A Continuation of the Millet Story: One Man's Weed is Another's Treasure

What now looks pretty sterile and nondescript is going to change dramatically in the next several weeks

We've now had just enough sunshine and warmer temperatures that we can start talking wetland plants again -- in the present tense. But as is so often the case, patience is a must. As you'll see below, we're going to start modestly.

I finally circled back and told the first several chapters of the Japanese Millet Story: West Marsh Edition. You can find the narrative on the bottom half of the 2016 summary page. But the images I share today are a continuation of this restoration initiative.

Quickly, let me provide some context. The 40-acre "Rest Pond" that resides just to the north of the newly rehabbed dike on our West Marsh has been maintained in a "deep water" state for years (maybe decades). Deep is a relative term, but when we took possession of the property, it was 3-4' deep with next-to-no life, much less vegetation in it (aside from several thousand carp that happily rooted through the soft sediment and patches of invasive curly-leaf pondweed as they passed between the marsh and bay).

This basin of "chocolate milk" has undergone a major transformation in the last 13 months (again, refer to the bottom of the 2016 summary page), but essentially, we drained it (May/June), seeded it with millet (June), let it grow all last summer (June-August), flooded it again in the fall to coax more duck activity(August - November), and then are draining it again this spring.

The photo at the top of this post shows where we are today (or this past Tuesday, anyway). It might not look like much from a landscape view, but what's going on at ground level is pretty exciting.

The close-up to the left shows a virtual carpet of newly emerging smartweed (in all likelihood Polygonum lapathifolium or P. pennsylvanicum -- a little early to distinguish). While only 2" tall, this is a really good sign. Last year's efforts seem to be paying dividends already. These seed-rich annuals will provide good cover and high energy to a broad array of waterfowl and wildlife.

By attracting outsiders to forage, this smartweed prompts what I like to call "digestive contributions" -- essentially, importing desirable seed sources through the digestive process: in the mouth somewhere else (maybe up or down the bay), and out the other end in our marsh!

It practically took being on our hands and knees to see the modest starts of thin-bladed grasses barely visible in the bare margins of the millet (see right). We hope that these individuals will ultimately prove to be rice cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides) or any of dozens of other grass-like species that offer the two key attributes that the smartweeds above offer: good forage and good cover.

Ideally, we will end up with a diverse mix of many of these "desirables," as I like to call them. High diversity of many plant species interspersed within a given area is almost always preferred over a monoculture (one species in a given area). Again, time will tell, but trust that we will be watching closely as the "Rest Pond" evolves!

While I'll readily admit that I'm not going to win any photography contests for any of these photos, it's also worth noting that we found some not-so-desirable plant species showing themselves among the skeletons of last year's millet. (NOTE that you can click on most photos to enlarge.) The spindly starts to the left are flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus), and unlike our namesake, are neither native nor desirable. We don't anticipate huge outbreaks, but we figured we'd have to stay vigilant and spot-treat them as we find them. The broader leaves of the plant on the right are another smartweed (P. amphibium), but they are less desirable because they tend to grow aggressively in a monoculture, and they don't provide much food value. The good news for us here is that they prefer expanses of open water, and they will likely get out competed before they can really get a foothold.

That's probably enough botany for today. I promise I'll try to have a little more color to display next time -- as long as our stubborn spring continues to bump warmer and brighter!

Rising Water Not Just About the Rain

Crew in action; Roy gets a hand from Julie and Nate installing a staff gauge on the West Pump spillway.
Gauges will be placed in seven or eight locations around the site to help us more accurately quantify
both nature- and human-induced water level fluctuations.

Considering that more than 3" of rain fell in 48 hours late last week and winds have been N, E, NE, or NW for ten straight days (with a forecast for ten more days of those wind directions), water levels are on the brain. May to June typically ushers in the highest annual water levels on Lake Erie. While this is shaping up to be the case this year, this spring has been anything but typical.

High water over the next month or two is tied to high levels of precipitation here and "upstream," as ice and snow melt in the northern Great Lakes and spring rains fall both up north and locally. Seiche (pronouced saysh) events often compound the raising water, especially with an active storm cycle this time of year.

If you have observed water sloshing back and forth in a bathtub or other confined basin, you witnessed a small-scale seiche. On a much larger scale, the same phenomenon occurs in bodies of water such as bays and lakes. A seiche can occur in any semi- or fully-enclosed body of water.

