New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Another week and another flood here.

Wednesday 03/31/2010

Another week and another flood here. The Suncook River has turned into a lake again out my window this morning. Fortunately I am well above it. This is the third near record flood in four weeks. I expect ARk building to be taking place soon. I think I may just be getting a little paranoid and that is without needing to evacuate like folks down river from me. Prior to 2005 I saw this river up like this a handful of time in 25 years. Then beginning in 2005 it became about an annual event with the Great Mothers Day flood in 2006 and the Patriots Day Flood in 2007. Last year it was the month of June that the fields was partly underwater. Now we have three near 100-year floods in four weeks. This really is bizarre I am not posting a new picture because the scene is the same as the last two events. The corn and hay field beyond are completely under water. I have a lake out my window this morning. A check of the river gauge on the Friends of the Suncook River site shows the river at about 4,000 cubic feet per second. We were closer to 6,000 a couple weeks ago. And about 7,000 in 2007. Still a very high flood. One of the tops in the last three decades that I have lived here. And the river will likely keep rising today before peaking.

The good news is the frogs and toads and salamanders are moving this week. Though I have not heard peepers here, I think because of the high water, I have heard them elsewhere in town. My daughter reports that the wood frogs at here house in Concord started calling last Wednesday. I did get out two nights ago to catch my first salamander and toad of the year. Pics to follow. I drove my 3-mile salamander census route Monday night right after dark, about 7:30 pm. I expected to find numbers of salamanders but only found two. I live and one hit by a car. I did see several toads and the spring peepers were in numbers. I think maybe we had a rain late last Thursday night after I went to bed and the bulk of them moved then. I hope so. A couple dozen to as many as 50 has been my count over the last decade on this route if I catch it right.

How quickly the lawns and fields have greened up. The aspen trees around here are already in full bloom and red maples are not far behind. We are well into spring.