New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Sand,silt, more muddy waters and less water in the exposed channels.

Thursday 05/25/2006

Although the Suncook River is dropping nearer to it's normal May flow by the day it's turbidity has not changed much from any view I have managed. From the breach down river the Suncook River runs nearly as brown as it has for a week and 5 days. I decided to spend some evening time looking further down the river. Last evening I walked my younger dog down into my usual haunt in Bear Brook State Park as I wanted to explore the results of the flood there and see where Bear Brook funnels into the Suncook River near the Epsom/Allenstown boundary. By now Bear Brook has dropped mostly down to near late spring level. It is still the higher running Suncook that is holding it's level up. What a dramatic scene where the nearly clear waters of Bear Brook flows into the Suncook River. A night and day difference.

This evening I traveled down into the town of Allenstown where the Suncook River flows into the Merrimack River. There is just as a distinctive muddy/clear line there as well. The muddy Suncook River bulges out into the Merrimack a very dark brown color before the flooded Merrimack drives it along the eastern shore. Even at flood level the Merrimack River water looks blue with the muddy brown Suncook wedging into the much brighter waters. I wonder when, if ever the Suncook River will run clear again.

Today several NH Fish and Game staffers as well as several from the US Fish and Wildlife Service office in Concord were back out just below the dams at the head of Bear Island in Epsom where the Suncook River has lost nearly all its waters recovering more of the state threatened brook floater mussels. Monday a crew of about 15 recovered 628 of the rare mussels that are now being held at the Nashua federal fish hatchery. Word later in the day had over 200 more collected. Imagine finding by far the biggest population of this state threatened species, just as their habitat is eliminated and they face extinction. Great effort has gone into recovering numbers before the warmer sunny weather completely dries the river bed, or the raccoons find this mother load of a buffet. Every day is a race against the odds to salvage this population.

Pairs of ducks and geese seem to be every where these last few days. They almost appear lost. But I'm sure they are just getting themselves back in order to build another nest and lay another clutch of eggs. Wildlife is so dynamic that most will bounce back within weeks or months at most. Life for all intense and purposes will mostly be "normal" again. What the river takes, it will give back with time. I just don't know how long for some things like the end of this mud. Will it be in my life time I can't help but wonder some days.