Pacific Northwest
September 16, 2017
Two hundred years ago the little creek I visit in the western Washington lowlands was hidden under a mixed canopy of old conifers, alders and water-loving brush where intermittent wetlands opened it to the sky. There are still hints of that creek, even after the farms and subsequent development of the explosive population growth in the Northwest changed the land all around it.
This Western Redcedar stump has been slowly decaying during the past half century I’ve known it, and at least another half century before that. A springboard notch, left from the early hand method of felling trees is still visible in the wood a few feet up. Loggers placed boards in notches to stand on as scaffolding above the brush, then used a two-man crosscut saw (some historical photos here: www.miss604.com/...). The stump has been settling into the ground and a large huckleberry bush is growing out the top now.
Fallen alder leaves collect along the side of the creek, dry now. Once the rains start the creek will roar past this spot, up into the ferns.
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A Vine Maple is still mostly in leaf here, shaded by conifers and watered by the creek. In contrast, the Vine Maple at my home, a much drier climate 70 miles away, has long since turned color and dropped its leaves.
The creek used to support masses of spawning Coho and Chinook salmon every fall, but their numbers have dropped steadily in my lifetime. Last fall there were only a few. Salmon have to find their way into Puget Sound, through the Ballard locks, through Lake Washington and up miles of creek with human development all the way — culverts under roads, cleared banks, pollution runoff, impermeable surfaces, invasive vegetation, loss of wildlife, and other factors present a formidable challenge on top of the larger regional and global effects hitting fish populations. The creek is very low right now after a longer and dryer summer season than usual. These native populations have a window in the fall between the start of the rains and the onset of winter; some years there just isn’t enough creek flow. We’ve had a few sprinkles, but we Northwesterners are all hoping for substantial rains to start soon.
We need rain to put out the wildfires too. The sky is smoky again from fires burning in the Cascade mountains.
Invasive vegetation like grasses, weedy flowers and brambles choke the flow where shading canopy has been cleared for a “parked out” look. Healthy creeks are shady and cool and free-flowing.
Still, there’s a lot of life in and around the creek, like water striders and minnows, insects and spiders. I’ve seen ducks, herons, kingfishers, jays, woodpeckers, flickers, redtail hawks, owls, and many songbirds. Chipmunks and squirrels, coyotes, otter, muskrat, raccoon, signs of beaver and bear.
I waded in the creek cooling my feet on this hot weekend. The water is brown with tannins, smells cool, earthy and peaceful. There are riffly spots and quiet stretches reflecting colors above.
I used to play and explore this creek all day long when I was little. My children did too when they visited, and now it’s my grandchildren’s turn. I hope this little creek keeps some bit of wildness for a while longer.
The water still flows.
Today (Sunday) we had a nice change in weather — a cold front moved in bringing a few sprinkles and pushed much of the smoke out. This may be a sign of the shift into fall.
Nature news in your area?
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