http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler stories of landscapes, conservation, and people in and beyond the Rivanna Watershed Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:11:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 © lmiddleton@embarqmail.com () lmiddleton@embarqmail.com() stories of landscapes, conservation, and people in and beyond the Rivanna Watershed lmiddleton@embarqmail.com No no http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler 144 144 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/13/111-autumn-on-the-rivanna-encore/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/13/111-autumn-on-the-rivanna-encore/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:05:06 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/13/111-autumn-on-the-rivanna-encore/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/13/111-autumn-on-the-rivanna-encore/feed/ 0
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4:40 November 13, 2008 A warm day on the river traveling to Rivanna Mills to sample provides opportunity to reflect on the need for both the short ... November 13, 2008 A warm day on the river traveling to Rivanna Mills to sample provides opportunity to reflect on the need for both the short and long view of changes in the watershed. This show originally aired on November 8, 2007 and then again on November 13, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. There is something not altogether right about this day.nbsp; Here it is, November 1st, and we should be bundled in fleece and wearing high rubber boots to venture out on the water.nbsp; Instead, wersquo;re wearing light rubber wading shoes that sink into the mud as we shove the canoe from the launch into the Rivanna at Hells Bend Farm, striving for a patch of water that will be deep enough to float the boat.nbsp; Though the water is a cool 56 degrees, the air temperature is climbing past 65 as the sun arcs into the autumn afternoon.nbsp; Irsquo;m not sure what doesnrsquo;t feel right: is it the air temperature? or the water level? which is still near historic lows in spite of patches of rain wersquo;ve had. Headed downriver to sample for aquatic bugs for the StreamWatch volunteer program, we quickly learn that the shoals in the center extend almost entirely across the river.nbsp; We snuggle up against the left bank, a vertical wall of dying asters and poison ivy, where a channel twice the width of the canoe is just deep enough to get a decent stroke.nbsp; Rounding Hellrsquo;s Bend, we stick to the outside, but in the long straightaway below we have to shove our way to the other side, seeking a route through the shallows of coarse sand deposited as the water slowed and dropped its load after the last storm.nbsp; The bottom is now being sculpted by the gentle flow into underwater ripples and bluffs much like the sharp relief of the winter beach is built by the tides and wind.nbsp; The channels along the banks are a Piedmont version of aquamarine.nbsp; The summerrsquo;s weed is gone, and everywhere, the water is clear enough to see to the bottom, where sunken leaves tumble and pile up against underwater tree limbs and rock outcroppings. Once at the sampling site below the Mill, we get to work, scraping bugs from a shallow cobbled riffle into the mesh net and pouring over the contents with our middle aged eyes.nbsp; We enter the world of macro ndash; where everything of interest is small ndash; one-eighth to as much as an inch long, like the fat, ribbed crane fly larvae that are in abundance today.nbsp; Wersquo;ve also captured small pebbles, twigs, and leaves in various stages of decomposition ndash; and from this tumble of browns and yellows, we must pick out the larvae of mayflies, water pennies, and caddisflies ndash; as well as the tiny clams and snails and worms that inhabit the stream.nbsp; Having sampled for a couple of years, we know that you look until you canrsquo;t find any more bugs, and then you look again, switch sides of the table and look some more, flip the net over and keep on looking, before you can have confidence that yoursquo;ve collected all the bugs in the net, which is necessary to assure quality data.nbsp; While we pour over the net, the river tumbles over the stone from the old dam, the sound making it seem like a fuller river than it is. By four orsquo;clock, wersquo;re winding down, just as the sky turns an ominous gray and the late afternoon sun catches clouds in curving lines stretched out in the wake the tropical depression Noel.nbsp; After pulling the canoe back up through the rapids to head home, I trip trying to step in the canoe and am suddenly on my butt in two feet of water that now feels plenty cool.nbsp; The paddle back upstream is welcome and warming work.nbsp; At the far end of the long straight channel, the late afternoon sky is dense with clouds descending their dark on tawny yellow sycamores that flank the river.nbsp; After straining to find the small bugs, it feels good to ... Climate,,Ecology,,Fluvanna,County,,Natural,History,,North,Fork,Rivanna,,Rivanna,River,,Rivanna,mainstem lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/06/110-here-comes-the-hydrilla-part-2/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/06/110-here-comes-the-hydrilla-part-2/#comments Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:05:46 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/06/110-here-comes-the-hydrilla-part-2/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/06/110-here-comes-the-hydrilla-part-2/feed/ 0
