Ten Mile Creek Supports a Diverse Aquatic Community
Pronggilled mayfly (Leptophlebiidae)
Photo by Gregg Trilling
Ten Mile Creek is teeming with life. As you peer into its waters, you might see fish, perhaps some small darters or sculpin. In the spring, larger fish swim up from Little Seneca Lake to spawn in its quiet pools. You might hear the low bellow of a bullfrog, the “snore” of a pickerel frog, or the “banjo pluck” of a green frog. These frogs lay their eggs in Ten Mile Creek. Salamanders, too, lay their eggs in the creek and stay close to the water once they become adults.
Vertebrates are not the only animals that depend on the creek. Among rocks, sticks, and leaves in the water, live small invertebrates. Many are the juvenile stage of insects that emerge to fly in the air as adults. Because these aquatic invertebrates differ in their tolerance to pollution and environmental stress, their presence or absence gives us a good idea of the creek’s health.
Since 1997, volunteers with Nature Forward (formerly the Audubon Naturalist Society) have visited Ten Mile Creek four times a year to collect and identify aquatic invertebrates. We are happy to report that throughout the years the creek has supported many sensitive mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. Although floods and droughts can take their toll, the creek remains healthy and resilient. For more information, contact Cathy Wiss at cjwiss@yahoo.com.
Picture of armored mayfly (Baetiscidae)
Photo by Cathy Wiss