Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Ups and Downs

Wouldn't you know it, I'd hardly had time to enjoy having full banks of water at the bottom of my yard when word came down that the dam repairs had failed, and that lowering had recommenced. 

Here's a photo of Dale and Linus standing on ground that just yesterday was under water; the normal water level usually reaches the base of the trees. And we're expecting a lowering of 3 feet again.


Here's the same spot, 2 days later: 


I wonder what it's doing to plant and animal life? What sorts of signals does this compressed period of extreme water level changes convey? Does it confuse cyclical responses and survival, or is it too short-term to be of significance?

I was expecting a bloom of invasive bladderworts in November, but I'm sure that having been out of water for a month, getting rehydrated, and then drying out again will prevent that from happening (and I can't get to those high and dry areas to check). What little bits of water remain are turning to fragile ice, which can't be conducive to flowering, either ...

I know that this time around, I won't be trying to access deep-sucking-mud kayak launching spots. I paid dearly by twisting my knee whilst trying to get unstuck a while back, so let's hope this will be the last time I have to learn this lesson --- but, ... it's so tempting to try ...





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