Misplaced Pages

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27-498: WV 150 is designated as the parkway portion of the Highland Scenic Highway. Dedicated in 1980, the road is specially designed to be a scenic byway with a meandering course along mountain ridges that reach an elevation of 4,545 feet (1,385 m). Due to these geographical conditions, the road is not maintained in the winter months. (Access is not prevented during the winter, however.) Furthermore, commercial traffic

54-482: A cover of sphagnum moss, bird-wheat moss , bog moss and reindeer lichen . Hummocks of these plants reach a height of 3 feet (0.91 m). Over top of these grow prostrate cranberry vines that bloom pink flowers in the summer, fruiting in late September. Most tree species occur in the "bog forest" habitat, which is composed primarily of a mixture of red spruce , eastern (or Canada) hemlock , yellow birch and red maple . The upland forests immediately surrounding

81-499: A destructive forest fire that left the area barren for decades. The parkway also provides access to recreational areas along the Williams River and to several different trails with varying degrees of difficulty. The road is not plowed during the winter and commonly sees significant snow accumulations at its high elevation. It is frequently used for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing in these conditions. The entire route

108-412: A mean annual discharge of 233.6 cu ft/s (6.61 m /s) during water years 1945-2019. The highest annual mean discharge during the period was 318 cu ft/s (9.0 m /s) in water year 1979, and the lowest was 126.2 cu ft/s (3.57 m /s) in water year 1999. The highest daily mean discharge during that period was 6,770 cu ft/s (192 m /s) on March 21, 1984, and

135-457: Is a layer of algal ooze, underlain by marl . Since a limestone source in the surrounding rocks is indicated, an ample source appears to be present in the underlying Hinton Formation, a circumstance that also has significant implications for the Glades' flora. The area is not entirely a glade, but a bog or wetland covered with all sorts of decaying vegetation. The peat and decaying organic matter

162-665: Is an uncommon evergreen shrub that was historically reported as abundant in the area. Nearby Yew Creek is presumably named for this species, as may be the broader Yew Mountains region in which the Glades are located. Browsing deer have reduced the number of Canada yew to such an extent that it is found only in scattered locations throughout its central Appalachian range. Many herbs with primarily northern distributions occur here, including oak fern , pod grass , Canada mayflower , mountain bindweed , marsh marigold , goldthread , swamp saxifrage , white wood sorrel , northern white violet , Jacob's ladder and buckbean . Jacob's ladder

189-492: Is at its southernmost location. Grasses and sedges found here include blue joint , drooping wood reed grass , millet grass , rattlesnake mannagrass , interior sedge , and Fraser's sedge . Wild lilies in the Glades include yellow clintonia and white hellebore . Orchids include rose pogonia , lesser rattlesnake plantain , northern coralroot , and grass-pink orchid that are in full bloom in July. Northern (or early) coralroot

216-569: Is in Pocahontas County . This West Virginia road or road transport-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cranberry Glades Botanical Area Cranberry Glades —also known simply as The Glades —are a cluster of five small, boreal -type bogs in southwestern Pocahontas County, West Virginia , United States. This area, in the Allegheny Mountains at about 3,400 feet (1,000 m),

243-413: Is known for frequent weather changes. Generally speaking, the area is cool and wet, comparable to the climates of New England and Canada. This is due to its high elevation and the surrounding higher mountains forming a bowl, draining their cool air downhill into the Glades. The potential for frost exists year-round at Cranberry Glades. In some years, the frost-free period has been as short as 81 days. Still,

270-565: Is more than ten feet thick under the dense plant cover. The ground is not as much as quicksand or swampy, but spongy. It is in a high valley, about 3,300 to 3,400 feet (1,005 to 1,036 meters) above sea level, surrounded by the Cranberry, Kennison, and Black Mountains. Five separate glades were identified and named in 1911: Big Glade (59 acres), Flag Glade (28 acres), Long Glade (20 acres), Round Glade (8 acres) and Little Glade (1 acre). The smallest, Little Glade, has since grown over and

297-451: Is no longer recognizable. Darlington's studies showed that the Glades were formed by easily eroding rocks in the basin and more resistant rock at its lower end. This effectively prevented down-cutting and maintained a low gradient in the valley. This resulted in an elevation of 3,400 ft (1,000 m) at the upper end and 3,350 ft (1,020 m) at the back, eliminating the possibility of origin by water impoundment. The water from

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324-460: Is probably at its southernmost location in the eastern United States. Many animals that live in the Glades are at their southernmost breeding grounds, including birds such as the Swainson's and hermit thrushes , Nashville and mourning warblers , and purple finches . Other, less exotic, birds like ravens and hawks are common. Other familiar animals including white-tailed deer inhabit

351-652: Is prohibited and the speed limit is 45 miles per hour (72 km/h). The parkway section provides several scenic overlooks of Cranberry Glades and the Cranberry Wilderness to the west and of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians to the east, from numerous points along the Allegheny Front . The overlook at Black Mountain also provides an educational boardwalk that explains the irresponsible timbering practices that led to

