Hi David,
One thing to remember is that the marsh helps further filter the water before it flows on down to the Brazos and the Gulf. That's part of the importance of leaving marshes as is and not building condos on them--or just filling them in altogether. It also provides, as you've discovered, nutrients for snails, tadpoles, etc which provide food on down the chain. Here in Medford, we have big settling ponds which the birds just love to be around. That water eventually goes into the Rogue River. We have an irrigation ditch near our office which has bullfrog tadpoles, mosquito fish, etc. The great blue herons and the egrets love them as do the mallards. Since bullfrogs are an invasive species here, we love it when they get gobbled up. Love your marshes, Louise From: dlocklea...@gmail.com List-Post: texascavers@texascavers.com Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:55:22 -0600 To: texascavers@texascavers.com Subject: [Texascavers] aquifer question I live about 300 meters from sewage treatment plant that dumps the treated sewage directly into a creek that flows 1 mile downstream to the Brazos River, and then 100 miles or so later ends up in the Gulf. What happens to all the treated sewage water in the Edwards Aquifer area ? On a related note, but mainly for you birders: If you look at the discharge into this creek, it stinks really bad for over 100 meters. The marshy creek at the discharge is full of cattail like vegetation growing in the water and lots of water birds. I am not a birder ( yet ), but I think it is common to see the marsh feeding birds at the discharge, like: Great Blue Heron, Black-crowed Night Heron, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Snowy Egret, Tri-colored Heron, White Ibis, etc. There is also lots of nutria in a culvert downstream. Other critters in the area are turtles. But I haven't seen any fish. The marshy creek is only a foot deep, so there is no where for them to hide from the birds. ( This creek may just be a man-made dredged channel, or at least that is what it is now. ) What I am getting at here, is this discharge does not appear to be hurting the environment, but I wouldn't want to go swimming in the Brazos River downstream of there. You wouldn't swim there anyways, as the gators would swallow you whole in one gulp.
