Posted by: "wildlifeanalysis"
> I am unclear as to why something like this would be done.
>
> http://wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/docs/dry_pond_swamp.html
That was a very active frog habitat. But unfortunately a local real
estate agent inherited the area from his parents. He "cleaned it up" to
make it look "pretty". (his words, not mine) During high water on the
creek beside it there still will be several feet of water over the area,
and the small spring uphill from it still feeds through the area. So
it's not housebuilding territory. But the sill along the creek that made
it a beautiful aquatic habitat was removed so water is no longer
retained onsite.
I live just about 1/4 mile upstream from there, I've been excavating a
small pool in my creek bottomlands to help the displaced frogs ever
since that happened. Hundreds of southern leopard frogs are emerging
from there right now, and last time I was down the water was covered
with gray treefrog eggs. With the drought I have to go down and pump
water into it at least every week. The frogs hardly allow me to work on
it so expansion is going slowly.
In the year that the swamp was done in the federal court ruled that the
only thing that was a wetland was something that had a permanent named
stream flowing directly through it. That wiped out nearly all wetland
protection. In that one year across the US it's estimated that half the
remaining wetlands were filled or drained to prevent any new protection.
So this little photo essay was repeated many, many times. And hardly a
peep from all the environmental activists!
Walt
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