378-821: Is protected as the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area , part of the Monongahela National Forest . This site is the headwaters of the Cranberry River , a popular trout stream, and is adjacent to the nearly 50,000-acre (200 km ) Cranberry Wilderness . The Glades are a 750-acre (3.0 km ) grouping of peat bogs resembling some Canadian bogs. The gladed land is highly acidic and supports plants commonly found at higher latitudes, including cranberries , sphagnum moss, skunk cabbage , and two carnivorous plants ( purple pitcher plant and sundew ). The Glades serve as

405-591: The Highland Scenic Highway before flowing through the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area . The North Fork rises about 2 miles (3.2 km) north on Black Mountain. Below the confluence of its forks, the Cranberry flows for 24 miles (39 km) generally westward towards its mouth at the Gauley River near Craigsville . The Cranberry River has several pay campgrounds, free campsites, and picnic areas along its banks. Fish biomass production

432-461: The last glacial retreat . Among these are two unusual species of carnivorous plants that thrive in the area—the purple pitcher plant and native sundew . They evolved carnivorous habits because of the scarce root food in the spongy soil. Two very rare boreal plants— bog rosemary and buckbean —live in the Big Glade. Much of the area provides a home for many species of mosses . These include

459-584: The Cranberry River. A fishable brook trout population and 13 macroinvertebrate species have been restored to the Dogway Fork since liming has begun. Smallmouth bass and rock bass have been reestablished in the treated part of the river and numbers have increased in the lower reaches. The Cranberry River and its small tributaries are regarded as some of the finest trout streams in the eastern United States. Until recently, however, trout fishing on

486-508: The Gauley, Kanawha , and Ohio Rivers, draining an area of 74 square miles (192 km ). The river has also been known historically as Cranberry Creek . The river was named for cranberry bogs along its course. The Cranberry River is formed in southwestern Pocahontas County by the confluence of its North and South forks. The South Fork, the longer of the two at a length of 9 miles (14 km), rises on Cranberry Mountain just west of

513-474: The Glades drains to form the headwaters of the Cranberry River , a popular trout stream joined by the Yew and Charles Creeks. It starts at about 4,600 feet (1,400 m) elevation, and then it meanders through the glades and recedes through a narrow gap between Kennison and Black Mountains. It then joins the Gauley River 25 miles (40 km) down the mountains at about 1,920 feet (590 m). The Glades have been

540-476: The Glades. Black bears have been seen in the skunk cabbage growing along the boardwalk. In the evening, you have a good chance of hearing beavers working; they are mostly inactive during the day. It is hard to see the beavers because of little light, and they are dark colored. They also reside submerged or are building their homes. Like many of the adjoining areas high in the Alleghenies , Cranberry Glades

567-550: The average summer high is in roughly 74 °F-82 °F (23 °C-28 °C). Mid-winter temperatures record as low as −26 °F (−32 °C), and the area often sees heavy snow. Cranberry River (West Virginia) The Cranberry River is a tributary of the Gauley River located in southeastern West Virginia in the United States . It is a part of the Mississippi River watershed, by way of

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594-631: The fringes of open glades and along streams, the dominant species is usually speckled alder . Also common are willow , pipestem , glade St. Johns-wort , great rhododendron , hobblebush , smooth arrowwood , wild raisin , ninebark , alternate-leaved dogwood , bunchberry , winterberry holly , mountain holly , swamp rose , the Appalachian endemic longstalked holly and many more. Most of these shrubs have markedly northern distributions, and bog rosemary and oblongfruited serviceberry are at their southernmost limits of distribution. The Canada yew

621-399: The south fork was limited to the lower half of the river due to acid rain. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has worked to counter this problem by installing a liming station on the north fork of the river. At its mouth, the river's estimated mean annual flow rate is 277.08 cubic feet per second (7.846 m /s). A USGS stream gauge on the creek near Richwood recorded

648-475: The southernmost home of many of the plant species found there. The natural history of the Glades has been traced back at least 12,200 years. Apparently, a forest of conifer-northern hardwoods replaced tundra with the end of the Last Glacial Period . Over time the Glades formed into what it is today. Now, most of the bog is underlain by peat that is up to 10 feet (3.0 m) thick. Under the peat

675-581: The subject of much scientific study, especially during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Professor Maurice Brooks conducted studies in 1930, 1934, and 1945. The work of Strausbaugh (1934), Darlington (1943), and Core (1955) followed. In 1974, the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area was designated a National Natural Landmark . Many of the plants found in the Glades resemble those in the northern region of North America. They are descendants of seeds that took root over 10,000 years ago before

702-469: The wetlands are dominated by these same species, but also include American beech , sugar maple , black cherry , American basswood , white ash , yellow buckeye , black birch , cucumber tree , Fraser magnolia , and northern red oak . The shrub layer , unlike the tree layer , is relatively species-rich. This is a consequence of the widespread presence of low- to medium-height woody plants throughout shrub swamps , forest habitats, and open glades . In

729-525: Was reduced three fold and fish diversity was cut almost in half between 1957 and 1987 in the Cranberry River watershed. Although causality was never established, this was attributed to acidification from atmospheric deposition of nitric and sulfuric acid. Flow-driven liming stations were established on the Dogway Fork in 1988 and in 1993 on the North Fork just above its confluence with the South Fork of

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