{"id":6228,"date":"2023-11-05T13:33:43","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T17:33:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/backlandscoalition.ca\/?p=6228"},"modified":"2023-11-05T22:13:49","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T02:13:49","slug":"a-natural-analogue-for-sponge-cities-whaleback-barrens-in-the-halifax-backlands-5nov2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/backlandscoalition.ca\/?p=6228","title":{"rendered":"A natural analogue for “Sponge Cities”: “Whaleback Barrens” in the Halifax Backlands 5Nov2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
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. Screen capture of image in <\/strong>CBC story<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>
Click on images for larger versions<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

On Nov 2, 2023, I happened to view a CBC TV News item item about “Montreal… building dozens of ‘sponge parks’ to soak up excess rain<\/a><\/p>\n

I was struck by one scene in particular, of a linear sponge park alongside a paved street (see image at right) – it could almost have been taken on the “Whaleback Barrens” in the Backlands, where wetlands\/watercourses occur in the troughs or gullies between the whalebacks.<\/p>\n

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The “Whaleback Barrens” by the Governor’s Brook residential area on Oct 17, 2016<\/strong>. In the foreground just behind the closest whaleback outcrop are old Jack Pine trees that escaped the 2009 “Spryfield Fire”. The dead trees beyond are those of Jack Pine (mostly) that burned in that fire. The red is huckleberry leaves.\u00a0 The rock outcrops are described geologically as\u00a0 ‘whalebacks’; there is a “field of\u00a0 whalebacks” in this area. The deeper areas within the troughs between the whalebacks are wetlands\/watercourses.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>The whalebacks\u00a0 are hard surfaces equivalent to paved streets, and provide a similar services – in the case of the barrens,\u00a0 mountain biking and walking. Runoff from the exposed whaleback surfaces occurs very rapidly, as it does on paved streets.<\/p>\n

A range of wetland sizes and types are employed in “Sponge Cities<\/a>” and likewise a range of wetland types and sizes occur on the barrens landscape; even under the heaviest rainfalls of this past summer, it did not flood or become impassable – a goal of\u00a0 Sponge Cities.<\/p>\n

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Rhodora in flower,<\/strong> May 17, 2021 in wetland between whalebacks<\/p><\/div>\n

Surely our Whaleback Barrens would be a great place to conduct a study of how density, size, and composition of wetlands. seasonality, fire etc., and lichen and other cover on the whalebacks affect water flows over the short and long term. Such a study could be very relevant to efforts to create Sponge Cities AND help us to better understand functioning of wetlands in Nova Scotia – especially small wetlands, most of which have no protection.<\/p>\n