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Okefenokee Trip
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by ReptileBob on July 7, 2007
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hi
just got back from my Okefenokee swamp trip and it was great. we stayed 4 nights in Okefenokee Pastimes and had a ton of fun. the first day we rented a canoe and paddeled out into the swamp for a while. and the rest of the days we just explored the swamps East, West, and North entrances. we seen a lot of gopher tortoises and got some great pictures as well. in all we caught, 2 Cottonmouths (1 baby, 1 adult), 1 Grey Ratsnake (5ft), 1 Rough Green Snake, 1 Corn Snake (4ft), Fence swifts, 5 Lined Skinks, Estern mud turtle. we also went road cruising at night and found 3 DOR cottonmouths, 2 DOR water snakes, 2 DOR cornsnakes, and 1 DOR garter snake. over all we had a great time and would love to revisit in the near future.
Bob McLoughlin
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RE: Okefenokee Trip
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by BigBend66 on July 8, 2007
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I was there two weeks ago and was shocked at all of the fire damage, especailly in the area of the Okefenokee swamp park entrance..
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RE: Okefenokee Trip
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by Cro on July 8, 2007
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Collin, while the fire damage to the swamp might look bad, fire is an essential part of the ecosystem there that keeps the Okefenokee being a swamp.
If fires did not burn holes into the peat out in the swamp priaries, and keep the lakes and waterways open, the swamp would fill in and become a bog, and eventually, become a forest.
Dr. Fred Parrish did core samples down through the sand and peat, and found that for many milenia, the swamp burned about every 26 years. This was based on charcol layers from the various fires.
The swamp would be able to take care of itself if man would just leave it alone. Unfortunatly, man does not like leaving things alone, and chose to build the Suwanee River Seal after the big fire in the mid 1950's. They decided the smoke from the swamp fire was hurting the economy, and chose to dam up the Suwanee River at the edge of the swamp to keep water levels artificially high to prevent fires. That earthen dam on the Suwanee river built by Army dimwhit Corps of Engineers almost ruined the swamp. ( same group of numbskulls who almost ruined the Everglades by trying to straighten the meandering waterways ).
Over a very few years, the swamp started filling in and the lakes began to shrink. The layer of dry burnable material on the islands accumilated and got deeper and deeper.
In the very dry years, some lightning started fires did make some progress, such as the Black Jack Island fire a few years back.
It is an interesting dilema the folks in the USFWS have to face. They dont want to see the fires destroy man made structures, and they dont want to see the fire smoke drift over half of N. Florida and S. Georgia, but they are supposed to follow a mandate created by the Ecological folks that says they have to let nature take its course. So, they try to keep fires out of the swamp, by making football field wide fire brakes along the swamp perimiter roads when fire threatens, and by raking debris away from trees that house endangered species like Red Cocaded Woodpeckers, and they wrap old settlers houses in fire proof blanketts. I am sure you know all of this Collin, but many folks dont know the conflict in this. When the fire made it past the firelines, and into the swamp, I said "burn baby burn" as I knew that a big fire was way overdue in the swamp. And I really love my swamp. And I am all for any natural force like fire that is supposed to be there to keep the swamp being a swamp.
It is unfortunate that the sill has not been removed yet. They did go back in the Everglades and remove canals and try to recreate the meandering waterways. Hopefully, some day the Suwanee River Sill will be gone. Perhaps one of those airforce jocks who play over the swamp in their jet fighters will have to get rid of his explosive payload and will remove most of the Suwanee River sill. Then the headwaters of the Suwanee and Saint Mary's rivers will flow free again the way they are supposed to.
Anyway, the swamp is a great place. If you have not visited it, you should do so. And just know that the fire damage you see is a wonderfull thing, as it is part of a natural system that keeps the Okefenokee being a swamp !
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Okefenokee Trip
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by ReptileBob on July 9, 2007
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yes, during my stay i saw lots of fire damage but i do understand that it is an important part of any ecosystem. the burned sections of the swamp had a very unique odor, much different that the burned pine barren smell i am used to. i also wanted to add that i released all of the animals that i captured and only took back photographs.
Bob McLoughlin
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