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25-677: The Old Ausable Channel is a self-contained waterway in Lambton County , Ontario , Canada that runs through the Pinery Provincial Park and the community of Grand Bend . It is a 14 kilometre long river channel that was isolated from the Ausable River by the digging of canals for drainage in the late nineteenth century. Part of the Pinery Provincial Park's rare oak savanna , the channel

50-593: A number of companies announced plans to provide ethane from the Marcellus Shale in the United States to Lambton County industries, providing a potential new feedstock for the production of ethylene in Lambton County. Lambton County is the site of North America's first drilled commercial oil well at Oil Springs in 1858. Tourism is another important industry in Lambton County, especially along

75-535: A recreational area for nearby communities. During the creation of the park, it was decided to use the Old Ausable Channel for boating and fishing. To accomplish this, a dam was built in 1962, about 9 kilometres downstream from Grand Bend. The water impounded by the dam re-filled the channel to its original width, flooding the terrestrial plants that had colonized the banks and returning it to usable levels. Four drainage culverts under access roads maintain

100-506: Is 66,370. Of those, 9,760 (14.7%) are employed in manufacturing; 7,545 (11.4%) in retail trade; 5,080 (7.7%) in accommodation and food services; and 3,155 (4.8%) are employed in agriculture. Petrochemical and refining is the largest manufacturing sector in Lambton County's economy. Established during World War II , Sarnia and the area along the St. Clair River is home to a major processing centre for oil from Alberta . In late 2010 and early 2011

125-433: Is a medium-sized species of North American freshwater predatory fish belonging to the pike family. The genus Esox is placed in family Esocidae in order Esociformes ). Two subspecies are sometimes recognised: Lesueur originally classified the grass pickerel as E. vermiculatus, but it is now considered a subspecies of E. americanus. There is no widely accepted English common collective name for

150-468: Is an important part of the region's ecosystem. The Ausable River source is a moraine near Staffa, Ontario and it empties into Lake Huron at Port Franks . Starting in the 1870s, the Canada Company engaged in large-scale drainage projects within its watershed and adjacent lakes to prepare the land for vegetable agriculture. In 1875-1876, a drainage canal called "The Cut" was dug, draining

175-933: Is one of three native reservations in Lambton County, is policed by the Anishinabek Police Service (APS) but dispatched by the OPP. Walpole Island , another first nations reservation has its own police service, the Walpole Island Police Service. The remaining first nations reservation, Aamjiwnaang First Nation , which falls geographically within the City of Sarnia , is covered by the Sarnia Police Service. American pickerel Esox americanus americanus J. F. Gmelin, 1789 Esox americanus vermiculatus Lesueur , 1846 The American pickerel ( Esox americanus )

200-643: The freshwater bodies of North America , and are not to be confused with their more aggressive big cousin, the northern pike . The redfin pickerel's range extends from the Saint Lawrence basin in Quebec down to the Gulf Coast , from Mississippi to Florida ; while the grass pickerel's range is further west, extending from the Great Lakes Basin , from Ontario to Michigan , down to

225-425: The striped bass ( Morone saxatilis ), bowfin ( Amia calva ) and gray weakfish ( Cynoscion regalis ), prey on the pickerels in turn when the latter venture into larger rivers or estuaries . The pickerels reproduce by scattering spherical, sticky eggs in shallow, heavily vegetated waters. The eggs hatch in 11–15 days; the adult pickerels guard neither the eggs nor the young. Both subspecies are native to

250-480: The County of Lambton was formed. Lambton and Kent first shared the capital city of Sandwich (since renamed as Windsor, Ontario ). In 1852 the partnership was dissolved and Lambton become a full county. It is named in honour of John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham , who visited the area in the late 1830s. Lambton County consists of 11 municipalities (in order of population): Independent of the County, but located within

275-548: The Lambton census division, are three First Nations reserves: As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Lambton County had a population of 128,154 living in 55,205 of its 60,322 total private dwellings, a change of 1.2% from its 2016 population of 126,638 . With a land area of 2,999.93 km (1,158.28 sq mi), it had a population density of 42.7/km (110.6/sq mi) in 2021. Total employment for Lambton County

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300-408: The St. Clair River at Lake Huron. The two Blue Water Bridges cross the river at Sarnia, connecting it to Port Huron, Michigan . The bridges are one of the busiest border crossings between the two countries. The river is also traversed by one passenger ferry further south, and a rail tunnel, also at Sarnia, runs underneath it. The CN rail tunnel accommodates double stacked rail cars. Along with Sarnia,

325-801: The St. Clair River, and a conservation area named Rock Glen Falls near Arkona along the Ausauble River internationally known for its Devonian period fossils. Lambton County has 2,346 farms with a total of 592,793 acres. The largest single use of farmland in Lambton is crop production, with 85% of total farmland reported as land in crops. Over the last 20 years, soybeans, wheat, and grain corn have accounted for over 80% of total area crop production in Lambton. The fourth and fifth leading crops are sugar beets and hay. Oats, barley and mixed grains are also produced. Top animal production includes dairy, beef, hog, and poultry. The County of Lambton Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provides land ambulance services to

