Bring with you: a WHITE or CLEAR cup or jar to collect water from the stream.
This is a City of Niceville park with a large shaded picnic pavillion with many tables and ceiling fans. Swimming is permitted at designated swim platforms and a canoe launch is provided at the end of the walk. The boardwalk is mostly shaded and is wheelchair and stroller friendly. Pets are not allowed and people may not walk below the boardwalk. Informational signage along the boardwalk provides answers to some of the questions in this cache. In other instances, you are asked to observe conditions and draw your own conclusions.
You may need to walk the entire length of the boardwalk to get to a location where you can reach the water’s surface to take a sample. You need a small white or clear cup or jar to collect the sample. Waypoints are provided for the water access locations. The terrain rating reflects the length of the walk and the possibility you may need to climb down a swim ladder to take your water sample. The questions are located at the end of the description; it will be useful to look them over before setting out on the boardwalk.
Turkey Creek begins several miles to the north of this park in the sandy forest of the Eglin Air Force Base Reservation. Water drains from 67 acres of forest into the creek and its wetlands then flows into Boggy Bayou to Choctawhatchee Bay and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. Turkey Creek is called a “tannic stream” which means the water color is changed by chemicals from the surrounding trees that leach into the water. At one of the swim platforms or the canoe launch, scoop out some water in a white or clear container for observation to answer Question #2.
A wetland is a land area where an excess of water determines how soil develops and the types of plants and animal communities that live at the soil surface. A wetland is not a single type of environment but a continuum where land and water ecosystems come together. Freshwater wetlands include marshes, swamps, bottomland hardwood forests, bogs and wet meadows. These areas are covered by water for all or at least part of the year. They may form in low-lying areas subject to flooding, in depressions where water collects, along springs and rivers, or in areas where soil types delay the movement of water.
Water levels rise and fall in wetlands. The watermark on tree trunks (the darkened portion of the lower bark) is visible when water levels are lower. The water level of Turkey Creek impacts the wetlands. Rainfall from higher elevations channels into the creek, causing the water level to rise and sometimes to flood above the banks. During dry periods, the water recedes and the wetlands begin to dry out.
There are two major categories of freshwater wetlands: swamps and marshes. Swamps are dominated by woody plants (trees and shrubs). Swamps develop a thick, mucky, black soil that is rich in nutrients to feed water-tolerant trees such as cypress, cedar and tupelo. Marshes are dominated by grasses and soft-stemmed plants such as cattails and reeds.
Plant species adapt to live in wetland areas. They are able to survive periods of flooding. They develop specialized root systems for aeration and stability. Some, like the native pitcher plant, feed off insects that are attracted to the area. Wetland plants provide food and habitat for animals and birds, who have also adapted to the rhythm of rising and falling water. Depending upon the water level and time of year, you may see a Great Blue Heron wading along the bank or an osprey flying overhead. Brightly colored warblers flit through the trees in spring months. Turtles and water snakes are abundant.
Wetland plants are useful to people, too. The wood of trees that live in water has characteristics suitable for building for wet environments. Cypress trees are slow to deteriorate; they are used for floating docks and patio furniture. Before the Civil War, Live Oak wood was the primary material of choice for shipbuilders. Bark from swamp maples is used in making red dye. Honey from the flowers of tupelo trees is highly prized.
QUESTIONS
In order to log the cache, you must message the answers to these questions. Click the link by the cache owner name to access the message center. Submit your answers in a reasonable time so your online log will not be deleted.
1. Should these wetlands be classified as a swamp or a marsh? What is the reason for your decision?
2. What color is the water in the stream? What color is the bottom of the stream? How can you tell where the creek bottom ends and the wetland begins?
3. On the day of your visit, do you think the water level is high or low? What is the reason for your decision?
4. A waypoint labeled "Cypress" is located at an overlook of the creek. Around and below the boardwalk at this location, you will see odd woody projections rising from the muck. These are the "knees" of the bald cypress tree, an example of a plant that has adapted to life in the wetland. A photo of a bald cypress is provided in the cache listing. Knees rise above the shallow water from the tree roots below. Not every cypress grows knees, and no one knows why. No one knows for sure what purpose the knees fulfill for the tree. What is your theory of the purpose of cypress knees?