New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, record freezing temps!

Thursday 03/08/2007

Where oh where is just a hint of spring? This week has had us in record low temperatures, even record LOW for the high temperatures of the day. It didn't get above 3 degrees Tuesday at my house with a gale force wind all day. Today was hardly better and I was out in it through the morning until early afternoon.

I was asked by DES staff to take a geologist for the Suncook River tour pending a study proposal to see what, if anything, should be done to fix, restore or stabilize the Suncook River by the avulsion site. It was 5 degrees when I headed out this morning. I didn't think the snow was too deep and I kind of figured this arctic blast would firm up a crust. NOT.

I first took him into the pit area. The one or two inch crust simply gave way to the foot or so of snow under it. It was tough hiking. It wasn't long before my t-shirt, shirt and even my down jacket were soaked with sweat.

By the second hike into the upper end I was soaked and freezing. But it certainly was worth it. What a magnificent sight the ice capped river is this winter. I had not hiked in since last fall.

But every time I am amazed how much it continues to change from month to month. Far more trees have toppled into the river just above where the new section goes down through the bog and into the former pit. The river channel keeps cutting deeper and deeper into the former river bottom above the avulsion. This is now collapsing more and more of the former stable banking toppling trees into the channel. Even back as far up as the route 4 bridge by the Epsom Circle the banking is collapsing. No doubt it will be decades before the river is actually stable once again.

And all this sand, silt, loam and clay is continuously washed down river to build up the river bottom. My guess is the river 3 or 4 miles down river by me will continue to fill in and will great expand the flood plain so the corn field below me will flood continuously as well as maybe even the homes along the river below me. The story of this Great Mothers Day Flood has yet to be written. Decades of changes are in the works for the Suncook River.

I stopped yesterday afternoon to assist the graduate student in a late afternoon attempt at capturing turkeys over on Great Bay. They did get 10 in the morning at one site and were hoping for a late afternoon capture as well. We stayed until nearly dusk with only 3 or 4 turkeys wander onto the bait site.

It is supposed to really start to warm up this week end. I can hardly wait!