2001-2002 Mudpuppy Nights in Oxford Mills

Field notes of Frederick W. Schueler: 2001-2002 Mudpuppy Nights in Oxford Mills, Kemptville Creek, North Grenville Township (Oxford-on-Rideau geographic township), United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario, Canada

This was the fourth year of regular Mudpuppy night outings - the 'Year Without a Winter' when the creek never froze completely in the area we survey. Light provided by quartz-halogen spotlights, as well as incadescent headlamps, and Larry Frazer mad diverse attempts to photograph Mudpuppies under water. Text output from the EoBase database; UTM grids NAD27 Canada in military grid notation, lat/long WGS84 (=NAD83).

2 November 2001

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1950-2100. AIR TEMP: 13, light overcast, breezy. HABITAT: brown-water creek@limestone flats blw old milldam, water very low, 9 C. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Dave Seburn, Valerie Kirkwood, Sam Mc Lean, +. 2001/221/aa, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 1 adult, dipnetted. ca 25 cm, in 20 cm water among Sprirogyra on flats blw dam. The water is still very low, with no flow over the logs of the dam - just the seepage between the logs. The presence of large fish in the deeper water above and blw the bridge suggests a reason none were seen in this area.

New construction on the E shore has removed the old corner viewing spot, and replaced the wall with a grass slope and concrete bolsters, while chunks of bedrock have been taken out below the dam, and left at the edge of the deeper area above the bridge.

There's mud coming into the water from the construction, but the water above the dam is also very turbid. We used the 200, 000 candle power spotlight to enlighten the scene until the plug failed (once again) - but by that time we'd checked the whole area.

(same location) TIME: 1950-2100. 2001/221/ab, Rana catesbeiana (Bull Frog) (herp). 20 ca adult, dipnetted, seen. 2 large ad MM captured above dam, more on & among rocks blw bridge, with juvs. A surprising abundance of this species - up on rocks or at surface - presumeablely as a consequence of the water being colder than the air.

(same location) TIME: 1950-2100. 2001/221/ac, Rana pipiens (Leopard Frog) (herp). 5 ca adult, dipnetted, seen. ca 70 mm SVL gr M just blw dam-missing 1 manus, 1 DOR on bridge. . . . and a few more noted in the creek. The left wrist of the male just below the spillway was a not-fresh partially-healed-over wound - not covered over by skin, so it's unlikely it was a congenital deformity.

(same location) TIME: 1950-2100. 2001/221/ad, Esox (Esox sp.) (fish). 1 adult, seen. ca 60 cm, in deep water above bridge. Nearly motionless blw bridge, beside a rock, for 15 min or so, until spooked by our light, when it zipped off to the deepest water, where it was less visible in the turbidity.

(same location) TIME: 1950-2100. 2001/221/ae, Micropterus dolomieui (Smallmouth Bass) (fish). 15 ca adult, seen. 15-30 cm TL, in deep water above & blw bridge. Again, really surprising to see so many large bass.

(same location) TIME: 1950-2100. 2001/221/af, Ameiurus nebulosus (Brown Bullhead) (fish). 7 ca adult, seen. ca 15 cm TL, in deep water above & blw bridge. Strikingly big-whiskered as they swim about in the turbid water.

(same location) TIME: 1950-2100. 2001/221/ag, cf Catostomus commersoni (White Sucker) (fish). 1 adult, seen. ca 40 cm TL, in deep water above bridge. Also many small fish, including cf Lepomis, in the shallows blw the dam, and elsewhere.

(same location) TIME: 1950-2100. 2001/221/ah, Orconectes virilis (Northern Crayfish) . 2 adult, seen, active. 1 large ad, 1 2 cm ad, seen by Valerie.

(same location) TIME: 2100. AIR TEMP: 13, light overcast, breezy. 2001/221/ai, Rana clamitans (Green Frog) (herp). 1 adult, AOR, captured. ca 55 cm SVL, AOR on bridge. . . . though doubtless some of the smaller frogs seen in the creek were this species.

