September is peak …
Water season in the swamp.
Except this year (so far).
Here’s a closer look: http://gohydrology.org
P.S. Please share with a friend!
You know we’ve finally hit the heart of the wet season …
When the pinelands are shallowly flooded.
Over the course of an average year, we can usually count on the hydric pines going under for a good 4 months of the summer/fall period and the higher-perched mesic pines getting inundated for about a month.
And usually September is reliably our peak water season.
Except this year.
The water table is inching up but still below the pine trunks.
That makes this year drier (i.e. less wet) than the drought summer of 2000
The term swamp is a bit of a misnomer.
Mosaic is probably the better term.
It applies to both its maze of plant communities …
And the patchy pattern by which it burns.
And the variable nature of water …
In terms of both duration and depth.
So go flood and fire, so go the swamp … I mean mosaic!
As often as I hear (and use) the term,
I rarely see them as clearly as shown below.
Pine islands separated by mini cypress strands
Water both covers …
And reveals the landscape.
The pine islands really pop out
That’s especially the case with a winter high stand of water where the needle-free cypress make the copious cover of water easier to see.
Shown below is an island full of pine trees …
In the middle of a pond.
But don’t be confused with the real thing:
Proper pine islands in the swamp are surrounded by a sea of marl prairie and cypress, the depth of which are usually a few inches to a foot.
The pine islands are still dry in Big Cypress National Preserve
Everyone thinks the swamp is flat.
But is it really?
Even in the deepest slough …
I was surprised to find tiny hills of dry land.
Overturned trees cause roots and peat to locally pop up.
Meanwhile, that same effect also causes deeper trenches to form.
Or in other words, better watch where you step!
There’s nothing flat about slogging in a water-filled swamp.