Blue Elbow Swamp
In the far corner of Southeast Texas lies a swamp known as the Blue Elbow. This Sabine River (riverine) wetland is one of the largest remaining blocks of swamp on the Texas coast and is currently comprised of 3,313 acres. Blue Elbow Swamp straddles Interstate 10 between Orange, Texas, and the Texas-Louisiana state border. The area receives the name "Blue Elbow" from a sharp turn in the channel of the Sabine River.
TEXAS WETLANDS
The state of Texas contains 5 distinct types of wetlands as depicted in the map below: playa lakes, springs and riparian wetlands, resacas and depressions, marshes and prairie depressions, and bottomland hardwoods. Texas wetlands can be also be divided broadly into two types: freshwater or coastal wetlands. The Blue Elbow Swamp belongs to the "freshwater" wetland classification. Freshwater wetlands can form wherever shallow water collects on the land.
EAST TEXAS WETLANDS
Bottomland hardwoods (also called forested wetlands) are the dominate wetlands in East Texas and known for the large trees that live in the water. Unlike most of Texas, large amounts of rain fall in East Texas. This rain floods the streams and rivers, spilling water out of its banks. The force of this flooding often reshapes the stream bottoms and floodplains, forming bottomland hardwood wetlands in heavily wooded areas. Floods can cut across stream and river curves, forming new channels for the water to flow through. When this happens, oxbow curves and/or lakes form in the "cut-off loop" of the stream channel. The sharp oxbow turn in the Sabine River resulted in the name of The Blue Elbow Swamp.
GEOLOGY
What makes a piece of land a "wet-land"? Not all wetlands are wet for the same reason. Hydrology (water characteristics) is one of the defining features of a wetland. The soil and plants in wetlands are shaped by the presence of water. Hydrology involves the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability. The amount, flow, composition and source of water helps determine the soil type and vegetation found there. The Blue Elbow Swamp receives its water source from "surface flow". This means that there is an active cycling of water and nutrients from a visible water source. As the Sabine River winds its way to the Gulf of Mexico, it passes through forested lowlands. The combination of river flooding, high rainfalls, and low land gradients (plus poor drainage) creates the perfect wetland or swamp. Technically, a wetland is a land area saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. What distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation that is adapted to its unique soil conditions. The Blue Elbow Swamp is a wetland ecosystem characterized by mineral soils with poor drainage and by plant life dominated by trees. The soil type of the Blue Elbow swamp is hydric (soil which is permanently or seasonally saturated by water).
BENEFITS OF WETLANDS
Wetlands are part of the foundation of our nation's water resources and are vital to the health of waterways and communities that are downstream. They feed downstream waters, recharge groundwater supplies, and remove pollution. They also trap floodwaters and can be compared to giant sponges or reservoirs. When heavy rains cause flooding, swamps and other wetlands help absorb the excess water and the effects of flooding are lessened.
CACHE LOCATION
SE Texas residents and I-10 travelers are fortunate to be able to visit the Blue Elbow Swamp courtesy of the TxDOT Travel Information Center on I-10 at the Sabine River. The Travel Information Center provides excellent interpretive displays for visitors. A 600 foot boardwalk leads from the Center into the swamp, providing visitors with outstanding views! Please observe the posted rules and hours!
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1 – What is one of the largest factors of wetland hydrology?
2 – What two factors determine the type of plants that are able to grow in the Blue Elbow Swamp?
3 – Is the soil in The Blue Elbow Swamp oxygen rich (aerobic) or poor (anaerobic)?
If you enjoyed this Earthcache, please post a photo of you and/or your GPS at an interesting location along the boardwalk or interpretive displays! Thank you.
Permission for Earthcache granted by: Travel Information Division; TxDOT, Texas Travel Information Center, Orange, TX 77632; Sept. 14, 2014
CREDITS:
Wikipedia
eoearth.org
USGS
texasaquaticscience.org
TXDOT and TPWD