9 November 2001 data entry incomplete

13 November 2001

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1050ca. AIR TEMP: 4, cloudy, breezy. HABITAT: brown-water creek@limestone flats blw old milldam. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Andrea Howard. 2001/225/am, visit () (E). EOBM, drive. water flowing over lowered logs.

16 November 2001

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2014-2035. AIR TEMP: -2.5, clear, calm. HABITAT: brown-water creek@limestone flats blw old milldam, water 6 C. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Larry Frazer. 2001/226/aa, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 12 adult, seen. 245108 km, to Mudpuppy Night. Eight seen from the bridge - 4 above and 4 blw, most >=30 cm. Four seen in the shallows on the west side, including 1 from the traditional Vantage Point (30 cm above water level). All were near retreats and backed under rocks when illuminated; the larger ones were in the deeper water. One 25 cm one was where we saw a similar-sized one on the past 2 weeks - it retreated unde rthe rocks of the ledge, and bit at the thermometer 2-3 times when only its head was exposed.
Air temperature -1 to -3, water less turbid than last week.

(same location) TIME: 2014-2035. 2001/226/ab, Orconectes virilis (Northern Crayfish) . 5 adult, dead, seen, specimen. 3 active, 2 dead:1)47. 7 mm CL M(saved), 2)42. 5 mm(ca)CL, crushed. The 3 active on the bottom were all small.

(same location) TIME: 2014-2035. 2001/226/ac, Rana catesbeiana (Bull Frog) (herp). 1 adult, seen, specimen. ca 90 mm SVL, in water clinging to ledge just blw spillway. . . . obviously trying to move upstream, but with no way to get around the dam at this temperature.

(same location) TIME: 2014-2035. 2001/226/ad, Rana pipiens (Leopard Frog) (herp). 1 adult, seen. ca 65 mm SVL, green, tucked into algae & leaves in 10 cm water.

(same location) TIME: 2014-2035. 2001/226/ae, Micropterus dolomieui (Smallmouth Bass) (fish). several adult, seen. <10 cm TL, very few fish here this week. NO:Esox.
LIST: Lepomis (Sunfish), few <=15 cm;
Ameiurus nebulosus (Brown Bullhead), 1 <=12 cm;
Cyprinidae (Carps And Minnows), few & small.

23 - 30 December 2001 data entry incomplete

7 December 2001

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1948-2000. AIR TEMP: -1, clear, calm. HABITAT: brown-water creek above old milldam, water flow high, spillway low. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Eric Snyder. 2001/238/d, Catostomus commersoni (White Sucker) (fish). 1 adult, seen. ca 35 cm TL, quietly swimming near bottom above dam. We scanned the bottom above the dam with the 400, 000 candle power searchlight for quite a while, and, except for one small cf Lepomis, this was the only fish seen - amounting to a striking paucity of visible Animal life. The water is clear and dark brown, and there's little growth of Myriophyllum this year - doubtless a result of low water levels during the drought, so we could see the rocky bottom to a greater depth than we ever have before. NO:Unionidae visible.

(same location) TIME: 2000-2055. AIR TEMP: -1, clear, calm. HABITAT: brown-water creek@limestone flats blw old milldam, water high, 4 C. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Eric Snyder, Larry Frazer, +. 2001/238/e, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 5 adult, seen. all ca 20 cm TL, in shallows near shore, 4 on W, 1 on E sides. None in the strong current down the middle of the site. Water is quite dark brown but very clear.

All three spillways are flowing equally, and the recent rain has finally raised the water level, so there's 5 cm of turbulent water coming over the traditional 'Vantage Point' ledge. We saw only 1 Necturus there - a 20 cm one that was in 1 cm water right beside the next step of the ledge up from the Vantage Point, and not, until we shone the 400, 000 candle-power searchlight on it, seeming much distressed be being so nearly emerged from the water. Once it was illuminated, however, it headed for deeper water, and Eric and I tried to deter it with the beam of the light, since the photographers were still suiting up on the E side.

