Introducing "Pumpzilla"

This 5,000-gal/minute "portable" pump would fit under the category of
Things I Never in One Million Years Thought I'd Own

As near-record water levels in Lake Erie (and by association, Sandusky Bay) exacerbate our challenges within the marsh to bring water levels down (to broaden the footprint of Japanese millet seeding -- see yesterday's post below), we have found ourselves wrestling with some "new" equipment. But as with so many things in marsh country, this equipment is anything but new. Per usual, it's old . . . and repurposed.

I first laid eyes on "Pumpzilla" -- our affectionate name for the beast pictured here -- a year or so ago. While still hulking in scale, it was somewhat unassuming then, sitting dormant amidst overgrown grass beside a neighbor's barn. If you would have told me then that I'd eventually be the proud owner of this monstrosity, I would have said you're nuts.

But marsh management is often about timing, and when our neighbor said he had no use for the pump, Roy's wheels started turning -- especially when we were told it could be ours for "free."

If we are to have any chance to execute on our most aggressive 2017 goals for the East Marsh (complete with ~80 acres of millet seeding), we only have at most a couple weeks to get the water off. We have 30 acres in the books, but the remaining 50 will be interesting to say the least. We've been dry recently in terms of precip, but a leaking dike off-site has been plaguing our ability to make progress on our broader vision for this growing season.

Whether this pump bails us out of our current bind or not,
if we can get it and keep it running, it will prove to be
a valuable asset to augment our two main electric pumps

So step one was to see if we could get this beast of a pump set up and running (no small feat). That has been accomplished, but step two is equally important: keep the pump running. Despite some preventative maintenance (a new fuel pump, some new belts, oil change, grease everywhere, etc.) on the JD diesel engine, we only got about an hour of run time on Tuesday before the water pump (within the engine itself) failed.

Now, we wait for the part, cross our fingers that it will prove to be the end of the maintenance money pit, and then cross our toes that it will keep running long enough to overcome the rain and afternoon thunderstorms that are sure to come over the next couple weeks.

I've been reminded many times over the last few years focused on this project that this type of land management takes a lot of planning, a lot of sweat, a lot of resources, and probably more than anything, a good amount of good luck. Time will tell.


Pumpzilla's discharge dwarfs the neighbor's stationary (electric) pump in the background. We are told that it made its way here from Florida, where it was used to prevent orange groves from flooding!

Welcome WGTE/Public Television

Roy, mid-interview; per usual, his modesty in communicating complex concepts of marsh management
makes the delivery of his message easily digestible and enjoyable

Yesterday afternoon, we were flattered at the opportunity to tour two talented, young videographers from WGTE (Toledo's public media outlet) around the marsh. To their credit, Kaitlyn and Courtney weren't deterred by decent chances of afternoon thunderstorms, unpredictably warm temps (5-10 degrees above the forecast), or a dewpoint that lead to oppressive humidity at times through the late afternoon and evening.

As the skies opened and the rain poured down the heaviest (literally just as their van pulled in the driveway), we were all feeling a bit sheepish about our collective decision to move forward with our plans. But both the weather gods and the wildlife gods ultimately shined upon us. I think our guests were pleased with the amount of activity in front of their cameras, and we were pleased with the opportunity to continue to tell our story to a broader audience.

Cedar waxwing; tough light, dense cover,
still such a cool bird

Good friend Steve Pollick (retired Outdoors Editor from The Blade) was the initial catalyst for this outing. Ever and ally and an advocate of mine, Steve finally approached me with an opportunity to help him on one of his projects. Flight Path: The World of Migratory Birds is a really exciting project being spearheaded by WGTE and the Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO). Both are leaders in their respective arenas, and both put an extreme premium on presenting their passions with professionalism. (As a sidebar, northwest Ohio should count both among a shortlist of community gems.)

The video embedded in the link above begins to tell the story of Flight Path, but in essence it's an opportunity to spotlight the critical role of northwest Ohio in the intercontinental migration of literally dozens and dozens of bird species. The creative team has already collected footage in Panama and they are heading into Ontario next week. We were flattered that they were interested in collecting footage at Standing Rush as part of the story in between.

