floodplains | The Raleigh Naturalist

February 14, 2019

Raleigh Swamp Recovers from a Swamping

Filed under: Central Raleigh, Crabtree Creek, Greenways & Parks, waterways — Tags: Buckeye Trail, Crabtree Creek, floodplains, Raleigh Swamp, turtles, wetlands — raleighnaturalist @ 5:27 pm

Raleigh Swamp is a prominent, even dramatic feature of the Raleigh Greenway at the intersection of Crabtree Boulevard and Raleigh Boulevard, joining Buckeye Trail to Middle Crabtree Trail and crossing a large shallow body of water with a causeway. The water was never intended to be permanent, but a wetland was turned into a shallow lake by the work of beavers, as explained in this 2013 post.

The place is a paradise for visiting birds, thirsty deer and other wildlife, and an amazing collection of turtles that bask by the piled up dozens on the many logs protruding from the water. The causeway was built with best ecological practices, minimizing disruption, but it has needed repairs recently because of extensive flooding. Cara and I visited in November 2018 and saw some of the work.

The crossing of the greenway with a utility cut has been strengthened and guarded with metal gates. The northwestern end of the site has a short stretch of asphalt that has repeatedly been ruined as the flooded marsh cuts through the shoulder of Crabtree and dumps excess water into the creek. looks like they are going to repair (instead of culvert) it once again, but this spot has closed the causeway, officially that is, for months. Most people just make their way around the mild barricades.

Different species of trees can tolerate shorter or longer periods of flooding. Ash, river birch and of course willows can survive many weeks of inundation. But if flooding lasts too long, trees die and the vegetative regime changes.

This area was a scrubby wetland with a smattering of drier tussocks and paths through it until the construction of the Raleigh Boulevard bridge. Many relics of the former trees dot the wide expanse of water. There is thus a small justiofication for the term used by locals and myself, Raleigh Swamp, though in fact this is a marsh. Whatever you call it, it’s a great place to bike walk, fish, or bird watch.

Below is the illustration I created from the lead photograph for my new book, the Natural History of Raleigh. Raleigh Swamp is featured in Chapter Four. Happy trails!

The Natural History of Raleigh

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January 26, 2015

Anderson Point Anchors the Union of Crabtree and the Neuse

Filed under: Crabtree Creek, East Raleigh, Greenways & Parks, Rural Raleigh, waterways — Tags: Buckeye Trail, Crabtree Creek, floodplains, geology, trees — raleighnaturalist @ 6:02 pm

moss on a rock outcrop by lower Crabtree Creek

Crabtree is usually a low-flow creek, but after long and heavy rains, its flow can rival the Neuse River, of which it is a major tributary. The newly completed lower Crabtree Trail, featured in my previous post, provides a very long bridge that gives you a good sense of Crabtree’s large size as it approaches Anderson Point to flow into the Neuse.

Crabtree begins in Cary and after passing though Morrisville and Umstead Park, arcs across north Raleigh, roughly parallel to 440. It gathers water from Brier Creek in the north to downtown Cary in the south: a huge swath of Wake County’s terrain. As it approaches Anderson Point Park, it is large and wide.

Crabtree Trail crosses the creek at Anderson Point

Anderson Point Park is a large complex amenity. Off Rogers Lane (from New Bern Avenue or New Hope Road) you can park before the bridge over the 64 bypass to access the Neuse River Trail and canoe put-in, or cross the bridge into the park proper, where large fields, picnic shelters, and specialty gardens attract many local families. At the bottom of this large and open expanse, a wooded path leads to the confluence of Crabtree and the Neuse. The connector with the Crabtree Trail is back at the top of the slope.

Following this path northward from the park, one gets a great sense of Crabtree’s lower floodplain forests. Large beeches are profuse, and American holly greens up the dark stands of winter sweetgum and ash.