It walked through the shallow water, barely submerged, and 3-4 times came mostly above the shallow water (1 cm or so), as it went upstream into the sloshing current - despite having downstream retreats where it could have swum away. I mention this because Necturus aren't supposed to voluntarily emerge from the water, and this one was partially doing so. Sloshes, 4-6 cm high, from the spillway kept washing it backwards, and finally it turned tail and slithered and then swam downstream into deeper (10 cm) water on the flat right beside the W spillway.

After this we saw 3 more of similar size right close to shore (20-30 cm depth - 2 up among flooded Grasses) on the W side, and then another one slightly deeper (40 cm) near shore on the E side. But there were none out on the bedrock flats, and the main current was too srong for any to remain there. One small fish the only other Animal seen. Crunchy ice in very shallow puddles away from the stream and in the road. Larry and his friend took a number of underwater photographs of the Necturus, though they were jovial about the chances of any of them coming out.

14 December 2001

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1946-1955. AIR TEMP: -1, snowing, calm. HABITAT: brown-water creek impoundment@abv old milldam, water 2 C, clear, fairly high. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler. 2001/247/f, visit () (E). nat.hist., seen. no animals seen in searchlight, water clear & low. Thickly falling snow obscured the searchlight beam at distances >10 m from the dam.

(same location) TIME: 2000-2054. AIR TEMP: -1, snowing, calm. HABITAT: brown-water creek@limestone flats blw old milldam, water 2 C, fairly high. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Sam & Mark Mc Lean. 2001/247/ga, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 3 adult, seen. large ads, seen from bridge in >1 m water, by searchlight. None in the strong current down the middle of the site. Water is quite dark brown but very clear, so that the the 400, 000 candle-power searchlight penetrated the water to >1 m depth - but turbulence, foam, and densely falling snow obscured vision from the bridge.

All three spillways are flowing equally, and the traditional 'Vantage Point' ledge is just awash in turbulent water. We saw none there nor elsewhere on the east or west sides, despite a pretty thorough search, especially of the clearly-scannable shallows and of the grassy edges where we found them last week. Have the high water temperatures kept them from coming up to this area, or did the drought kill or discourage them?

This is the first snow cover of the year, and it's coming down rapidly - increased from 1 to 3 cm during our time here, and continued heavy in the drive home - with a car slid off the road north of de Buttes.

(same location) TIME: 2000-2054. 2001/247/gb, Perca flavescens (Yellow Perch) (fish). 1 adult, seen. TLca 13 cm, in 10 cm water on E side, quiescent in searchlight. Darkly barred, with flashes of bright orange pelvic fins visible from above. Other than this the only animals we saw other than Necturus were 2 small fish.

21 December 2001

Oxford-on-Rid: Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2012-2052. AIR TEMP: -7, clear, breezy. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 0 C, small ice pans. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Valerie Kirkwood, Greg Hutton, Alex Hamilton. 2001/248/a, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 1-2 adult, seen. on E side, ca 20 cm TL, among Grass in 30 cm water, boldly spotted. . . . another doubtfully seen in deeper water nearby. None seen from bridge despite 400, 000 candlepower searchlight. No other macro-animals seen, despite a thorough search - equal flow over all three spillways, the Vantage Point awash in 3 cm flow, water the clearest it's been yet this yr. Are they not out in numbers now because the water hasn't been cold for long enough, or because they've died or migrated from the dry summer?

This is the first time there's been ice - little skim flakes and a couple of plate-sized real pans circling in the eddies. The stream above the dam is about 30% covered by ice, variagated with snow where this stands above the water (sluch) level.

We retired from here to Bishops Mills and solsticial festivities.

28 December 2001

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1958-2055. AIR TEMP: -9, light overcast, calm. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 0 C, small ice pans. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Jennifer Helene Schueler, Valerie Kirkwood. 2001/249/ca, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 5 adult, seen. 2 from bridge, 2 in deep water, W side, 1 und E spillway ledge. Two large ads seen above the E side of the bridge, in ca 1 m water, two small ones in a shallow (30 cm) gravelly area in the centre of an eddy on the W side, and one under the ledge below the spillway on the E side. This last one recoiled pretty markedly from the 400, 000 candlepower searchlight - promptly walking 40 cm across the bottom to hide itself in the crack below the ledge.