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5:04 November 6, 2008 Hydrilla may improve certain aspects of water quality, but it is an invasive aquatic weed that has caused numerous problems around the country.nbsp; ... November 6, 2008 Hydrilla may improve certain aspects of water quality, but it is an invasive aquatic weed that has caused numerous problems around the country.nbsp; The future maintenance of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir will need to address this growing problem in the reservoir.nbsp; This show originally aired on October 30, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. Last week, we learned about the aquatic weed, hydrilla, an herbaceous, perennial freshwater herb originally imported from southeast Asian for aquariums and water gardens ndash; and a plant that has taken over millions of acres of shallow standing and moving water in the United States.nbsp; Unfortunately, it has taken rootnbsp; in our watershed, particularly in the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, but it has also been found in tributaries like the North Fork as well as the river itself downstream from the reservoir. Like many plants that are characterized as invasive, it is not unattractive.nbsp; It has delicate leaves organized in whorls of three to eight around a central stalk that rises to the surface in water that can be from a foot to fifteen feet deep.nbsp; The leaves are 2 to 4 millimeters wide and can be from six to 20 millimeters long ndash; and what distinguishes hydrilla from the native pondweed (elodea), as well as a another look-alike transplant, the Brazilian waterweed, is the presence of many sharp teeth along the margin of the leaves. Invasive species take hold in our local habitat through a variety of means.nbsp; Some terrestrial plants out-compete natives by emerging earlier in the season, or being resistant to the evolutionary system of ecological checks and balances, or by reproducing in a scale that overwhelms local species.nbsp; Hydrilla has its own set of tricks for flourishing in the places it is introduced, whether by boats traveling from one waterway to another, or on the wind, or using other aquatic species to hitchhike a ride.nbsp; Once in a waterbody, it spreads out and forms dense canopies that can shade out native vegetation ndash; and while these areas can provide protective nursery grounds for juvenile fish, it is not a major food source for aquatic species.nbsp; Fishermen on our reservoir report seeing larger fish taking cover in the hydrilla ndash; but it is hard to get to them without snagging a lure full of heavy weed. Hydrilla also alters water quality by raising the pH and decreasing oxygen as well as increasing temperature under the mats of weed.nbsp; In slow moving water, the stands that are rooted to the bottom can catch sediment and accelerate the process of filling in and creating islands, as has been seen along many stretches of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. And these clever hydrilla have more than one way of reproducing. The plants, such as those often found in the mid-Atlantic, can host both male and female flowers, making for an easy date between ovary and sperm.nbsp; Plants also produce rhizomes that root horizontally in bottom soils, sending up new shoots opportunistically.nbsp; If that weren't enough, the plants also produce turions, small tuber-like growths that grow between stem and leaf and breaking free in the fall and floating till they fetch up in another spot, ready to take root in the spring.nbsp; With all these reproductive mechanisms at work, it's easy to see how simply mowing down the plants, as is done in some areas to clear docks or swimming areas, is only a partial solution ndash; and how eradication, as well as prevention of its spread, is next to impossible. Though chemical agents can kill the plants, many localities have used grass carp ndash; also an imported species ndash; to control hydrilla, though this has its own risks. Grass carp will out-compete native fish species ndash; and are only recommended in enclosed water bodies.nbsp; Our reservoir is only a temporary impoundment... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Ecology,,Natural,History,,North,Fork,Rivanna,,Rivanna,River,,Rivanna,mainstem,,South,Fork,,Water,Quality,,Water,Supply lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/23/108-an-exhibit-of-gar/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/23/108-an-exhibit-of-gar/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:16:44 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/23/108-an-exhibit-of-gar/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/23/108-an-exhibit-of-gar/feed/ 0
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5:00 October 23, 2008 There's a healthy population of long nose gar in the Rivanna ndash; an amazing fish that not only looks prehistoric, but really is ... October 23, 2008 There's a healthy population of long nose gar in the Rivanna ndash; an amazing fish that not only looks prehistoric, but really is prehistoric.nbsp; The gar's ability to survive in low oxygen waters is part of the secret to its long term survivability as a species. nbsp; This show originally aired on October 30, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. I do not have a lot of experience counting fish that are schooling, but as our canoe floated by the long olive green shapes in the clear water of the lower Rivanna, I couldnrsquo;t help but cry out, "There must be fifty of them!" Well, as soon as I said it, I began to wonder if I was even close.nbsp; True, it was only Becky and me in our canoe paddling down the shallow sunlit water