American holly in Crabtree’s floodplain

The ancient age of Crabtree can be inferred from sandstone outcrops – huge rocks built by the creek itself over eons. Just before the creek crosses under Rogers Lane, it crosses over flat sheets of even older, harder rock and is only a few inches deep in times of low water. On the day of this visit, the water was high and the “rapids” were only visible as white ruffles in the brown flow.

My favorite spot on both my recent visits was a rocky overhang where the creek makes a sharp turn before approaching the river. The rocks are covered with a minature forest of moss, and on the second visit they were sunlit and quite photogenic.

Buckeye Trail, seen below, represents the oldest and “wildest” section of Raleigh greenway. Now it also presents a connection to a huge greenway loop around Raleigh, utilizing the Neuse River trail and the long extension of the Walnut Creek Trail to the River. Anderson Point is a great focal point for these connections, The exciting Mingo Creek Trail connection, just upstream, will have to wait for another post. Happy hiking or biking on our wonderful, ever-growing system!

Winter sycamores guard Buckeye Trail connector on Milburnie Road

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October 29, 2014

Mystery Bridge in Crabtree Valley

Filed under: Crabtree Creek, Gems & Surprises, Greenways & Parks, West Raleigh — Tags: Crabtree Creek, floodplains — raleighnaturalist @ 2:50 pm

abandoned bridge over Crabtree Creek just off Glenwood Avenue

Crabtree Creek Trail is 14.6 miles of greenway through the heart of Raleigh, starting at Anderson Point off New Bern Avenue east of town and following the creek all the way to Oak Park in northwest Raleigh. It was until recently the longest continuous stretch of Raleigh greenway, and now has been eclipsed by the Neuse River Walk and Walnut Creek Trail, both newly completed, relatively rural connectors. Of all the wonderful features on this complex trail, the abandoned bridge just upstream of Kidd Brewer’s old cow meadow (now Raleigh’s most floodable mall) wins the honors for mystery and quirkiness.

When and how was this bridge used? I will be crowdsourcing on Facebook, and don’t hesitate to comment here if you know anything. This stretch of greenway picks up across Edwards Mill Road from Crabtree Valley Mall, and meanders through old neighborhoods as well as a sprinkling of new condo developments before dead-ending into Lindsay Road in Oak Park.

I do NOT recommend walking on this bridge! It is very rotten. You wouldn’t fall in, but stepping through would be no fun. I stuck to the crossbeams, but was still anxious. Lovely view, though. Any thoughts?

Update

The Facebook post for this piece has produced wonderful information: Foy Beal states that the bridge was installed by the Martin family, namesakes of Martin MIddle School, when they owned property on both sides of the creek. Richard Butner has this info: “Used to go to the Leroy B. and Charlotte M. Martin House, designed by Brian Shawcroft.” Chip Robie has a fun story about using this “driveway” as a shortcut to Edward Mills Road. Others have interesting memories as well, and I am sure more to come. Thanks!

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March 3, 2014

Buckeye Connecting to the Neuse

Filed under: Crabtree Creek, East Raleigh, Greenways & Parks — Tags: Buckeye Trail, Crabtree Creek, floodplains, Milburnie — raleighnaturalist @ 8:58 pm

The trail head of Buckeye, the oldest and the beginning of the longest stretch of Raleigh Greenway, is being extended down Crabtree Creek to Anderson Point, the creek’s intersection with the Neuse River. Much progress has been made with grading and a layer of crush-n-run, but a break remains just south of New Bern Avenue, where a freshet ditch needs a bridge or culvert before paving can begin. With an easy hop over that, a hiker or biker can travel from Milburnie down the creek beside Sunnybrook road, toward the pump stations under 440 and the huge off ramp for the 64 Bypass. Here the creek, and eventually the greenway, will travel beside the railroad track through a large undeveloped area as it crossed New Hope Road and heads toward Anderson Point.

