Brown Water in Eagle Creek
Well, we were worried that Eagle Creek would get filled with silt after the big Wallow fire – and unfortunately we were right. The creek, usually clear as glass, has run the color of a 10oz cup of coffee with a tablespoon of milk – not quite black, but almost. The silt deposits are thick enough that the county had to grade the road crossings to keep vehicles from getting stuck.
I doubt any fish will survive. The silt clogs their gills and the creek smells like dead fish. I guess anytime you have a hot fire like Wallow that destroys so much ground cover you will have runoff and water degradation. It is just nature. But I still hate to see Eagle Creek brown. It will clean itself. Really, it is amazing how well everything rejuvenates itself in time. The fish will move back in. I will be thrilled to get back to my favorite swimming hole.
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