towards the Rivenna Mills sampling site in Fluvanna.nbsp; But the claim could not go unverified, so budding naturalists that we are, we turned around and cautiously paddled back upstream, hugging the bank as far away as possible from where we'd seen the fishnbsp; that were also swimming upstream.nbsp; Turning once again, we floated back down in the foot deep water, slow enough to count them as we drifted by.nbsp; Close enough to admire the broad flat tail fin, ridged and undulating, gently propelling the fish upstream.nbsp; Close enough to see the unmistakable body shaped like a cylinder, olive green and spotted with black from tail to head.nbsp; And close enough for the give ndash;away that makes it possible for even a non-fishermen like me know for sure that the slender tapering snout must be the long nosed gar.nbsp; There's nothing else like it in these waters save, perhaps, the American eel, and I know just enough about fish to know that these were no eels. Sometimes called pike, sometimes gar-pike, these long-nosed gar, were proceeding by in a lazy upstream stroll, in groups of three and five.nbsp; The long-nosed gar is the only species of gar native to Virginia, and today they ranged from foot long adolescents to close to three feet long.nbsp; The gar is often called a living fossil, because its family has survived with little change since the time of the dinosaurs.nbsp; The Latin name, osseus, confirms its structure:nbsp; Genus name, Lepisosteus,nbsp; comes from Lepis, Greek for scale, and osteus meaning boney in Latin.nbsp; The species name, osseus, repeats the boney description for added measure, just like the fish, whose touch, over-lapping plate-like scales wrap it in a virtual coat of armor, leaving it few predators in the wild. Locals nod knowingly when we tell them we have seen gar along this stretch of the Rivanna. Though they can make for a good fight on the end of the fishing line, they are commonly thought of as noxious predators, eating all the game fish around.nbsp; But they actually play a special role in the ecology of the river ndash; true predators, they help balance the populations of other fish.nbsp; Armed with rows of razor-sharp teeth, they lie still and ready to ambush the unwary fish that swims close by with a quick thrash of the snout, and they prefer smaller fish and minnows. The long-nosed gar has evolved to handle varying levels of oxygen in the water.nbsp; Typically, like other fish,nbsp; it breathes through gaseous exchange at its gills ndash; but the gar also has a swim bladder connected to its esophagus that serves as an auxiliary breathing apparatus when oxygen levels in the water are low or not even present.nbsp; They are sometimes seen at the surface of the water, gulping the air.nbsp; Thus, they do well in slow moving streams and behind impoundments.nbsp; Though I have no way of measuring it, today I suspect that the low flowing Rivanna, absent the flush of any recent high waters, is also deficient in the life giving oxygen. As it turned out, there were actually fifty-one long-nosed gar schooling in this stretch of the Rivanna... Ecology,,Fluvanna,County,,Natural,History,,Rivanna,River,,Rivanna,mainstem,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/06/12/91-scenic-river-trip/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/06/12/91-scenic-river-trip/#comments Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:30:53 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/06/12/91-scenic-river-trip/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/06/12/91-scenic-river-trip/feed/ 0 00:01:01 June 12, 2008 This show originally aired on June 12, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. ... June 12, 2008 This show originally aired on June 12, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net It could be any spring day on the river. True, the weather is especially cooperative: May morning temperature just rising from the low 60's as we approached the water. Cumulus and blue above, the green fully leafed out over the river. You might say that it was as scenic as a perfect Virginia morn, as you put your boat in the water amongst cattails and the fresh mist from the sheets of water tumbling over the dam at the South Fork Rivanna River Reservoir. Or, you might, as we were, be launching your kayaks and canoes for a trip with the specific task of evaluating just how scenic our fair Rivanna River is -- according to a formula that the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation established with the state Scenic River program in 1970. This program's goal is to enhance the protection of rivers and their corridors by providing tools for local authorities to help protect waterways that offer special scenic, recreational, historic, and natural values of significance. There are over 500 river miles comprised of 25 river segments in Virginia that have achieved this special status. The Rivanna between Woolen Mills and its confluence with the James in Columbia is already designated as a state scenic river. The stretch from Palmyra downstream was one of the first, in 1975. In 1988, from Palmyra to the Woolen Mills dam was also named a State Scenic River. So today we are traveling from the next dam upriver --- on the South Fork from just below the reservoir down nine and half miles to the place where the Woolen Mills dam used to cross the river, this section now eligible precisely because the dam has been removed. We are a mixed group: five from the state agency, five of us locals, a pack of canoes and kayaks, guided by Dan Mahon, Blueways and Greenways coordinator for Albemarle County