Looking at Milburnie and Longview Creek from Buckeye

The trail head of Buckeye will not connect directly. Here is a view of Longview Creek from Buckeye, where I thought a bridge might be built, but instead there is a short jog down Milburnie Road from the current entrance to the extension, which runs right behind the old Swain’s Steakhouse and then under New Bern Avenue.

Past New Bern is the freshet ditch, then a long stretch parallel to Sunnybrook and Wakefield Village.

Crabtree is at full strength as it makes its last swing toward the Neuse. Across the creek, the railroad cut is terraced into some impressive slopes, and the hardwood bottomland trees along the creek are impressive.

This will be an exciting connection and make possible some amazing round trips on bicycle.

Now they just need to build this crossing!

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April 9, 2013

Raleigh Swamp Shifts with Sewer Project

Filed under: Crabtree Creek, Greenways & Parks, Northeast Raleigh, waterways — Tags: birding, Buckeye Trail, Crabtree Creek, creek levels, floodplains, great blue heron, Raleigh Swamp, turtles, wetlands — raleighnaturalist @ 5:05 pm

The huge sewer project – seen above at Crabtree Boulevard looking toward the Mouth of Pigeon House Branch – has introduced a new geography to Raleigh Swamp, my name for the body of water off Raleigh Boulevard just north of its intersection with Crabtree Boulevard. The large wooden causeway and gazebo were wonderful additions to the meeting of Buckeye trail and Middle Crabtree Trail. Now the sewer project has dictated a large dam and concrete bridge section that bisects the “swamp.” I know a real swamp is moving water with trees, but this lowland was dotted with dying trees for years after its establishment, and the snags of many remain as resting spots for herons, cormorants, and the occasional wood duck. Canada geese and mallards breed here, while the turtle population has grown to a staggering level. It is all thanks to the beavers.

When I first returned to Raleigh from Greensboro in 1980, they were starting to build the Raleigh Boulevard bridge over Crabtree Creek. The caissons they used to sink the bridge piers were impressive, and Dulci, my black lab and I kept a close watch on the process. At this time, the “Raleigh Swamp” area was a sometime wetland dotted with scrub trees and ribboned with the paths of homeless campers. Like many floodplains in the area, it got wet in the winter but stayed dry most summers. The Boulevard project changed that, with a little help from the local beavers. The transition was clarified for me by a city engineer years later through a comment on this blog in 2009. I quote it in full below:

Was reading through your website after getting the link from the Fletcher Park Watergarden and noted that the “pond” off Raleigh Blvd was one of your favorite places. I thought I’d mention that this was actually a City of Raleigh mitigation project I designed many years ago to offset the environmental impacts from the construction of Raleigh Blvd. It was supposed to be a wetland but the beavers in the area had a different idea as they immediately blocked the culverts under the roadway causing the water to back up and form a permanent pond. Can’t say I object to the result of their efforts. It’s a beautiful spot and the addition of the greenway has made it accessible to the masses.

Mark Senior, PE, Senior Project Engineer, Water Quality Section, Stormwater Divsion of the City of Raleigh Public Works Department

The beavers have indeed made great use of the spot with several different lodges in different spots. New generations of beavers tend to build their own lodge. Until I got the info from Mark, I assumed the construction of the road bed dammed up the water. The water on the east side of Raleigh Boulevard acts more normally – rising and falling with rains and seasons. I know the beavers play over there as well, because you can see their slides into Crabtree Creek as you walk down Buckeye toward Rollingwood.

Getting back to the sewer project, you can see above the large dam across the wetland. This, along with the upgraded line in general, has changed the location and depth of water around the edges of the marsh (which is technically what it is). Some areas are now totally dry – at least for now – and some are substantially deeper. No real harm done, since nature and time effect these kinds of changes all the time anyway. but the newly dry areas, which were beaver playgrounds until now, will undergo an interesting and specialized kind of succession – new plants adapted to the new conditions will take over. It should be a fascinating transition and Raleigh Nature will keep an eye on it. Below are shots of the stranded areas.