Equal flow over all three spillways, the Vantage Point awash in 1-2 cm flow, water very clear. This is the first time there's been stationary ice - little skim flakes and plate-sized pans circling in the eddies, and broken grey slabs in the grss on the E side. The stream above the dam is mostly covered by ice.

(same location) TIME: 1958-2055. 2001/249/cb, Ambloplites rupestris (Rock Bass) (fish). 1 adult, seen. ca 10 cm TL, in 30 cm water among Grass on E side, quiet & tilted.

4 January 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2008-2120. AIR TEMP: -2, overcast, windy. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 0 C, foamy, some ice. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Eric Snyder, Valerie Kirkwood, Larry Frazer. 2002/001/d, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 28 adult, seen. 1 from bridge, 10 on W side, 17 on E side, most small, in shallows. We saw one from the bridge in shallows on the east side above the bridge, none from the traditional Vantage Point (water 3-4 cm below this, a shallow flow of water over it, with a shelf of ice extending about 1 m from it), but 10 downstream of there in the west side shallows. When we saw the first one, I rushed out to dipnet it, and thus discovered that I had my snow boots rather than gum boots on, so I was relegated to the role of spectator while Eric and Larry worked the creek, taking photos of a lot of the 'puppies with yet another of Larry's experimental photo rigs.

Then on the east side they saw 17 more, many of them pressed into cracks in the rock. Most were small, in the 20-24 cm size range, and we didn't see any really big ones. Eric saw a few small fish.

The creek had don't-trust-your-weight ice shelves at a number of places, and numerous pans of floating ice. The water was quite clear, but with swirling patches of foam which made it hard to see much of the bottom from the Vantage Point or from the bridge.

11 January 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2002-2112. AIR TEMP: -.5, overcast, breezy. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 0 C, small ice shelves & pans. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Eric Snyder, Larry Frazer, V.Kirkwood, Paul Goulet, Jr.Herpet.. 2002/019/aa, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 28 ca adult, seen. 3 from bridge, 10 on W side, 15 ca on E side. AIR_TEMP went from 0, OVC, WDY to -1, LOC, BRZ

1 seen above bridge, 1 blw bridge E side, 1 blw bridge W side, 10 on W side shallows, 4 captured and 1 minnow seen. 15 ca on E side including one large one in fast water - in cracks and on flats, several tumbled past E spillway as if disturbed by all the trampling. 21 participants - mostly Jr Herpetologists - and lots of lights. Water clear, not much ice, shelves <2 m in most places. About 2 cm of water over the Vantage Point, whence no Necturus were seen, but 1 large Earthworm was in the water. Water clear, lots of foam, and not very brown. Numerous Larry Frazer photos, some of which came out very well.

(same location) TIME: 2002-2112. 2002/019/ab, Chrysemys picta (Painted Turtle) (herp). 1 adult, seen. ca 120 mm ad wedged among stones downstream-W bridge wall. This Turtle was motionless, wedged among stones piled against the vertical concrete wall of the bridge. The first Turtle we've seen here in the winter.

18 January 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2012-2105. AIR TEMP: -10.5, clear, breezy. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 0 C, small ice shelves & pans. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Eric Snyder, Larry Frazer, David Gray, Paul Goulet, Jr.Herpet.. 2002/021/aa, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 20 ca adult, seen, captured. 6 from bridge, 8 ca on W side, 6 ca on E side. Two large ones seen above the bridge, one on each side, and 2 large and 2 medium-size seen below the bridge. None seen from Vantage Point, which had only 1 cm of water flowing over it, and about 8 on the W side shallows, a few of them captured, but the count uncertain because of the number of kids wading about. One minnow seen. About six Necturus on the E side - in cracks and on flats, but the count again confused. Twenty-odd participants - mostly Jr Herpetologists - and lots of lights. Water clear, not much ice, shelves <2 m in most places. Larry Frazer photos thwarted by buildup of ice on his under-water-lens gear.

There was ice over the site where we saw the Chrysemys picta (Painted Turtle) last week.

