February 10, 1983 - The Marsh in WinterPage 12 The NeWo- RebiebJ
The Marsh in Winter
By PAUL STOUTENBURGH
I walked down to get the Sunday paper
this morning with the dog and decided to
cross the street and check out the creek. '
We live off one of those creeks that when
the tide goes out literally everything goes
out with it. Yet I can't complain, for it has
added much to our life. When the water
runs out there is only a small gully of t
fresh water left down the middle from
what seeps out at the head of the creek. It's
this fresh water, with its ground water
temperature of around 50 degrees that
keeps the heads of our creeks from
freezing when the rest freezes over. That's
why the great blue heron can usually be
found up in this section where the water's
open. Often I've poked around in the mud
of these free - flowing areas and found
small killies still wiggling with life even
though it's midwinter. This is the dinner
Mr. Heron stalks each day.
Everywhere else in the creek cold has
slowed things down to a deep sleep. Killies,
crabs, eels and a multitude of organisms
that only a trained biologist can decipher
lay dormant through the winter months.
Our cold snap of 20 degrees put a coating
over most of the creek and now the ice had
broken at the marsh bank, giving it the
appearance of white snow. Occasionally
when it's quiet you can hear these sheets of
salt ice crack and break.
These tilted sheets of ice against the
banks make icy chambers for the few
birds or animals that might be scurrying
about. Hidden from the predator's eye
they can move in relative safety along
these glistening corridors.
Out on the marsh the sheets of ice press
down on the narrow brown marsh grass,
helping to break it down so the decaying
process becomes easier. This continual
decay of the marsh grass and the material
the marsh grass collects around its stems
and base as the tides flow in and out,
create the nutrients that flow into our
creeks and bays for the benefit of all.
Food Chain Forms Here
Here's where the food chain starts that
we as individuals directly benefit from.
First the nutrients are picked up and
utilized by the small organisms in our
waters. These are too small to be seen by
the casual eye but not too small to be eaten
by the small shrimp, killies, snails, crabs,
clams, mussels, oysters and a host of other
animals that live in the shallow waters of
our bays and creeks. Some of these small
creatures are eaten by larger fish which
are eventually eaten by still larger ones
until you and I eventually enjoy these fish
and shellfish on our table. We live in a
gourmet's land of delight.
Year round the process of decay goes on.
The warmer the weather the more the
process speeds up. Yet, only in the last ten
to 15 years have people started to appre-
ciate the importance of these once mis-
understood areas. It's why our town and
every town on Long Island has its own
wetlands law protecting these most valu-
able resources.
Not only are these marshes valuable as
wetland areas but they prevent erosion of
our shores. Many a person who unknow-
9oQMg3 o�
uflaQIETg
ingly removed the marsh in front of his
property has regretted it years later.
Wave action from passing boats and
severe storms wash the loose sand away
from the upland, causing serious erosion.
Land protected by a heavy bog or marsh
has no erosion problem and thereby keeps
the land intact. No need for expensive
bulkheads here. The wave action is dis-
sipated, so the power that would have
scoured the shore is greatly - reduced.
Back to the Paper
I did get back with the Sunday paper and
my day passed without any further ven-
tures except my outing to feed the
chickens in the late afternoon. All that day
the wind blew from the east. It was cold
and miserable out. Once during the night I
remember waking and hearing the wind in
the trees still blowing hard out of the east.
The next day the tide was up to the top of
the dock. The wind had held the water up
in the bay and creek so that when the tide
came in again it already had a full bay and
creek to start with. Now the water reached
way past the usual high tide mark, even
creeping into the upland. Small voles, and
meadow mice had to scurry for the
headland while the black ducks and
mallards found new territories to explore.
Now the tied up nutrients of these new
areas of high marsh and upland could be
released as the tide went down. It's an
important principle to remember, this
exchange of water over our marshes for
it's the life blood so to speak of the
majority of things that live in our waters.
It's why 85 percent of the fish and shellfish
feed and spawn in these shallow waters
from Maine to Florida.
As regular as the sun rises and sets, the
tides ebb and flood. Like the sleeping giant
it breathes life into our waters and will
never cease provided we keep our marshes
healthy and prevent their destruction.
Council Photo Show
RIVERHEAD- -The winners of the East
End Arts Council 1982 Juried Photography
Exhibition will present new work from
Feb. 12 -March 5 in the Council's newly
renovated gallery, 133 East Main Street,
Riverhead.
The photographers participating will be
Stanislaus Dubowski of East Moriches,
John Griffin of Southampton, Lori Scholz
of Hampton Bays, Noel Rowe of East
Hampton, and Valerie Scorsone of Coram.
Their work was selected from 171 entries
by jurors Jay Hoops, Pingree Loucheim
and Dr. Alfred Schwartz.
The hours are 10 a.m. -4 p.m. Tuesdays
through Saturdays. There will be a
reception honoring the artists on Saturday,
Feb. 12 from 3 to 5 p.m.
A
Valentine
Offer.
Buy this beautiful "Rose
Scatter Pin" for only $6
with any purchase of
Krementz 14Kt. Gold
Overlay Jewelry. This
traditional Krementz
design is enclosed in a
soft pouch and is offer-
ed for a limited time
only.
r ACARD �� anea,aw
CHARGE •V� EXPNE55 wC BUv
• Old Gold
d
24 E. Main Street, Riverhead 727 -0888 Diamonds
February 10, 1983
SHEET ICE - -A drop in temperature brings sheet ice over the marsh. It is all
part of the manufacturing process of nutrients that flow out into the
creeks. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
Bank Art Exhibits
RIVERHEAD -- Suffolk County National
Bank has invited Riverhead's Art
Complex -East to hang art exhibitions in
the bank's new branch offices.
The first exhibition (Feb. 1 -27) consists
of 23 works by 19 local artists at the bank's
office in Ostrander Avenue in Riverhead.
Boating Course
JAMESPORT - -The Peconic Bay Power
Squadron will conduct a 12 -week basic
boating course at the Jamesport
Community Center at 7:30 p.m. starting
Tuesday, March 1.
For information, call 298 -4512 or 728-
6280.
Valentine's Day
Special
Paraffin mask
Quenches winter
dry skin for the
natural pink glove
Call for details.
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