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It's frustrating. It drives you mad. It engages my Tourettes Module on =
a regular basis :) I'm sure you're just venting... but make sure you =
keep it in perspective, and I guess we need to remind each other of this =
from time to time.=20
=20
Everyone else present today probably thought there was nothing "IN =
THAT". As soon as there's algae and some mud, a McDonalds or Walmart =
bag wraped around a stick in the channel from the last flash... It's =
"dead" to them. Some of the things I might say:
=20
"Look-in-the red and blue of the red shiners and the intense green, =
orange and blue of the green sunfish..."
=20
"Look-in-the bluegill sunfish... You've all caught one of these fishing, =
haven't you...? Have any of you eaten bluegill sunfish?"
=20
"Feel the tubercules on the creek chub that come out when they're =
spawning.... They're like fish fingers to know where each other is at."
=20
"Feel the bumpy soft lips of the sucker's mouth that lets him feel his =
way through the sand like fingers and catch bugs..."
=20
It all starts with someone realizing there's "something living in =
there". =20
=20
Only then, will we begin to have enough social momentum to make changes =
at the "parking lot level". =20
=20
They probably don't even realize the parking lot drains into the =
stream... And what a great place to start telling them, with that nice =
new nature center back drop that someone cared enough about nature to =
build.
=20
Heck... Start talking about those plants they've restored there and how =
those unique plants could also be in islands of a parking lot, =
remediating our petroleum spoils before it gets to the stream.
=20
Take it and RUN! :)
=20
Todd
The Madness (tm)
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
http://www.farmertodd.com
________________________________
From: owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org on behalf of Dave Neely
When you're constrained by only having access to a bit of downstream =
area
along a creek, how can you expect to make any meaningful restoration to =
a
stream channel? Yeah, you might be able to stabilize the banks a little, =
but
only if you can get stuff growing between storm events. Even if you do,
what's the point of having perfectly Rosgen-balanced channels when your
water chemistry is totally screwed up? How do you fix water chemistry =
when
50% of your upstream watershed is impervious surfaces - shopping malls,
highways, and asphalt parking lots? Seven species is a lot when you =
consider
this stream probably gets a 20 degree temp shock with every midsummer =
storm
event. We managed to do a fun little show for a couple of school groups =
who
happened to be touring the grounds, but I'm just depressed and a little
angry. The contrast between the really nice nature center and the crappy
stream was just too stark. Systems like this aren't going to get fixed =
on a
timescale that's reasonable to any of us, and certainly not on the
mythological EPA "swimmable waters" timescale.
Sorry to be so down. One thing's for sure - playing in that cesspool =
today
will certainly make me appreciate the crystal streams of the 'Zarks next
month that much more...
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