The modest images presented here will pale in comparison to what they captured while we were together. Spoiler alert -- highlights included but weren't limited to: a fairly close encounter with a pair of trumpeter swans and five young (2-week old) cygnets, literally 40+ eagles (mostly juveniles), lots of wading birds (a determined great egret chasing minnows proved to be a favorite), a couple indigo buntings, and of course plenty of other illusive song birds -- including our resident swarm of yellow warblers.

Had to include this candid shot of a yellow warbler;
they proved to be Kaitlyn's nemesis but this one cooperated
with me as Roy was being interviewed by the bunkhouse
(I'm pretty sure this male is guarding a nest in a portable
duck blind near our shop)

The bonus of last night's effort is that in addition to providing b-roll footage for the birding documentary, the visuals and running commentary will also be edited into one or more short video pieces to support a national/international effort called Rare: Creatures of the Photo Ark.

You can learn more about renowned photographer Joel Sartore and his productions by visiting his "visual ark." Our involvement comes with the project's broader goal to take land preservation and wildlife conservation to the local, grassroots level. Our story will join many others, large and small, to help speak to the power of a collective force toward conservation. They may serve as stand-alone pieces, but they will also help promote the broader project. It's a classic example of "think globally, act locally."

We're pleased to be included and will certainly provide updates and links as finished products become available.

Kaitlyn chasing herons and egrets through the southern unit of the West Marsh; breaks in the clouds even allowed for some
blue sky and nice evening light (I was struck by how much greener everything looked compared to just a short week or so ago)

P.S. A flock of eight American white pelicans visited our East Marsh just before the film crew arrived. This is the second time in a week and the third time this year we've gotten to see them. Unfortunately, they didn't stick around to pose for the cameras!

Millet from the Heavens

Sometimes you can practically feel the heat from a photo; the mercury had already hit 89 degrees when this image
was taken just after 8:00 am yesterday morning (the afternoon high was somewhere in the mid-90s)

Brian Gibbs of Gibbs Aero Spray in Fremont makes this work
look easy; 600-lbs of seed evenly broadcast in <20 minutes

For the second year in a row I spent about 20-30 minutes on the morning of my birthday (yesterday) watching millet seed get dropped from an airplane onto the fresh mud of a recent drawdown. Last year, we targeted the 40-acre "Rest Pond" on the West Marsh. This year, we turned our attention to a 30-acre swath that serves as the "Center Unit" of our East Marsh.

Because of some ongoing issues on an adjacent property, we have been forced to pump more or less continuously for weeks without much visual progress. Last Thursday, we directed our attention on the Center Unit and -- by closing off pipes to the rest of the eastern side -- focused the entire pump on this relatively small cell.

Dedicated pumping coupled with very warm, dry weather took 12-24" of water more or less shimmering mud by Monday. Evaporation of just about all but the deep water canals (foreground of the photos) made for pretty ideal seeding conditions by yesterday.

There is a pretty extensive explanation of the motivations for this management technique provided as part of last year's project summaries, but in essence, millet serves as a cover crop that can act like an emergent wetland plant, and because of fast growth and robust seed production provides a handful of really beneficial attributes in very short amount of time.

Within 60 days, this seed should grow into a thick canopy that stands 6-8' tall. This quick response offers near immediate shelter/habitat for a surprisingly broad range of wildlife. Many stems and a complex root structure help "stabilize" the water column, making it clearer and more conducive to germination and growth of other beneficial plants. By the middle to end of August, each individual plant should produce heavy seed heads -- laden with literally thousands of carb-rich seed -- that should attract waterfowl (and blackbirds!) in big numbers. As the visitors dine, they also replant the substrate beneath them with other desirable plant seeds that have passed through individual digestive tracts. Finally, as the millet (an annual) dies back in the fall and winter, it provides a clean, rich substrate for all the newcomers to develop in -- not just next spring but over subsequent growing seasons.


P.S. If the stars align perfectly, we may end up seeding another 50 acres on the East Marsh with millet yet this month. We are running out of time though. We need to get a lot of water moved and the clock is ticking; if we don't seed by the end of June, the seed isn't apt to mature in time to maximize the benefit.