(same location) TIME: 2012-2105. 2002/021/ab, Perca flavescens (Yellow Perch) (fish). 1 adult, seen. ca 10 cm TL, quiet in shallows, the only large fish seen.

25 January 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2004-2132. AIR TEMP: 0, overcast, breezy. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 0 C, small ice shelves. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Jennifer Helene Schueler, Eric Snyder, L.Frazer, Bob Anderson, Paul Goulet, Jr.Herp, +. 2002/021/ab, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 10 adult, seen, captured. 2 from bridge, 2 on W side, 6 on E side, water fairly clear, foamy. Two large ones seen from the bridge, one above (E) and one below (W). None seen from Vantage Point, which had only 1 cm of water flowing over it, though there seemed to be more water coming over the E spillway than in recent weeks. There were only 2 on the W side shallows, under the narrow ice shelves in grass. About six Necturus on the downstream end of the E side - in cracks and on flats, 1 large and the rest small - one only about 15 cm. The count uncertain because of the number of kids wading about. Twenty-odd participants - mostly Jr Herpetologists - and lots of lights. Water less clear than last week, with lots of foam. Larry Frazer worked the midstream, and his counts included above.

Snow and freezing rain beginning as we leave.

31 January 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2002-2015. AIR TEMP: -6 ca, overcast, windy. HABITAT: brown-water creek@limestone flats blw old milldam. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Aleta Karstad Schueler. 2002/025/d, visit () (E). nat.hist., drive. Dudpuppy Night-too windy & slippery to go close to creek. . . . and FWS too sick to argue that we ought to have, so we just waited for others to come - which they had the prudence not to.

8 February 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1957-2106. AIR TEMP: -12, clear, calm. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 0 C, small ice shelves. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Eric Snyder, Larry Frazer, Jr Herpetologists, Scouts, +. 2002/026/ca, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 24 adult, seen, active. Mudpuppynight outing with searchlight. A large and a small individual seen from (above and east side) the bridge. Two seen from Vantage Point (2-4 cm water surging over the ledge, with most flow on the west side of the spillway), then 2 more in the W side shallows, under the narrow ice shelves in grass.

About 15 large & small Necturus on E side and the quiet central eddy - toothpasted in cracks and on flats. Also 3 in deep water below the spillway on the east side.

Water clear, with lots of foam. Not much more ice than in previous weeks. The bright green alga ( cf Batrachospermum keratophytum) formed fluffy masses on bedrock on the east side flats. Twenty-five-odd participants, including Falcon Scout troop - and lots of lights.

(same location) TIME: 1957-2106. 2002/026/cb, Orconectes virilis (Northern Crayfish) . 1 adult, male, seen, active. large male active on bottom.

(same location) TIME: 1957-2106. 2002/026/cc, Mustela vison (Mink) (Mammal). present adult, male, tracks. long loping trackways all ard area.

15 February 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1957-2131. AIR TEMP: 3, cloudy, breezy. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water ca 1 C, ice rotting away. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, OFNC group, Corey Wood, Doug & Matt Scott. 2002/027/aa, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 46 EOBM, seen, dipnetted. Mudpuppy Night outing with searchlight, ca 30 participants. Two seen above the bridge on the east side - in the only open water scanable from the bridge. Four small ones seen pressed into cracks below the Vantage Point (1 cm water flowing over the ledge), after 70 cm of rotten ice was kicked away. About 7 in the west side shallows (mostly large - 3 captured), then 10 in the mid-stream mossy area, of which one very large one was captured.

About 20, mostly small on E side flats & up under spillway ledge, and 3 in the grass along the bank. There were 2 close together and lying parallel in a crack.

Water clear, with a big band of foam across the west and centre of the channel below the bridge. The spillways are heavily sheathed with ice, but the water is obviously flowing in lower volume than when the ice was formed. East spillway seemed to have the most flow, and west the least.

AIR_TEMP went from 3, LOC, WDY to 3, CLR, CLM in the course of the visit.