who alternately paddles ahead to scout obstructions and falls back amongst us with offerings of local knowledge of the river and the greenways that flank its banks. Today, we have our share of blue heron, geese, a red tail, turtles of all sizes sunning themselves on smooth logs protruding like commas from the side of the river and angling from the dusky water. These sightings are important, but we're also looking for other things: power line crossings, short and long range vistas, residential houses that we can see, bridge crossings, historic structures, changes in vegetation, geological features. The roads, houses, and powerlines detract from the scenic formula, as do sparse or non-existent buffers, stands of bamboo or multiflora rose, slumping earthen banks. There's a tally sheet. We record our observations and we take pictures. But as we go, we point out the things to DCR that they may not know about our river: on our left, Monnasopegenau where the Monacans lived and thrived on the river for hundred of years; the old carriage road on river left that runs to Gordonsville, said to have been built to transport sulpher from the mines materials from Key West. Some of the gentle rapids are actually historic structures: Broad Mossing Ford, wing dams for batteau. So these all get counted, along with restoration work we know is underway, tree buffers being planted. As we come into Charlottesville, signs of civilization detract from the scenic score: powerline crossings, the Free Bridge, the apartments at Pantops we can see through the trees. But the long view down the last section above Woolen Mills shows Montalto rising in the distance, one of the few real vistas the Rivanna along this stretch has to offer. At the end of the trip, we sit in the shadow of box elder and sycamore overlooking the remains of the Woolen Mills dam, offering up our observations and hearing how the Rivanna compares to other piedmont rivers the D... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Education,,Rivanna,River,,Rivanna,mainstem,,South,Fork,,Trails,and,Footpaths lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/04/10/83-shadbush-serviceberry-and-sarvis/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/04/10/83-shadbush-serviceberry-and-sarvis/#comments Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:48:40 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/04/10/83-shadbush-serviceberry-and-sarvis/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/04/10/83-shadbush-serviceberry-and-sarvis/feed/ 1 00:01:01 April 10, 2008 The serviceberry tree goes by many names, depending upon where you live or, sometimes, the species or cultivar.nbsp; Learning the stories behindnbsp; this ... April 10, 2008 The serviceberry tree goes by many names, depending upon where you live or, sometimes, the species or cultivar.nbsp; Learning the stories behindnbsp; this early blooming shrub brings an appreciation for the richness of both cultural and natural history. This show originally aired on April 10, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. Photo of shadbush by Dudley Rochester. This is one of those weeks that you can literally watch the hourly changes as spring bursts forth. It's hard to know where to put your attention, amidst all the flowering trees ndash; the dogwoods blooming on cue for the Festival, the audacious magenta flowering crabapple, redbud blossoms lining dark branches in perfect counterpoint, like tiny purple Christmas lights. In this area, if spring seems to be moving too fast, you can always travel to a higher elevation and catch it again. If I were headed to the hills, the one tree I'd still be looking for is the serviceberry, whose white showy flowers have always been a reliable marker of spring, but pass so quickly that you may have only a few days before the wind snatches them from the bud and soft green leaves unfurl in their place. Serviceberry belongs to the genus Amelanchier, in turn a member of the rose family along with chokeberry, hawthorn, apple, plum, and pear; mountain ash and, of course, the rose. There several dozen species of native serviceberry in North America with Virginia being home to three of them: Amelanchier arborae (the downy serviceberry), A. Canadensis (the shadblow serviceberry), and A. Laevis (the Allegheny ndash; or smooth -- serviceberry). It's known by other names, too: shadbush, sarvis, sarviceberry, Saskatoon serviceberry, Juneberry, pigeon berry, mespilus, and currant tree ndash; colloquial names born from the cultures of peoples who lived the annual cycles of plants and wildlife. All varieties, including cultivars, are early blooming shrub or small trees that light up the otherwise drab landscape of woodlands and field edges before just about anything else has come in to flower ndash; around here, in early March hellip; though New Englanders and Canadians have to wait many more weeks beyond to see their first color from the serviceberry. In the southern highlands, the plant is often called sarvis or sarvisberry. This pronunciation is commonly thought to derive from the season in the mountains when the springtime thaw made it possible for traveling preachers to reach their communities in the hills. In some places, frozen ground prevented the burial of those who had died in the winter ndash; as soon as possible in the spring, the bodies were removed from icehouses and properly buried. But ministers made other celebrations possible ndash; and the women went to the hills to gather the blooms for baptisms, weddings, and the regular Sunday services. Word historians have concluded that there is another explanation