Mianus River Gorge
Encyclopedia
The Mianus River Gorge is a 755 acres (3.1 km²) nature preserve jointly owned by the Nature Conservancy and the Mianus River Gorge Preserve. It is located in Bedford, New York
. The first 60 acre (0.2428116 km²) were purchased by the Preserve, with help from the Conservancy, their first land preservation deal. It has grown over the years and is still managed by the Preserve. In March 1964, it was designated a National Natural Landmark
for its old growth climax
hemlock
forest and the gorge of the Mianus River
.
In 1990, 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) were donated as part of a development deal
In 2007, the Conservancy purchased 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) of adjacent wetlands to protect the gorge and its watershed.
formation, carved by streams as the glacier retreated. It contains several types of bedrock including Bedford Augen Gneiss (an igneous intrusion
from the Late Devonian period), Hartland Schist, Precambrian and Cambrian gneiss and quartzite. Cameron's Line
passes through the preserve.
The old Hobby Hill pegmatite
quarry is located in the northern section of the preserve. The Havenmeyer Falls is also part of the preserve.
population via limited bow hunting. They did so decrease the risk of excessive deer populations causing damage to the vegetation. They believed that very small scale reductions could effectively manage the population without adversely affecting neighboring populations due to the rose petal hypothesis of deer populations.
There are numerous species of trees, shrubs, vine, herbs, and ferns.
Bedford (town), New York
Bedford is a town in Westchester County, New York, USA. The population was 17,335 at the 2010 census.The Town of Bedford is located in the northeastern part of Westchester County, and contains the three hamlets of Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah...
. The first 60 acre (0.2428116 km²) were purchased by the Preserve, with help from the Conservancy, their first land preservation deal. It has grown over the years and is still managed by the Preserve. In March 1964, it was designated a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
for its old growth climax
Climax community
In ecology, a climax community, or climatic climax community, is a biological community of plants and animals which, through the process of ecological succession — the development of vegetation in an area over time — has reached a steady state. This equilibrium occurs because the climax community...
hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
forest and the gorge of the Mianus River
Mianus River
The Mianus River is a river in Westchester County, New York and Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the United States. It begins in the town of North Castle, New York in a series of ponds at about altitude...
.
History
In 1954, Gloria and Anthony Anable reached out for help from Conservancy which pledged $7500 to help purchase 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) of land in the gorge, its first land preservation purchase.In 1990, 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) were donated as part of a development deal
In 2007, the Conservancy purchased 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) of adjacent wetlands to protect the gorge and its watershed.
Geology
The gorge is a periglacialPeriglacial
Periglacial is an adjective originally referring to places in the edges of glacial areas, but it has later been widely used in geomorphology to describe any place where geomorphic processes related to freezing of water occur...
formation, carved by streams as the glacier retreated. It contains several types of bedrock including Bedford Augen Gneiss (an igneous intrusion
Intrusion
An intrusion is liquid rock that forms under Earth's surface. Magma from under the surface is slowly pushed up from deep within the earth into any cracks or spaces it can find, sometimes pushing existing country rock out of the way, a process that can take millions of years. As the rock slowly...
from the Late Devonian period), Hartland Schist, Precambrian and Cambrian gneiss and quartzite. Cameron's Line
Cameron's Line
Cameron's Line is a Ordovician suture fault in the northeast United States which formed as part of the continental collision known as the Taconic orogeny around 450 mya. Named after Eugene N. Cameron, who first described it in the 1950s, it ties together the North American continental craton, the...
passes through the preserve.
The old Hobby Hill pegmatite
Pegmatite
A pegmatite is a very crystalline, intrusive igneous rock composed of interlocking crystals usually larger than 2.5 cm in size; such rocks are referred to as pegmatitic....
quarry is located in the northern section of the preserve. The Havenmeyer Falls is also part of the preserve.
Wildlife and vegetation
In 2003, the Preserve began to manage its deerDeer
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...
population via limited bow hunting. They did so decrease the risk of excessive deer populations causing damage to the vegetation. They believed that very small scale reductions could effectively manage the population without adversely affecting neighboring populations due to the rose petal hypothesis of deer populations.
There are numerous species of trees, shrubs, vine, herbs, and ferns.