Spring 2012

$Clary Stream. Used to be Clary Meadow. Jack estimates that the lake could fall another 2\' from where it is today, judging from the depth of the water in the channel. Picture by Jack Holland 15 April 2012.$

$Good luck launching anything bigger than my 14\' Starcraft. I had to row 75 yards out before I could put down the motor. Photo taken at the State boat launch 21 March 2012.$

$Beth Callahan of the DEP checking out the Significant Wading Bird Habitat in the upper Clary Meadow just south of the Sennott Road. Not a whole lot of wading going on, by us or by birds. In fact, wild life in general and birds in particular were conspicuously absent during our site visit. It\'s a dead zone out there. Photograph by George Fergusson, 19 April 2012.$

$Yet another dock that needs to be reset now that the water has risen. Wildly fluctuating water levels benefit no one. The water in this picture is 2.7\' below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson, 11 May 2012.$ $Here\'s the problem with fluctuating water levels, especially this time of year when fish and birds are breeding. This is a photograph of a male Smallmouth Bass tending his nest, a shallow depression in the gravel from which he\'s fanned away the detritus, dirt, and dead leaves. Waiting on a female to come by and lay her eggs . The lake level is currently 34\" below the top of the dam. Here, the water is only about 14\" deep. Unless we get a significant amount of rain in the next few weeks, this nest will succumb to low water. Wildlife doesn\'t much care what the water level is, but they like it stable. Photograph by George Fergusson 20 May 2012.$ $Cruisin\'$

$That bass came up and nipped at my dog\'s tail. Dog was not impressed, but I was. Photograph by George Fergusson 20 May 2012$ $An 18\" pickerel just hanging out in shallow water Bass half his size were unpeturbed by the pickerel, they pretty much ignored him. That\'s a jet contrail reflected on the water surface. Photograph by George Fergusson 20 May 2012$ $Here\'s another picture of the bass tending his nest. Photograph by George Fergusson 20 May 2012$

$We have a pair of nesting loons on Clary lake this year. Because of the low water, they\'ve chosen a different location than the traditional loon nesting area on the north shore. This nest is located in the marsh on the southwest shore near Route 126, along property belonging to Jordan, near what used to be Warren Erskine\'s home. Unfortunately, with the falling water level, this nest is doomed. The water level is currently 40\" below the top of the dam and falling at the rate of about 3/4\" per day. This nest will soon be high and dry and vulnerable to predators. Photograph by George Fergusson 28 May 2012$

$Another picture of the loon nest. It is in only about 6\" of water. It\'s built of mud and dead plants. Photograph by George Fergusson 28 May 2012$ $When I came back by on my way home, the loons had gone fishing. Here\'s a picture of the nest showing it\'s construction. Photograph by George Fergusson 28 May 2012$ $Looking up into Clark\'s Meadow, prime wading bird habitat in a normal year, obviously nothing wading up there now. Notice how high the bank of the channel is. Picture by Rob Rowland, 15 April 2012.$ $The duck blind at the junction of Clark\'s Meadow and the main channel. The brook leading up into Clark\'s Meadow is completely dry. Picture by Rob Rowland, 15 April 2012.$ $Don\'t really know what to say. It will take years for this wetland to recover. Photo by Rob Rowland 15 April 2012.$

$These pictures were taken by Maryjane Rowland up in the channel area on 15 April 2012. It turns out these are the rhizomes (roots) of the Yellow Pond Lily. Beth Callahan of the DEP provided the initial identification. In the spring new growth emerges from the end of these roots, adding another section to the rhizome, which sprouts roots at the end and along it\'s length. They can get quite long. These rhizomes are supposed to be buried deeply in the mud but they have been exposed as a result of erosion, or perhaps they were frost-heaved out of the mud. It is not clear if these are going to survive being exposed like this.$ $Photo showing the fork in the channel, the left fork continues on to the dam while the right fork heads up into Clark\'s Meadow towards the Sennot Road. Photo by Daniel Burns, February 2012.$ $Carly Champine sent me this picture of their dock, which is now a float :) They put it in when the lake was down 5\' and they\'re not the only ones who have to reset their docks. Picture by Carly Champine, 06 May 2012$

$Biologists with the State Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife surveying the bog on the north shore of Clary Lake. The water level at the time was -50\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 01 January 2012$

$A pressure ridge by the entrance to the channel. Wouldn\'t want to hit that with a snowmobile! Picture taken 13 February 2012.$ $How\'s that for an pressure ridge! Imagine hitting that at speed on your snowmobile! Photograph by George Fergusson 13 February 2012$ $The channel has remained open all winter. Here its about 12\' wide and 4\' deep. The water level at the time was -58\" below the top of the dam. Photograph by George Fergusson 13 February 2012$

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Clary Lake Association

Preserving and Protecting Clary Lake

Spring 2012

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