(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Daily Bucket, Friday sequence - How to make a mudflat. [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-11-17 I will start with the video I took of the spring. It may not look exciting but the results are surprising. Here is what you see from the parking area as you look over one segment of Sardis lake in November (from the Waterfowl Wildlife Refuge). Flood plain with the main river channel in the background. More to come after the page break. There are several springs in a small area that make up the large flood plain I am highlighting. Here is another nearby. The main vent of this spring is the center cone of the three holes together. It should come as no surprise that there are spots of quicksand lying in wait. The two sites below were caused when shrubs were undermined by water below the ground. As the shrubs died and rotted away, the area where the roots had formed filled with a fine silt. That silt remains suspended and fluid. A trap of suction by hydraulic forces ensues from the underground water table. small area of quicksand about 2 feet in diameter This site (and the one below it) were probably from a Cypress (including it’s “knees” and tap root system). The depth of this pit can not be measured accurately because of the flow of the underground water table. The quicksand will draw any solid into the conical shape of the hole. largest area of quicksand (size of small car) Another area of quicksand the size of a queen size bed This is a expanded view of the springs and quicksand. This flood plain covers about 60 acres. There is an elevation drop of about 6 inches between the tree line and the waterfall (1000+ feet in length). There is a 12 inch drop from the top of the waterfall to the channel’s base (about 50 feet in length). Here is a look at the entire area. 52 second film . Though the site looks bleak and barren, it is teaming with life. I found this fresh water clam shell. Clams would make this area home when the lake level is higher. Tracks were everywhere. Coyote, Bobcat, Raccoon, Fox, Black Bear, birds and turtles. Turtle, coyote, Heron and sandpiper tracks in the soft mud. The variety of insects buzzing the area was enormous. But I was able to find my Bug of the Day breeding and laying eggs in the larger areas of water. Here is Variegated Meadowhawk — Sympetrum curruptum. Orange-red male leading and yellow-grey female trailing Hovering pair over the shallow water 12 second film I hope this diary has inspired you to look at the environment differently and appreciate how all wildlife depends on the highs and lows of seasonal balance. The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns spinning around us. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on follow. Please stick around and participate in the comments. We’d love to hear your thoughts. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/11/17/2203716/-Daily-Bucket-Friday-sequence-How-to-make-a-mudflat?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/