The Marshians have been busy little beavers.
A month ago the marshes were inaccessible. The floodwaters were deep and the water flowed across the marsh. So effective are the drains that this water has almost all gone.
The drains are there for the agriculture. The farmers wanted the water off the fields as quickly as possible, so they could get their cattle out. The drains are now a lot less effective, they are full of vegetation and slow flowing. But they do flow and they keep flowing and move a lot of water. As we’ve had next to no rain for several weeks they’ve reduced the water level dramatically.
A week ago the alarm was raised.
Marsh and Marshians.
Today Marshian beavers paddled into action.
A piece of butyl pond liner. Some bags filled with clay. A road sign that had blown into the marsh and a few rocks were used to slow the flow. A handful of Marshian beavers stopped up the leaks.
It didn’t take long for the water level to rise.
A fair bit of trial and error and creative thinking.
The water still flows but the upstream side of the dam is deeper and slower already.
Let’s hope this helps keep the marshes wet. There are lots of lives at stake, tadpoles, ducklings. Of course it will probably rain all summer but if it does maybe panic will be over. If it doesn’t today’s action could be remarkably important.
Rural Reading 