What the heck happened?
- Thread starter James Bentwood
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I don't know for sure but it looks like an attempt to drain wetlands. I bet it was done quite awhile ago either as a failed development attempt or possibly a mosquito control attempt.
Many canals and ditches were dug all along the bay and Bayous to "drain the swamp" to eradicate mosquitoes and other pests. Mosquito control ditches. They are still maintained and many sprayed with poison.
Many canals and ditches were dug all along the bay and Bayous to "drain the swamp" to eradicate mosquitoes and other pests. Mosquito control ditches. They are still maintained and many sprayed with poison.
Mosquito ditches most likely
There is a reeeaaaalllly long one on the eastern end of Lake Powell, starts a few turns after the marsh ends and you go under the trees and into the creek. About 8 feet wide and you can tell it was cut in. It runs mostly straight and goes at least as far as the power lines to the east of the lake near the fire station on back beach road.
A few years ago after enough big rains to clear some logs and stuff out of there, and the lake was closed to the gulf, I was able to paddle my kayak into the clearing under the power lines!
There was a lot of brush covering the opening on the far eastern side of the power lines so I was unable to go further.
Put in on the northside of bridge to Wild Heron saves the long and sometimes windy paddle from the public boat launch behind Publix. One of my fav paddles in these dune lakes for sure.
There is a reeeaaaalllly long one on the eastern end of Lake Powell, starts a few turns after the marsh ends and you go under the trees and into the creek. About 8 feet wide and you can tell it was cut in. It runs mostly straight and goes at least as far as the power lines to the east of the lake near the fire station on back beach road.
A few years ago after enough big rains to clear some logs and stuff out of there, and the lake was closed to the gulf, I was able to paddle my kayak into the clearing under the power lines!
There was a lot of brush covering the opening on the far eastern side of the power lines so I was unable to go further.
Put in on the northside of bridge to Wild Heron saves the long and sometimes windy paddle from the public boat launch behind Publix. One of my fav paddles in these dune lakes for sure.
Yeah there are tons of mosquito ditches all over, far inland. Do you think they actually thought they could drain marsh that is always wet? Another point is that you don't need to drain marsh because fish and frogs eat mosquito larvae. And Hogtown is saltwater anyhow.
Seems more like someone trying to drain marsh to build on or perhaps build an aquatic farm like oyster beds.