Time - and Water - Do Tell

Time – and Water – Do Tell

January 16, 2017

(and January 20)

The cold, snow and ice (and “atomic star crystals”) of January 8 did not last long. Soon, we were back to unseasonably warm weather and rain, rain, rain.

The rains did awaken interesting fungi, mosses and lichen, including this one that I had never seen before:

Cladonia ochrochlora

Smooth-footed Powderhorn

I found it on a rotten chunk of wood on the slope, on my way down to Cottonwood Pond.

Wood Ear mushroom on the Cottonwood Trunk

Rains (as well as freezing and thawing) have changed the girth and general look of the Root Ball over time, as dirt kept falling from it. Dirt collecting below into piles has changed not only the look but the dynamics of Cottonwood Pond and nearby spaces.

January 18, 2013 - so much more dirt on the Root Ball, none below, and the pond still an even bowl of water.

2017 - can see the Cove opening at the bottom of the Root Ball, in the middle, between mud piles.

The Cove

2017 - main pond and south edge of Root Ball

Approximately same view in 2013

(notice the Bent Blue Beech arched over the pond and Root Ball)

2017 - Root Ball - top side

I wondered if the increasing size of the dirt piles was pushing water farther out, changing the perimeter of Cottonwood Pond.

I looked at photos from January 18, 2013, and saw that, indeed, that's what happened. The whole look of the main Pond has almost completely changed. And look at the difference in the Root Ball!

2013

2017

Mud Pile #1, near and around the north edge of the Root Ball, was the first dirt to collect. It definitely changed the flow of water around that end, creating the Isthmus between the main pond and “little pond.”

2013 - on the left, water flows very close to the Root Ball between the main pond and "little pond", with a little "dam" in the way.

2013 - "little pond" below the top side of the Root Ball, and the beginning of the little Isthmus on the edge. No Mud Piles yet.

2017 - Isthmus (lower right) going to "little pond" (upper part of photo)

2013 - the little "dam", to become the Isthmus

2017 - "little pond" (foreground), with excess water pushing to the north, the Isthmus (middle) and the main pond (background)

2017 - a closer look of the same - falling dirt from the north edge of the Root Ball, plus piles of rotting autumn leaves, have been building up Mud Pile #1, which used to only be below the Root Ball Bottom, at the edge of the main pond.

The Seep was definitely flowing. Though it has always headed from the pond corner to the Creek, its route getting there has changed over time.

2017 - corner of main pond and beginning of Seep

2013 - where the Seep starts at the western corner of the main pond

2017 - the Seep, as seen from the Creek - flowing from the corner of the main pond

Where the Seep meets the Creek, there is the Bark Ledge, which was completely obscured by fallen leaves. Since then, Seep flow from heavy rains have pushed leaves away.

And … look how much the Inlet has changed!

2013 - Water seems to be entering the pond only through the far ends of the Inlet, while the center is blocked off by soil (again, notice the Bent Blue Beech above the far end of the pond, over the Inlet.)

The Inlet, at the south end of the main pond, is all clear in 2017

In January, 2017, a channel is evident through the leafy bottom, showing where water had entered the main pond through the Inlet.

2017 - the other side of the Inlet, where water, after heavy rains or snow melt, goes under the Barkless Log, entering the main pond.

The Bent Blue Beech arching over the south end of the main pond has become the Broken Blue Beech …

2017

… with another generation of Blue Beech saplings growing from the base.

Look at the difference in the Cottonwood Trunk in four years' time! As of 2017, the thick, blocky bark was almost completely gone.

2013 - looking down the north side of the Trunk

2017 - looking down the north side of the Trunk

2013 - looking down the south side of the Trunk

2017 - looking down the south side of the Trunk

2013 - looking up the Cottonwood Trunk

2017 - looking up the Cottonwood Trunk

As bark fell and time worked on the Trunk, it sported more fungi (whose mycelium helped break down the wood,) more moss, and more small plant sprouts (whose roots would work on the wood even more.)

Looking back four years has shown me how much it has all changed, mostly through the actions of rain and running water. How will Cottonwood Pond look four years from this time, in 2021?

January 20, 2017

Four days later … more warm weather, more rain …

Atomic Stars!!

Atomic Stars!!

January 8, 2017

For the third year in a row, there have been widespread, record-breaking warm temperatures. All winter here, January 8^th was the only true winter day, up to that time. There had been some very cold days with no snow. There had been a day or two with snow flurries and a dusting.

January 8^th had been the only day that looked and felt like a real, traditional Indiana winter, with snow (a little more than a dusting), very cold temperatures, and ice.

The effects of climate change could be something else to study at Cottonwood Pond but, so far, the pond had not existed long enough.

