| Pinhook Bog National Natural Landmark | |
|---|---|
| Location | LaPorte County, Indiana, USA |
| Nearest city | Michigan City, Indiana |
| Area | 25 acres (100,000 m2) |
| Established | 1966 |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
Pinhook Bog is a bog in Indiana. The bog contains a large variety of plants, including insect eating plants, tamarack trees and floating mats of sphagnum moss. Pinhook Bog is about 580 acres (2.3 km2), a quarter of which is a floating peat mat. A "moat" surrounds the bog from the uplands. Pinhook Bog is a National Natural Landmark.
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The bog is a glacial kettle. At the end of the Wisconsin Glacial epoch, (14,000-15,000 ybp) a large chunk of ice remained buried at this location as the ice retreated northward. When the ice melted, the clay soil sealed the basins.[1]
The runoff from higher ground around the bog is the only water source. There are not streams or groundwater inflow or outflow. Evaporation from the open water and plants is the only loss of moisture. A bog is different than swamps, marshes or ponds because of this limited exchange of water. The water in the bog is stagnant, acidic, and nutrient-poor.[2]
The outstanding feature of Pinhook Bog is the tree covered mat of sphagnum moss. Sphagnum moss is a stringy, delicate moss of a light-green color. The mat floats on top of the water and can become three to six feet thick, yet it can have a pocket of a few inches in the middle. As the mat thickens, larger and larger plants take root and grow. Under the mat a peat bed develops. The acidic water slows the decay of the sphagnum moss and other plants. With time, the peat may fill the bog from the mat to the bottom. As the moisture becomes less acidic, typical land plants move and the bog disappears.[2]
Poison sumac is prevalent in the bog area, particularly around the outer edge, the ‘”moat”. It is recognized by it compound leaves of seven to thirteen leaflets. The leaflets are smooth edge and pointed.[3]
Tamarack or American larch is an unusual tree for northwest Indiana. It is a conifer, but not evergreen. It drops its leaves in the winter. As fall approaches, the needles turn golden until they fall off.[2]
Blueberry and cranberry shrubs are common along the margins.[2] Rusty cotton grass farther down the trail flourishes.
The Bog is open for ranger-guided tours and opened for bimonthly open houses.
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