for this name, sarvis. They believe that the American serviceberry was named by settlers because its fruit bore resemblance to the service, a mostly forgotten English fruit somewhat like a pear, which, though, unrelated to the American serviceberry, was often called, sarvis. The sarvisberry offers some of the first early summer berries, tasty reddish-purple pomes that are a welcome treat to robins, bluebirds and other fruit eating species, giving rise to another common name, the Juneberry. Juneberries were used by Native Americans, pounded into meat to make pemmican ndash; and even now, they are collected by those who appreciate them for jams, cobblers, and wines. Most of us know that the names shadbush ndash; and shadblow ndash; derive from the timing of bloom coinciding with the run of shad in the rivers ndash; those anadramous fish that live in the ocean but travel up our Atlantic coastal rivers annually to spawn in freshwater. ... Charlottesville,,Ecology,,Native,Landscaping,,Natural,History,,Rivanna,mainstem,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/12/06/67-an-extension-of-rivanna-state-scenic-river-designation/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/12/06/67-an-extension-of-rivanna-state-scenic-river-designation/#comments Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:03:00 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/?p=18 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/12/06/67-an-extension-of-rivanna-state-scenic-river-designation/feed/ 1 00:01:01 This show originally aired on December 6, 2007 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU ... This show originally aired on December 6, 2007 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. Paddling in low water from Route 29 down to Riverview Park in advance of a state review of potential Scenic River designation for this stretch provides opportunities for bald eagle sitings.December 6, 2007 Therersquo;s a move afoot to extend Scenic River designation up past Woolen Millsndash; and the Department of Conservation and Recreation wants to see this stretch of the Rivanna from Charlottesville up to the South Fork Reservoir as part of a preliminary study. It seemed prudent to see if the low river water levels would permit such a trip, so a couple of weeks ago, we took an exploratory trip down the Rivanna. State Scenic River designation was enacted in the early 1970s to provide a measure of protection for the rivers of Virginia. Minnie Lee and Harry McGehee from Fluvanna were largely responsible for establishing the Rivanna between Charlottesville and the James River as the first state scenic river in 1973. In 1988, the Moormans was also designated. Of the 505 designated miles in Virginia, the Rivanna now has 51 scenic river miles. Scenic river designation constitutes official recognition of the riverrsquo;s natural, scenic, historic, and recreational values. The designation doesnrsquo;t allow the state to control local land use ndash; but does allow the locality to utilize the designation positively, and makes it more difficult to build dams along the given stretch. We set up our shuttle, leaving one car at Riverview Park, and launch at the Route 29 bridge a half mile below the reservoir. We are pleasantly surprised that there seems to be enough water to paddle. Soon, the hum of Route 29 is in the distance, and wersquo;re making our way past the SOCA fields on the left and Carrsbrook on the right. Within minutes, our first bald eagle of the day flies overhead and lands on a snag about 500 yards downstream. We float towards it, getting within 100 feet before it stretches its wings, drops slightly to gain lift and heads back upstream. Both of us are scrambling to capture the bird on camera, but I am in conflict: should I go for the picture? Or trust my mindrsquo;s eye to capture the image that will reside along with all my other senses and build the sighting of this bird into a memory? The wind chill on our backs, with the noonday sun over the stern, low on its trajectory towards the shortest day. The canoe swinging under me in the slight current that draws us closer. My cold fingers blindly fumbling for my camera while I keep an eye on the bird as my heart accelerates. The browns and grays of trees on the bank. The leaves sailing down from tulip trees and sycamores onto the surface of the water. Greedy, I try for the photo ndash;ndash; and the result is predictable: a large moving bird in a small frame against a clear blue sky that could be anywhere. I am left to wonder: what did I miss as I scrambled for the photo? I might have missed the shadow as the bird with wingspan of a fathom or more made its crossing to the other side above me. I might have missed clearly seeing its yellow legs, or its hooked beak, or the mud on its white breast, or the gleam in its eye. We paddle on ndash; and not five minutes later, I see an immature bald, its dark plumage blending into the shadow on the bank. This time, I do not attempt a photo. Sightings of bald eagles are common on the Rivanna ndash; they are getting ready to nest this time of year, so perhaps our eagles today were part of the shuffle of territory. I have seen enough of the "scenic " to last me the rest of the four hours of paddling down to Charlottesville ndash; and I have claimed on photo my record of the bald eagle sighting. Though I support the scenic river extension, I am struck by the irony of our human need to capture memories, name places, and protect with