(same location) TIME: 1957-2131. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, OFNC group, corey Wood, Doug & Matt Scott. 2002/027/ab, Esox (Esox sp.) (fish). 1 EOBM, seen. ca 30 cm TL, seen by several observers.

22 February 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2000-2100ca. AIR TEMP: -7, clear, Beaufort light air. HABITAT: brown-water creek@limestone flats blw old milldam. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Eric Snyder, Larry Frazer, +. FWS 0202222000/a, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 3 adult, seen. on E side, 30-40 cm depth, water high & turbid, moderate foam. 1 in a crack and 2 on the open bottom. There was 6-7 cm of water over the Vantage Popint (none seen from there), and little ice pans in the E eddy, as well as new ice growing on the shelf stubs of old ice, and a big thin pan on the E side grassy area.

About 10 visitors - names and finish time not legibly recorded.

1 March 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2002-2040. AIR TEMP: -4, cloudy, Beaufort light air. HABITAT: brown-water creek@limestone flats blw old milldam. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Eric Snyder. 2002/030/ea, visit () (E). 3 survey, seen. Mudpuppy Night outing with searchlight, NO:Necturus seen. Water fast and turbid - surging 10-12 cm over the Vantage Point, and surge waves breaking along both shores and both sides of the bridge. Ice is continuous above the dam (excpt 1 m open water above spillways), and currently forming narrow rubbly shelves below the dam.
AKS: No Mudpuppies seen - water perhaps 10 cm higher than last week, and twice as fast! Darlene Barrett? There with two children. She works with CIDA on environmental impact & sustainability and has worked with/known Heather.

(same location) TIME: 2002-2040. 2002/030/eb, Ondatra zibethicus (Muskrat) (Mammal). present adult, tracks, seen. tracks along narrow ice shelf on W shore blw dam. Also some cf Mustela vison (Mink) tracks; there have been NO:Lontra canadensis tracks here this winter.

8 March 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1958-2030. AIR TEMP: 1, light rain, calm. HABITAT: high brown-water creek@limestone flats blw old milldam, water clear, 0. 5 C. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Larry Frazer, Douglas & Kristin Thompson. 2002/034/c, Lontra canadensis (River Otter) (Mammal). present adult, tracks. Mudpuppy Night outing with searchlight. Many trackways in thin snow between holes in nearly continuous ice above dam, and a few trackways on shore blw dam.

NO:Necturus or other animals seen in the water, despite careful search. Violently high water 10-15 cm surging over the Vantage Point ledge. Ice below the dam reduced to knobby 30-70 cm remnant shelves.

14 March 2002

Oxford-on-Rid: Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1933-2000. AIR TEMP: 1, calm, light overcast. HABITAT: low-water marshy impoundment above old milldam, water 1 C. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler. 2002/039/a, Corixidae (Water Boatman) (entomological). 2000 ca adult, seen, active. dense swarms against wall of dam on E side. Above the dam the stream is covered by grey ice. On west side above the dam, sandy bottom is visible with Elliptio shells, but no plants and no animals. But thousands of Corixids are swimming underwater within 5 or 6 cm of the upstream wall of the dam, as far across the creek from the east bank as I can see, perhaps preceeding one of the mass emergences you hear about - but it's not clear how many are adults and how many nymphs. One individual for every 3 cm square. On this side they are swimming actively down to a depth of 40 or 50 cm, and where the water is deeper than that, at all depths, they are just clinging to the concrete.

(same location) TIME: 2000-2020. AIR TEMP: 1, calm, light overcast. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 1 C. 2002/039/b, Batrachospermum keratophytum (not listed) (E). dominant, seen. extensive in mats on bottom, water high. NO:Necturus or other Animals seen in extensive search of both sides. Flow is fast & furious below the dam. Twenty cm of water surging over the Vantage Point; water clear. Residual ice shelves 10 cm above water level. No Muppuppies seen this evening, and no visitors either.

15 March 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2000. AIR TEMP: -1.5, overcast, calm. HABITAT: low-water marshy impoundment above old milldam, water 0. 5 C. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler. 2002/039/e, Corixidae (Water Boatman) (entomological). 2000 ca adult, seen, active. swarms agnst wall of dam on E side. Perhaps there are slightly few here than there were last night.

