, and Kalamazoo Valley Community College
at 9th Street and O Ave to the west. Atwater Millpond lies at the northeast corner of the Al Sabo Preserve, fed by the west branch of Portage Creek, which flows through Al Sabo Preserve, and forms a tributary for the Kalamazoo River
. Camp Rota-Kiwan Boy Scout
camp lies at the southwest corner of Al Sabo Preserve. Hiking
trails cross this boundary.
Access to the Al Sabo Preserve is gained through an entrance on Texas Drive, near the intersection of Texas and 10th Avenue. A parking lot for Al Sabo Preserve is located next to the Texas Drive entrance to Camp Rota-Kiwan. Foot trails lead into Al Sabo Preserve from the Rota-Kiwan Boy Scout Camp, and from the campus of Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
is a popular activity in Al Sabo Preservehttp://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1729231&lastnode_id=0. Over two thirds of the trails were closed to cycling as a result of a dispute over land use, seven miles (11 km) remain open. These trails include Moab, Atwater, Lookout, and Mandala.
Two boardwalks are present (but not easy to find) in Al Sabo Preserve, providing access to the water from the hiking trails above. In addition, numerous overlooks provide panoramic views of the Preserve, particularly in the winter and spring.
, goose
, and swan
. Sandhill crane
s nest in the preserve. Muskrat
and perhaps beaver
http://www.kalamazooriver.net/pa319new/nat_feat/nfi3.htm occasionally create dams on Portage Creek, causing flooding upstream in the spring, and inundation of the Atwater Millpond shoreline when cleared. Deer
, fox
, coyote
, raccoon
s, squirrel
s, and other mammal
s reside in the area. Fish
include bass
, bluegill
, perch
, and crappie
. Soft-shell, snapping
, and other turtle
species populate the area, laying egg
s near the sandy road that bisects the preserve.
A large painted mural of the surrounding wetlands is on one of the interior walls of the preserve's main pump house.
In 1992 the preserve was closed due to a land use dispute between cyclists and hikers represented by the Sierra Club. The preserve was re-opened in 1993.
The City of Kalamazoo, Michigan uses the watershed containing the Al Sabo Preserve as part of the municipal water supply.http://www.texastownship.org/ParksRecreation/Al%20Sabo%20Land%20Preserve.htm A water quality studyhttp://www.kalamazooriver.net/pa319new/wfork/wforkwq.htm resulted in a Watershed Management Plan, approved on February 10, 2006.http://www.kalamazooriver.net/pa319new/index.htm
On April 26, 2006, a wildfirehttp://www.texastownship.org/fire/Responses.aspx?ID=45 in Al Sabo Preserve burned approximately two acres of woods near the Lookout Trail overlook. It was successfully extinguished by crews from the Texas Township, Oshtemo
, and Mattawan
fire department
s.
Texas Charter Township, Michigan
Texas Charter Township, officially named the Charter Township of Texas, is a charter township of Kalamazoo County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 10,919...
, in southwestern Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
-Air Service:*The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.-Interstates:* I-94* I-94 Business Loop-US highways:* US-131* BUS US 131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-43* M-89* M-96...
. It comprises 741 acres (3 km²) of marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
, forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
s, and rolling hills. Numerous trails http://www.texastownship.org/Images/AlSaboMapColor.jpg provide recreational opportunities throughout the Preserve.
Location and access
Al Sabo Preserve is located between Interstate 94Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
to the north, Texas Drive to the south, 12th Street to the east, and Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
-History:The community college district was established by voters in 1966, enrolled its first students in the fall of 1968, and currently enrolls more than 13,500 students. With the selection of Marilyn J...
at 9th Street and O Ave to the west. Atwater Millpond lies at the northeast corner of the Al Sabo Preserve, fed by the west branch of Portage Creek, which flows through Al Sabo Preserve, and forms a tributary for the Kalamazoo River
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch...
. Camp Rota-Kiwan Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
camp lies at the southwest corner of Al Sabo Preserve. Hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails cross this boundary.
Access to the Al Sabo Preserve is gained through an entrance on Texas Drive, near the intersection of Texas and 10th Avenue. A parking lot for Al Sabo Preserve is located next to the Texas Drive entrance to Camp Rota-Kiwan. Foot trails lead into Al Sabo Preserve from the Rota-Kiwan Boy Scout Camp, and from the campus of Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
Recreation
Mountain bikingMountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
is a popular activity in Al Sabo Preservehttp://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1729231&lastnode_id=0. Over two thirds of the trails were closed to cycling as a result of a dispute over land use, seven miles (11 km) remain open. These trails include Moab, Atwater, Lookout, and Mandala.
Two boardwalks are present (but not easy to find) in Al Sabo Preserve, providing access to the water from the hiking trails above. In addition, numerous overlooks provide panoramic views of the Preserve, particularly in the winter and spring.
Wildlife
Wildlife abounds in Al Sabo Preserve. Bird species include many types of duckDuck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
, goose
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
, and swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
. Sandhill crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
s nest in the preserve. Muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
and perhaps beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
http://www.kalamazooriver.net/pa319new/nat_feat/nfi3.htm occasionally create dams on Portage Creek, causing flooding upstream in the spring, and inundation of the Atwater Millpond shoreline when cleared. Deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s, and other mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s reside in the area. Fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
include bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, and crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
. Soft-shell, snapping
Chelydridae
Chelydridae is a family of turtles which has seven extinct and two extant genera. The extant genera are Chelydra the snapping turtles, and its larger relative Macrochelys, of which the Alligator Snapping Turtle is the only species. Both are endemic to the Western Hemisphere...
, and other turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
species populate the area, laying egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s near the sandy road that bisects the preserve.
History
The Preserve was established in 1971, and named after Albert Sabo, who had been Director of the City of Kalamazoo's Utilities Department for 15 years until 1969.A large painted mural of the surrounding wetlands is on one of the interior walls of the preserve's main pump house.
In 1992 the preserve was closed due to a land use dispute between cyclists and hikers represented by the Sierra Club. The preserve was re-opened in 1993.
The City of Kalamazoo, Michigan uses the watershed containing the Al Sabo Preserve as part of the municipal water supply.http://www.texastownship.org/ParksRecreation/Al%20Sabo%20Land%20Preserve.htm A water quality studyhttp://www.kalamazooriver.net/pa319new/wfork/wforkwq.htm resulted in a Watershed Management Plan, approved on February 10, 2006.http://www.kalamazooriver.net/pa319new/index.htm
On April 26, 2006, a wildfirehttp://www.texastownship.org/fire/Responses.aspx?ID=45 in Al Sabo Preserve burned approximately two acres of woods near the Lookout Trail overlook. It was successfully extinguished by crews from the Texas Township, Oshtemo
Oshtemo Township, Michigan
Oshtemo Charter Township is a charter township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 17,003 at the 2000 census...
, and Mattawan
Mattawan, Michigan
Mattawan is a village suburb of Kalamazoo, in Antwerp Township, Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,536.-History:...
fire department
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
s.
