Fluctuations

With the escalating opinions surrounding the fate of the South Natick Dam on the Charles River, critics on both sides of the mention how low the river is now. As if this is the fate of our "jewel" should the spillway be removed or the dam repaired.

People forget that last year the river was at near record levels of flooding all summer long. Look at this view of the river from July 14, 2021. The island was inundated most of the season and into mid-November. The animals stayed away in droves. It just wasn't safe. Camera crews filmed the spectacle.

photo by Davood Shaheen

I'm glad I keep these sketches because they record the unpredictable fluctuations of the river level. The low water now seems "normal" and the birds are taking advantage of the small pools, the tasty algal slime on the spillway, and the many bare rocks on which to perch. A little family of mallards is calling a stranded plank on top of the spillway its designated safe-place for the babies to nap and preen. 

I've enjoyed the low water because I like to draw the birds, as you can see below. It's a lovely spot to forget your cares for a little while regardless how much water flows under the bridge.

Mallards in the shallows
08-16-15

09-11-20

A mourning dove foraging in the newly exposed mud
06-12-22

Geese and mallards in the shallows
07-22-22

Geese on the rocks at the base of the spillway
07-22-22

The rocks at the base of the spillway
07-07-22

08-17-20

08-26-15

09-04-12