CREEK CLEANING--

A small creek that drains an 80 plus acre watershed into the lagoon on the east side of my pond has suffered heavy siltation over the 18 years since the pond was built. 

This in spite of the fact that stream flows entirely through wooded area with no tillable land between us and its origin.

This sediment build-up has plugged the unrestricted flow of the inlet stream and causes the water to spill over adjacent paths, blocking their maintenance and enjoyable use.

Downed trees, branches and extreme weed growth then exacerbate the problem.

The reedy-type weeds flanking lady-friend Sue Brooks (above) are easily 10 feet or more tall.  Each plant had to be cut by a pair of pruning shears. Their stalks then were accumulated into a hand-sized bundle which was dragged to a nearby compost pile.

Once the path along the old flow line was cleared we shovel-dug the old channel clear of incredibly rich soil and piled it along the little stream's banks to help contain future flow.  Both the cleaned ditch and spoil pile will be sown with grass to help reduce erosion.

About 100 feet of the creek upstream of the work area is unmolested by our cleaning effort and heavy weed growth there will help slow future infiltration.  We hope.

Nature always wins this type of battle, however.  This creek flows through a 30" road culvert so in periods of heavy rain we have a tiny version of the Mississippi River Delta roaring into the lagoon.

At my age I figure it will be someone else's problem the next time it needs cleaned.

Eventually, the lagoon will turn into a bog which itself will turn into tillable land and then new forest in spite of man's comparatively feeble efforts.