Ecosystems at Lehigh Portland Trails

The Lehigh Portland Trails feature an amazingly rich and diverse landscape, with a number of distinct ecosystems within easy walk on the same property, with an equally diverse community of plants and animals.

Riparian Zones

Areas along Elm Creek (including the lower parts of the Creekside Trail and the Cave Trail North) as well as areas along the intermittent stream that drains from the quarry lake (along the Goat Creek Trail), are riparian buffers with large water-loving trees such as Cottonwoods, Hickories, and Sycamore. These areas will be periodically flooded by the adjacent stream.

Mature Forests and Woodlands

Above the riparian zones, there are forested areas with many mature hardwood trees, such as Oaks, Hackberry, Elm, Walnut, and many more. There are also a large number of mature Eastern Red Cedar trees, in many places forming a dense canopy. Mt. Lehigh is a good example of a hardwood forest, as is the “ridgetop” portion of the Backbone Trail.

Prairie

Allen County was once part of the immense tallgrass prairie, but with settlement and industry, most of that is gone, such that the prairie is now one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. On the Lehigh Portland Trails property, several prairie areas have been identified:

Lehigh Prairie

This area, along the southeastern portion of the quarry lake, bordered by the South Loop Trail, is a degraded prairie, dominated by non-native cool-season grasses, and partially invaded by woody species such as Eastern Red Cedar, Siberian Elm, Dogwood, and Poison Ivy. It is hoped that this area can be restored to native grasses and forbs.

Stonewall Glade

Stonewall Glade is located on a former homestead site, and is partially surrounded by native stone fences. This is a remnant prairie, meaning it’s never been plowed. It is also a limestone glade environment, with thin soil over limestone bedrock. This is currently the highest-quality prairie area on the property, with a diverse native plant community that includes many “conservative” species indicative of a healthy prairie. This area has been encroached upon by cedar, so management objectives will include removal of the invasive cedars and reseeding with native grasses and forbs.

Meandering Glade

Like Stonewall Glade, this area is also located on a previous homestead site, and is also a remnant prairie with some limestone glade characteristics. However, the Meandering Glade is more severely degraded, with more invasive cedar coverage, and only small pockets of native grasses remaining. Management will include connecting the isolated prairie pockets and reseeding the connecting “threads” to create narrow prairie corridors of high-quality prairie habitat.

Hay Meadows

On either side of 1650th Street there are native-grass hay meadows, currently leased to private individuals, and hayed once a year. These hay meadows contain strong populations of warm-season grasses such as Big Bluestem, Indiangrass, and Sideoats Grama, but few forbs. Without intervention, it is feared that the quality and diversity of these meadows will continue to decline, as late-summer mowing removes most of the seasonal seeds.

Savannas

A savanna is an area of mixed grass and trees. The Lehigh Portland Trails have several such areas of “grassy woodland” or “woody grassland”. There is a portion of the Lehigh Prairie area that is a cottonwood savanna, for instance, and there are also other areas of grass among hardwoods such as hackberry and walnut..

Wetlands

Lehigh Portland Trails feature a number of different types of wetlands, including:

Wet Prairie: Parts of the Lehigh Prairie area are seasonally inundated or saturated, and sometimes boggy. Also known as “wet prairie”, “fresh meadows”, “dry marsh”. Grasses and sedges can form hummocks, or tiny islands clumps, among the wet ground. Wet prairies are alive with insects and amphibians, and the predators that feed on them.
Vernal Pools: There are small seasonal pools located on the Lehigh Prairie, along the intermittent stream that drains into Elm Creek, and in the riparian zones along the Backbone Trail.
Quarry Ephemeral Marsh: There is an old homestead quarry (separate from the former quarry that is now Lake Lehigh) that contains standing water and saturated soils after rains. This marsh contains typical wetland plants such as sedges. It also contains a vernal pool that holds water long into drought periods.
Bluff Marsh: Along the southern edge of the quarry lake, there is a small shallow marshy area fed by an intermittent stream, containing cattails and other common wetland species.

Edge Environments

Every intersection between different ecosystems or plant communities provides an “edge” environment that features a constantly-shifting mix of species, as well as animals and insects adapted to these conditions.

Intermittent Streams

In addition to the major waters on the property (Elm Creek and the quarry lake, AKA Lake Lehigh), there are a number of unnamed intermittent or ephemeral streams, including:

Intermittent stream along the west side of the property, also serves as the overflow outlet of the quarry lake. Drains into Elm Creek.
Funks Run: An intermittent stream that crosses Nebraska Road in a concrete culvert before draining into Elm Creek. Watershed includes the former homesteads and farmsteads along the Backbone Trail, East Loop Trail, South Loop Trail, and Devils Cross Trail. Vegetation along this intermittent stream is a mixture of woodland and cool-season non-native grasses.
Intermittent stream that flows from Montana Road, through a boggy wetland, into the quarry lake. Crossed by the South Loop Trail. Features an ephemeral waterfall on the cliffs over the lake, which can be spectacular after heavy rains.
Ephemeral stream that drains from the Lehigh Prairie into the quarry lake, through a wet meadow environment that includes a vernal pool.
Intermittent stream that drains from the eastern hay meadow, through a woodland and into John Brown’s Cave, and on into Elm Creek.

Quarry Lake Environment

Lake Lehigh was formed by the Lehigh Portland Cement plant’s quarrying operation, from about 1900-1970. After the cement plant closed down, the quarry slowly filled with water, both from an internal spring and from watershed runoff. Lake depth varies up to an estimated 50+ feet. The lakeshore is predominantly rock, with spectacular 30-foot limestone cliffs in places. A shallow cove and boulder garden dominate the southeastern corner of the lake. The lake, along the the southwestern shore, is currently leased to and managed by the Iola Elks Club, and is considered private property.

Elm Creek Environment

Elm Creek is a major tributary of the Neosho River, one of the longest rivers in Kansas. Elm Creek has been dammed at several points, to support the cement plant operations. One of these, the Elm Creek Weir Dam, provides a spectacular waterfall after heavy rains. Elm Creek support aquatic life common to Eastern Kansas rivers, including numerous species of fish, crustaceans, reptiles, and mammals. Elm Creek periodically floods into the riparian zones.

Arid Zones

There are some areas, especially along the eastern and southern bluffs of the quarry lake, that have a very “southwestern” feel, with plants that favor dry conditions and poor soil. It is theorized that this is due to this part of the property having been cleared of topsoil (overburden) in preparation for quarrying.

Escarpments

There are several areas of limestone outcroppings or escarpments at Lehigh Portland Trails, including along the upper portions of the Creekside Trail, and along the Cave Trails near John Brown’s Cave. These areas are excellent sites for herping, or searching for amphibians or reptiles.

Cave Environment

John Brown’s Cave is a Solutional Cave formed by an intermittent stream flowing through limestone faults. The cave has a large entrance you can walk into, and it’s possible to traverse its entire 300-foot length. The cave, and the limestone environments on either end of the cave, provide a unique environment that supports unusual plants and animals. The cave is one of the few publicly-accessible caves in Kansas.