(same location) TIME: 2000-2037. AIR TEMP: -1.5, overcast, calm. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 0. 5 C. 2002/039/f, no observation () (E). dominant adult, seen. water high, NO:Necturus or other Animals seen. . . . in extensive search of both sides. Flow is fast & furious below the dam. Twenty cm of water surging over the Vantage Point; water clear with sparse peaty floccules. Residual ice shelves 10 cm above water level. New ice forming on some stick in the water. Forecast icestorm didn't occur.

22 March 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1955-2021. AIR TEMP: -12, clear, calm. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 0 C. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Jennifer Helene Schueler, Corey Wood, Andrew Hackett. 2002/039/a, Batrachospermum keratophytum (not listed) (E). dominant, seen. very extensive in mats on bottom. NO:Necturus or other Animals seen in extensive search of both sides - including the central eddy. Ten cm of water surging over the Vantage Point; water clear & steaming in the cold. New knobby ice is forming along the shores as the water falls below previous levels. There was only about 5 sq m where the current was slow enough for Necturus to have kept a grip on the bottom, and there were 15 cm surges on the E side.

29 March 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 2014-2020. AIR TEMP: 3.5, overcast, calm. HABITAT: low-water marshy impoundment above old milldam, water 2. 5 C. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Jennifer Helene Schueler. 2002/040/c, Corixidae (Water Boatman) (entomological). 2000+ adult, seen. swarms mostly quietly resting agnst wall of dam on E side. Behind the dam there's no ice except along the shores, and we saw >2000 Corixids against the new concrete wall of the dam on the east side. Most of these were clinging to the concrete, but enough were swimming to show what they were.
Tonight they could be clearly seen all the way out to the rounded column beside the spillway, and were denser on the concrete than on 14 & 15 March, but with fewer actively swimming.

(same location) TIME: 2020-2048. AIR TEMP: 3.5, overcast, calm. HABITAT: limestone flats of brown-water creek blw old milldam, water 2. 5 C. 2002/040/da, Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy). 4 adult, seen. on E side in relatively quiet water. On the Nature List I wrote: "we're going out to 'do' Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills tonight, for one last time, though of course we don't expect to see any Mudpuppies, " and we thus see that if you make a fool of yourself in public, you'll be a public fool. Jennie and I found, after the past cold week, that the water was a lot lower than it has been - only 5 surging centimetres over the 'Vantage Point' ledge, and proportionately lower elsewhere. The water was 2. 5 C, and slightly cloudy from suspended humic acid floccules, about 10 cm below the level of the remnants of ice shelves on the shores.

I waded on both sides, out to the central eddy on the west side, but saw no Necturus, but on the east side I saw four: three medium sized ones - among grass, in a crack, and under an eroded sod ledge - and a small one out in the open, being swept slowly along across flat bedrock. These were all in places where the water was about 30 cm deep and fairly slow-moving - perhaps the water has been so fast in the past few weeks that my estimate of quiet-enough water has in fact become faster than the Necturus can stand. It's also true that the pattern of currents changes from year to year, which may change the opportunity they have to reach an area where the water has some particular current speed.

The shores were of course covered with deep wet snow, and there was a trace of rain as we arrived and as we left. ...So I suppose we'll be going out for another week yet.

(same location) TIME: 2020-2048. 2002/040/db, Batrachospermum keratophytum dominant seen. very extensive in mats on bottom. Vividly covering much of the bedrock bottom on the east side, and also capping rocks, and even forming cylindrical tufts on each stem of the sod of grasses on the east side.

3 April 2002

Oxford Mills Dam, Kemptville Creek. UTM 18TVE 464.5 790.5 44.96486N 75.67863W. TIME: 1036. AIR TEMP: 2, overcast, calm. HABITAT: brown-water creek@limestone flats blw old milldam. OBSERVER: Frederick W. Schueler, Aleta Karstad Schueler. 2002/041/a, visit () (E). EOBM, drive. water high but not flooding, at level of Helisoma ledge E of spillway.

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