a... Natural,History,,Rivanna,mainstem,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/11/08/65-autumn-on-the-rivanna-the-long-view/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/11/08/65-autumn-on-the-rivanna-the-long-view/#comments Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:48:00 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/?p=15 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/11/08/65-autumn-on-the-rivanna-the-long-view/feed/ 0 00:01:01 November 8, 2007 A warm day on the river traveling to Rivanna Mills to sample for water quality provides the opportunity to reflect on the need ... November 8, 2007 A warm day on the river traveling to Rivanna Mills to sample for water quality provides the opportunity to reflect on the need for both the short and long view of changes in the watershed. There is something not altogether right about this day. Here it is, November 1st, and we should be bundled in fleece and wearing high rubber boots to venture out on the water. Instead, wersquo;re wearing light rubber wading shoes that sink into the mud as we shove the canoe from the launch into the Rivanna at Hells Bend Farm, striving for a patch of water that will be deep enough to float the boat. Though the water is a cool 56 degrees, the air temperature is climbing past 65 as the sun arcs into the autumn afternoon. Irsquo;m not sure what doesnrsquo;t feel right: is it the air temperature -- or the water level? -- which is still near historic lows in spite of patches of rain wersquo;ve had. Headed downriver to sample for aquatic bugs for the StreamWatch volunteer program, we quickly learn that the shoals in the center extend almost entirely across the river. We snuggle up against the left bank, a vertical wall of dying asters and poison ivy, where a channel twice the width of the canoe is just deep enough to get a decent stroke.Rounding Hellrsquo;s Bend, we stick to the outside, but in the long straightaway below we have to shove our way to the other side, seeking a route through the shallows of coarse sand deposited as the water slowed and dropped its load after the last storm. The bottom is now being sculpted by the gentle flow into underwater ripples and bluffs much like the sharp relief of the winter beach is built by the tides and wind. The channels along the banks are a Piedmont version of aquamarine. The summerrsquo;s weed is gone, and everywhere, the water is clear enough to see to the bottom, where sunken leaves tumble and pile up against underwater tree limbs and rock outcroppings. Once at the sampling site below the Mill, we get to work, scraping bugs from a shallow cobbled riffle into the mesh net and pouring over the contents with our middle aged eyes. We enter the world of macro ndash; where everything of interest is small ndash; one-eighth to as much as an inch long, like the fat, ribbed crane fly larvae that are in abundance today. Wersquo;ve also captured small pebbles, twigs, and leaves in various stages of decomposition ndash; and from this tumble of browns and yellows, we must pick out the larvae of mayflies, water pennies, and caddisflies ndash; as well as the tiny clams and snails and worms that inhabit the stream. Having sampled for a couple of years, we know that you look until you canrsquo;t find any more bugs, and then you look again, switch sides of the table and look some more, flip the net over and keep on looking, before you can have confidence that yoursquo;ve collected all the bugs in the net, which is necessary to assure quality data. While we pour over the net, the river tumbles over the stone from the old dam, the sound making it seem like a fuller river than it is. By four orsquo;clock, wersquo;re winding down, just as the sky turns an ominous gray and the late afternoon sun catches clouds in curving lines stretched out in the wake the tropical depression, Noel. After pulling the canoe back up through the rapids to head home, I trip trying to step in the canoe and am suddenly on my butt in two feet of water that now feels plenty cool. The paddle back upstream is welcome and warming work. At the far end of the long straight channel, the late afternoon sky is dense with clouds descending their dark on tawny yellow sycamores that flank the river. After straining to find the small bugs, it feels good to stretch my eyes into the distance. This is a good time of year to stay flexible and acknowledge what is. Though the Virginia autumn has been fickle with little water and overly-warm temperatures, what is just right is the slant of light -- unmistakably autu... Fluvanna,County,,Rivanna,mainstem,,Water,Quality lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/10/04/61-this-land-is-my-land/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/10/04/61-this-land-is-my-land/#comments Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:28:00 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/?p=10 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/10/04/61-this-land-is-my-land/feed/ 1 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/09/13/58-rebuilding-the-rivanna-at-bentivar/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/09/13/58-rebuilding-the-rivanna-at-bentivar/#comments Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:51:00 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/?p=7 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/09/13/58-rebuilding-the-rivanna-at-bentivar/feed/ 0 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/08/30/5/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/08/30/5/#comments Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:22:00 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/?p=5 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/08/30/5/feed/ 0