350-656: The Thedford Marsh and Lake Burwell, diverting the course of the Ausable. In 1892, a second 400 yard trench was created to outlet Parkhill Creek (a tributary of the Ausable) into Lake Huron at Grand Bend, Ontario to provide Grand Bend with a harbour . This resulted in the isolation of a 14 kilometre channel from the course of the river, which became known as the Old Ausable Channel. As the new diversion carried pollutants and agricultural run-off into Lake Huron, bypassing

375-506: The channel, it remained a mostly untouched section of natural environment while the surrounding areas were increasingly impacted by human industrialization. Isolated from the river, the Old Ausable Channel was fed only by groundwater from local sand dunes , precipitation , and small amounts of surface runoff . By 1936 it was reduced to only a small creek at its deepest parts. Both banks were subsequently colonized by terrestrial vegetation. In 1948, serious flooding impacted Port Franks and

400-437: The dam the channel is slow flowing and minimally turbid , while downstream of the dam there is a backwash effect from the nearby cut. This channel is in its entirety 14 kilometres in length, 0.5-2.5 metres deep and 20-80 metres wide. Flow in minimal the spring and nearly non-existent by July. Following the return of pre-cut water levels via the dam, the channel remains an example of the landscape prior to alterations by settlers of

425-493: The grass pickerel and narrower on the redfin pickerel. Record size grass and redfin pickerels can weigh around 2 pounds (0.91 kg) and reach lengths of around 13 inches (33 cm). Redfin and grass pickerels are typically smaller than chain pickerels , which can be much larger. The redfin and grass pickerels occur primarily in sluggish, vegetated waters of pools , lakes and wetlands , and are carnivorous predators feeding on smaller fish. However, larger fishes, such as

450-446: The lake and river. The community of Grand Bend and the Pinery Provincial Park are especially popular tourist destinations, attracting thousands of people each week throughout the summer to their long, uninterrupted beaches. The part of Lambton County along Lake Huron known as Lambton Shores depends almost entirely upon the seasonal industries of tourism and agriculture for its well-being. There are also popular conservation areas along

475-535: The land. Due to the minimal flow, the channel is slowly converting to a more pond-like ecosystem, and may eventually become less aquatic and more terrestrial. The Old Ausable Channel is an important area for biodiversity. Three species of at-risk fishes ( pugnose shiner , lake chubsucker and grass pickerel ) live in the channel, and the surrounding oak savanna is the largest in Ontario. Eastern wood-pewee , wood thrush , ovenbird , and scarlet tanager breed along

500-506: The population centres in Lambton County are: Corunna, Petrolia, Grand Bend, Wyoming, Forest, and Watford. Lambton County started as a part of the District of Hesse . The district of Hesse included British territories west of Long Point (practically all of western Ontario). The district was later divided and renamed using English district names (Essex, Suffolk, Kent, etc.). Lambton was part of Kent county. In 1849 districts were abolished and

525-729: The residents of Lambton County. The County of Lambton EMS has stations in Brigden , Corunna , Forest , Grand Bend , Petrolia , Thedford , Watford , and two stations in Sarnia . Lambton EMS has ten ambulances and employs approximately 150 full- and part-time Primary Care Paramedics . Policing is provided by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) , which has detachments in Grand Bend , Petrolia , Corunna , and Point Edward . The area of Kettle & Stony Point which

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550-400: The riverside trail and yellow-throated vireo breeds along the banks of the channel itself. Butterflies include Delaware skipper , Leonard's skipper , and Olympia marble . 43°16′03″N 81°48′46″W  /  43.26750°N 81.81278°W  / 43.26750; -81.81278 Lambton County The largest city in Lambton County is Sarnia , which is located at the source of

575-414: The surrounding area. The Ausable River Conservation Authority extended the original 1870s cut in 1952, resulting in a channel only 8 kilometres in length. A further 400 hectares of land in the Thedford Marsh, including Lake Smith, were drained and converted into agricultural land. The Pinery Provincial Park was created in 1957 to preserve unique natural landscapes including the dunes while also providing

600-453: The two E. americanus subspecies; "American pickerel" is a translation of the French systematic name brochet d'Amérique. The two subspecies are very similar, but the grass pickerel lacks the redfin's distinctive orange to red fin coloration. The former's fins have dark leading edges and amber to dusky coloration. In addition, the light areas between the dark bands are generally wider on

625-482: The water level in the 4 km long stretch on the Grand Bend side of the channel. The sections in Grand Bend have residential homes built along the banks, resulting in pollutants entering the channel. Groundwater recharge in the channel is prominent in the southern sections, away from Grand Bend. Minimal flow has resulted in a build-up of nutrients and a subsequent growth of aquatic plants and algae . Upstream of

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