The beavers had a lodge at the very spot pictured below years ago but abandoned it during the drought of the early 2000s. Perhaps they will rebuild now that the water situation is restored!

All posts on Raleigh Swamp

previous post on this sewer project

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March 5, 2013

Paving a Little Paradise: Marshall Additions Highlight and Loom Over House Creek Greenway

Filed under: Greenways & Parks, waterways, West Raleigh — Tags: floodplains, golf courses, House Creek — raleighnaturalist @ 4:31 pm

The sign announces a new park along the recently opened House Creek Greenway. But dominating the scene is a new housing development, which turns out to belong to land sold to developers by the same Rick Marshall that provided Marshall Memorial Park – a set of amenities arranged along the lower part of the new trail. The plantings and side trails are nice, but are dwarfed by the impact of these huge retaining walls and future buildings right in the riparian buffer that protects the creek. An excellent article in the Midtown Raleigh News spells out the tit for tat – planning approval in exchange for a greenway easement to get the trail through this steep, heavily wooded section. (In his comment on this post, Mr. Marshall states that the land and improvements were offered unconditionally. I got my stated impression not only from the article but from a conversation with Vic Lebsock, head of greenways, about the project – my apologies to Mr. Marshall).

These walls are REALLY big! It’s a rough loss of permeability for this sponge of a slope that slows Blue Ridge water as it makes its way down. House Creek already has orange algae blooms in the meadow where it meets Crabtree. The greenway section will still be lovely, once the construction ends, and they have already installed rip-rap troughs to handle the increased flow into the creek. Below is a look at the Marshall Memorial Park proper, and a tour of the new trail.

Side Trail up slope at Marshall Memorial Park

new plantings along House Creek Trail

The rich but tiny linear park is dedicated to Lt. Col. George F. Marshall, a war hero whose son is a Raleigh businessmen. It contains a side trail to a sandy beach on the creek, a longish side trail up the side of the hardwood slope below Ridge Road, a gazebo area, and some nice trailside plantings. This is a rich bottomland forest which only lost a portion of itself when the Beltline was built. The steep slope of Ridge Road’s ridge creates a quick succession of trees toward upland species. I can remember when some lucky woodlot-dwelling horses were living on this slope in the 60’s. They were visible on the east-bound Beltline approaching the Ridge Road ramp. The wooded floodplain has long been valuable to naturalists and neighbors, but inaccessible to most – until the House Creek Trail opened.

House Creek Trail has an inauspicious start indeed, at the Ridge Road Connector. Directly across 440 and left is the Vet School and the Faculty Club golf course – the headwaters of House Creek. To the right is the Museum of Art campus, whose greenway follows House Creek, then up to the gorgeous pedestrian bridge over 440. From here the trail finds the Meredith College greenway. The connector was built after Meredith starting locking the bridge access to maintain their campus security. Neighbors raised a hue and cry, having lost evening access to the Museum trails. Now Meredith can lock at the tunnel seen below, which was originally built under Wade Avenue to give the campus access to their equestrian facilities.

Ridge Road Connectors meets Meredith greenway

House Creek Trail officially starts at the pedestrian bridge, and finds the creek at Horton Road, where it borders an apartment complex. As soon as it crosses Lake Boone, the rich slopes offer stunning nature sights.

Ridge Road tributary joins House Creek

House creek Crosses the Beltline

House Creek Trail crosses 440 to the outside just below Glen Eden. The park of that name is an excellent central spot from which to explore House Creek. As you approach Blue Ridge Road and Crabtree Valley, the Marshall Memorial Park offers its amenities and looming walls. After being piped for its final fifty yards, the mouth of the creek reaches Crabtree as a 72 inch storm drain. I love the greenways, including this one, but you can never forget when on them that you are in a fast-developing urban environment. So it goes.