I knew I had to get down there and check it out while it actually had snow and ice. Who knew if we'd have another wintry day?

That day, my observations turned out to be about three main things: channels, crystals and tracks (wow, that sounds cosmic ...) all made clear by winter conditions.

During previous (unseasonably warm) days, rain had been sculpting the landscape in and around Cottonwood Pond. Then water and ground froze, and snow fell. Designs carved by water became accentuated. The story of water flow and earthly changes was frozen in time.

The Creek was thick with ice. Sun glinted off the surface, revealing the texture of frozen ripples.

A design of alternating white and clear patches told the story of where water was calm or agitated.

Designs show where water was pushing against a small "dam" in the Creek

Creek water was very "ripply" here as it froze

When I looked closely into a clear section, I saw slight movement among the edges of leaves in the bottom, telling me that water in the lowest layer was still flowing, albeit rather slowly.

And, I found lovely crystal formations scattered across the surface of clear spots, as if someone had tossed handfuls of stars across the Creek – those “atomic” stars so prevalent in late 1950's and early 1960's design.

There's a strange little anomaly in this photo: a row of dark lines across the upper left corner. They seem to be long, narrow holes in the ice - maybe.

Atomic star crystals lined the Creek's edge …

… and fancifully decorated plain old sticks.

Approaching Cottonwood Pond, I saw that its frozen surface was also decorated.

More atomic star crystals!

Over the deepest part of the pond, atomic stars yielded to scattered, snowy splotches.

Perhaps the more shallow areas had frozen more quickly, creating atomic star crystals where wet snow had fallen onto the ice. It would have been fun to be there as the snow fell and water froze, watching these formations take shape, though I wondered how long it took them to form.

Are these spots formed by animal feet stepping across the snow on the pond, or were they extra cold spots bent on forming longer crystals?

Snow remained thickly on some areas of the pond, while other spaces were relatively clear, with scattered atomic star crystals. Since I knew this area from past study, it was easy to see that the relatively clear areas were also the spaces with the most water movement. I could see where water had entered the pond primarily under the west end of the Inlet, had run alongside the Very Rotten Log, and then spread throughout the bulk of the pond. Some had pushed toward the east corner, then curved toward the center.

Water had then pushed toward the shallow north corner, where it was greatly slowed down. The cold, dense water had lost momentum in that corner.

As seen from the north

As seen from the south

On the northeast edge, water had tried to push toward the Cove, but lost momentum.

Designs show where water currents had pushed along the bottom edge of the Root Ball, toward the Cove

Snow, ice and crystals showed me more about the depths and dynamics of this body of water. I could apply this knowledge later in the year to what forms of life I might find in different sections of the pond.

Since water lost momentum at the north corner, there was no evidence of it having flowed over the Isthmus. But, deeper patches of snow indicated low spots where water sometimes settles or runs, on either side of the Isthmus and at “little pond.”

Speaking of “little pond,” the area of most water action there (near the Trunk) was also relatively clear and crystal-covered, while the rest of “little pond” had been relatively calm.

This made it obvious where water flowed in from the other side of the Trunk. My thought was that this generally happened when the main pond filled so much that water flowed through the Cove, pushing under the Trunk into “little pond.”

Winter conditions also accentuated the path of the Seep from the main pond corner to Creek …

… and revealed the path of water from Temporary Creek to Swampy Spot and on the the Inlet and main pond.

Temporary Creek #1

The Swampy Spot

Channel from Swampy Spot to Inlet

The Inlet

South end of main pond, on the other side of the Inlet

(animal tracks on top of the Barkless Log)

The snow also revealed activity that happened at Cottonwood Pond sometime previous to my visit. Animals had been crossing logs, crossing the pond and eating seeds.

Crossing the Very Rotten Log over the Creek

Oops - slipped!

Crystal-filled tracks of an animal who had been dining on Dropseed seeds that dropped onto the snow, next to Cottonwood Pond

I saw prints of squirrels, birds, mice and others (including some kitty paw prints.)

Bird wing print

The Cottonwood Trunk ...

... and a closer look ...

I hope there will be more true winter days of snow and ice, telling more stories, before the winter ends. It is important to local wildlife, humans, and the environment we all share.

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Bonus Photos: Snow Designs:

Stubs of an Asian Bush Honeysuckle I cut down last fall. Stems of this plant have hollow centers.

Desiccated mushroom on the Cottonwood Trunk

A jaunty snow cap on the Ball in the Swampy Spot (notice animal tracks there and below) ... 

... and on "The Gremlin" (a funny-shaped chunk of old tree that resides on the slope above Cottonwood Pond)

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