Amherst Marsh

Highlights

The Amherst Marsh is located between Amherst and the Fort Lawrence ridge. The land was once covered by tidal waters and is underlain with rich marine silt. The upper reaches of the marsh are bog with organic detritus over the marine silt as deep as 6 feet in some areas. There are about 20 lakes in the upper area of the marsh, which provide resting sites for waterfowl.

Water levels fluctuated wildly throughout the 100 km2 watershed, making creating extremely difficult circumstances for nesting waterfowl. The regular flooding also impeded recreational activities in the area. The almost 1620 hectares in the area had very little market value, as there was little or no agriculture. In other words, this large tract of land was a true wasteland until DUC came along in 1979.

Now, the Amherst Marsh, a wetland complex of three large wetlands encompassing 1530 hectares, represents the largest wetland development site in Nova Scotia where there were no known conflicts in land use planning. DUC constructed a water control structure and a fish ladder that will insure water levels remain at a constant level year round. The construction of a parking area and upgraded access, in cooperation with Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, has made the area more attractive for extensive recreational activities, as demonstrated by the number of watercraft at the site.