In Loving Memory
April 29, 1947 - September 5, 2020
Update: On Saturday, September 5th, 2020, the founder, administrator, and head moderator of this forum, Valerie S., went Home to be with the Lord. Her obituary can be found on https://memorials.demarcofuneralhomes.com/valerie-skrzyniak/4321619/index.php.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing .
Many animals have nowhere to run in Mid-South flood
By Bryan Brasher
Posted May 10, 2011 at 11:24 p.m.
LINK
The picturesque landscape of Presidents Island has long been known as one of the most wildlife-rich areas in the state, if not the country.
But for now -- and perhaps the foreseeable future -- the island's massive whitetail deer and wild turkey population has fallen victim to the flood waters of the Mississippi River.
"The deer and turkey are all just gone from the island," said Andy Tweed, a conservation officer for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency who patrols the river regularly. "So many of them have drowned, and the rest of them have fled to wherever they could find a little patch of higher ground.
"I honestly believe 60 percent of the deer herd will be lost."
Though deer are capable swimmers, many have been no match for the swift currents of the Mississippi. During the past week, Tweed has been forced to kill at least a dozen deer that he found tangled in barbed-wire fences or the tops of trees that are now surrounded by 40 feet of water.
Even some that managed to escape to other areas haven't survived.
"A lot of the deer from the island jumped right out onto (Interstate) 55 and just got instantly splattered by cars," said Ty Inmon, a TWRA conservation officer who rode the river with Tweed on Tuesday.
Wild turkeys may have been hit even harder by the flood because it occurred during the height of their mating season -- and because they aren't nearly as capable when it comes to swimming.
"Out here in these currents the way they are right now, a wild turkey will last about 30 seconds," Tweed said.
Though land-dwelling animals are feeling the full force of the flood waters, those that call the river home are flourishing in areas that have been dry for decades.
When flood waters invade areas that are normally dry, they wash all sorts of food into the water for fish -- earthworms, grasshoppers, even cockroaches. As a result, fish often come out of flood years healthier and heartier.
"That's the way it was back before the days of channelization and the Corps of Engineers," said Jeff Slipke, a fisheries biologist with Southeastern Pond Management in Jackson, Tenn. "The water gets up into the woods, and fish are able to go up in there and spawn in a very healthy environment."
Catfish, common carp, buffalo and panfish such as bluegill and crappie are all likely to benefit from the flood.
Asian carp, known for their amazing leaping abilities, also seem to be relishing their expanded territory.
"Look back that way," Tweed said Tuesday, pointing toward hundreds of bighead and silver carp jumping high into the air behind his patrol boat. "They are loving this water all up in the shallows."
Snakes were also omnipresent on the river Tuesday, and they've been reported in some of the strangest places -- including under river residents' door mats and inside barbecue grills.
Tweed said he even saw a 15-foot python hanging from the river banks this week.
"I'm sure it was somebody's pet that they either chucked or it just got loose," Tweed said. "But it was a strange sight on the Mississippi River."
+++++++++++++++++++++
Evansville Courier & Press
Floodwaters could bring invasive fish, other woes to area | PHIL POTTER COLUMN
LINK
How much have the recent floods affected your hunting and fishing opportunities? Probably more than you imagined considering the often-overlooked ecosystem changes that have longterm detriments to native bird, animal, reptile, fish and plant populations.
Think back to a few years ago when floods liberated bighead carp, silver carp, Israeli mirror carp, black carp and Amur carp into our river systems. Extreme flooding washed them out of commercial fish farms in Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee and these alien fish species headed north.
Now with extreme flooding again inundating most of the south, what new fish species might come our way?
More than fish could be migrating north. Don't bet there aren't new reptile species being liberated by the floods. Fewer than 20 years ago, flooding caused by hurricanes freed monitor lizards, pythons, boas and anacondas in Florida along with African black and green mambas, cobras and puff adders and other venomous species. All are now thriving in Florida swamps and subdivisions.
It's anybody's guess how many Tri-State pets in the form of lizards, snakes, alligators, caimans and crocodiles have been released by area floods. These toothy critters are easily purchased over the internet so figure at least a few got loose somewhere in the area.
We may get exotic water dwelling mammals migrating in. Take nutria, for instance. These beaver-size aquatic rodents escaped from fur farms in 1930 and now have over-run most of Louisiana. "Nooties" have demonsrated the ability to swim upstream and adapt to more northern areas.
It's a documented fact that some troublesome water plants did manage to come north. Florida's "floating islands" are monster masses of water hyacinths and hydrilla that grow thick enough to stop most forms of boat traffic.
These vegetative invaders came to America in the early 1900s when everyone was building Japanese koi ponds replete with ornamental water plants. These invasive plants were liberated into the wild by floods.
Exotic liberations aside, consider how many Tri-State lakes and ponds are now well stocked with native trash fish species such as carp, gar, shad and others that swam in with the high water. Also consider the immense death toll of area wildlife when high water drowned out ground nesting birds, rabbits, whitetail deer fawns and other game and song bird species.
As Tri-State waters recede. there will be lingering pockets of stagnant water ensuring bumper swarms of mosquitoes, biting gnats and midge flies. May and June are prime months for insect-borne animal diseases such as epizootic hemorrhagic disease (blue tongue) in deer and animal heartworms. Could lingering backwaters also harbor new alien insect species?
It's a safe bet the thousands of square miles that had moderate to severe flooding will have long-term fishing and hunting detriments. Ruefully, many large tracts of fertile farm ground and ideal wildlife habitat may never recover. Realistically, massive floods will periodically reoccur and our distressed ecosystems will be further disrupted.