Seiches are typically caused when strong winds and rapid changes in atmospheric pressure push water from one end of a body of water to the other. When the wind stops, the water rebounds to the other side of the enclosed area. The water then continues to oscillate back and forth for hours or even days.

Lake Erie is known for seiche events. Because of the orientation of the lake, seiches are pronounced when strong winds blow from the southwest or northeast. According to NOAA, in 1844, a 22-foot seiche breached a 14-foot-high sea wall on the Western Basin and dammed ice to the extent that Niagara Falls temporarily stopped flowing. As recently as 2008, strong winds created waves 12 to 16 feet high in Lake Erie, leading to flooding near Buffalo, New York.

Because the wind these last couple weeks has been "stacking" water on the western end of Lake Erie (and into Sandusky Bay), and because the forecast suggests it may stay that way for another week or more, our water levels in the bay continue to rise. This elevation in water level is compounded when runoff from recent and very heavy rains have nowhere to go.

The result? Our water levels outside the marsh are as high as they have been in the 2+ years we've been managing the property. The persistence of north/east-dominated winds without a few day break of south/west has been atypical. Roy says he'd struggle to remember such a stretch in his few decades of living and working in marsh country. The good news is, the wind will eventually shift, and water levels outside the marsh will likely go down significantly (probably a foot or more). But in the meantime, we watch and wait.

P.S. Nate just finished up his first year at Hocking College and will be shadowing us this summer. His family has a long history in the area (their cabin resides on the NE corner of the East Marsh), and as a dedicated waterfowl enthusiast, Nate is eager to learn more about relevant biology and resource management. We are excited to have him with us!

Avoiding Arachnophobia: Prevention is the Best Defense for Ticks

The three ticks most common to Ohio showing relative size, from top to bottom:
the black-legged deer tick, the American dog tick, and the Lone Star tick 

My apologies to all those arachnid lovers out there -- you know who you are! I'll make sure to find time to post about some lovely, little spider in time, I promise. Honestly, I hate my first subject be such a nasty one . . . but consider it a public service announcement. Like it or not, we're now deep into "tick season," and while our particular marsh has not been consistent in producing these disease-carrying pests, we need to stay vigilant . . . as do you.

I can count on one hand how many times over the last two years I've found ticks on me following a day in the marsh. And usually, they've just been on my clothes. But I can tell you that it would have taken both hands (and a couple of toes) to account for the dozen dog ticks that I removed a couple weeks back after one particularly warm, windy afternoon in the field. That certainly got my attention!

Warm winters are thought to make for a "bad" tick season. The right balance of warmer spring temps (50s+) without too much standing water seem to bring them out of the woodwork. Ticks should not cause hysteria. But they do cause disease . . . and some that should certainly be respected.

Not surprisingly, there is a fair amount of literature out there about ticks. The Ohio Department of Health has a particularly helpful page devoted to the three most common species in our area. Their photo insert gives you a decent idea of markings and relative size, but they are all small (i.e., smaller than a pencil eraser when not engorged with blood). The smallest, the deer tick, is the most revered for its propensity to carry Lyme disease, but truth be told, all ticks should be avoided, if at all possible.

Depending on the species, ticks like tall grass, scrubby shrub habitat, and even the branches of the tree canopy overhead (which they can parachute from onto unsuspecting hosts). Therefore, total avoidance can be difficult. The Ohio DOH and the ODNR both have good tips on chemical deterrents that -- if used properly -- are considered to be safe. Look at DEET and/or permethrin. I'm a strong advocate for (1) wearing long sleeves and long, light-colored pants, (2) tucking in pant legs and shirts, and (3) getting in the habit of regular self-checks.

The proper clothing limits contact with chemicals, light colors make the ticks easier to spot, tucking in clothes limits tick contact with skin, and checks ever couple/few hours (or more, when they are particularly active) helps you remove the buggers before they got settled in and comfortable.

Ticks tend gravitate to joints, transitions in clothing, and especially hair. If you do find one attached, do not panic. Refer to the links above. Do a little reading on how to safely and effectively remove them, and then keep an eye on overall health to make sure there are no signs of infection or illness.

Don't let ticks be a deterrent to getting outside in the spring and summer. As with so many other things in life, a few basic preventative steps and some healthy vigilance can go a long way!