Scajaquada Creek Exploration

Scaj Creek, June 19, 2008. A photo essay.

Kate and Tom embark among tall "tree trunks" on a water testing and monitoring mission.

We are enveloped by lush, verdant shores in this little-known stretch of the creek. The warm water gently ripples in the breeze and overhanging trees are alive with birds.

Navigating the cool drippy caverns beneath the overpasses, our voices echo from the damp concrete.

I befriend the natives, in this case a large Painted Turtle. On a sunny day, we often see half a dozen of these guys lazing together on floating logs.

A week-old Mallard duckling, recently deceased, brings us down with worries of botulism. The deadly bacteria, inhabiting sediment from sewer overflow, has killed hundreds of Mallards in die-offs on the Creek in past years. A female Mallard skulks nearby with one living duckling of the same age in tow, probably this fella's mom and sibling.

Invasive Japanese Knotweed on the right bank makes a picturesque reflection, but crowds out higher quality native species and degrades the precious shoreline habitat. We will return another day to fight this knotweed.

Crashing down the bank into the water comes Scajaquada Bob, a massive Beaver who never fails to make his presence known to other paddlers. Bob has been single and cranky since his girlfriend was hit on the expressway early this year. I swear he's in the picture, 'cause right after I took it he dove under my kayak.

Stormwater dirty with car fluids runs directly off the expressway, through pipes like this one, and into the creek. Yes, there is a better way to do this, and yes, we will ask NYSDOT for it as a part of the expressway reconfiguration coming up in the next few years.

A wild blue iris peers out from the shore.

I catch the Scajaquada Canoe Band playing live!! Kate rocks the house with a killer Hendrix impression.

This creepy problem outfall is dry today, but in the rain it discharges nasty grey water.

Barn Swallows glue their nests to the nice dry beams under the Niagara Street bridge. They flick about over our heads, shouting at us and to one another.

Tom recruits DOT employees to the cause while Kate looks on.

Long live Scajaquada Creek! We will soon return.