The nights are getting colder. The temperatures are dropping into the low 20's and the water in the area is beginnig to freeze. I was talking with my boss and got a lesson on how the water will freeze in the area. First the small ponds will freeze. Then most of the smaller lakes. The rivers will begin to freeze and then the larger lakes. Some of the lakes will not freeze completely. Naknek lake is one of these lakes. It will have open water through out the winter especially where the Brooks river flows into it.
Our float plane has gone in the shop to have the floats removed for the winter. It will come back with big fat tires that will be able to land on the ice. I would like to go out to Brooks Camp to run a Christmas Day Bird Count but to do that I will have to have enough ice for the plane to land. Seems funny that up here so far north that not all the ice will freeze. I have been monitoring the changes in the water levels. Now that it has turned colder river levels are dropping again and the tide is effecting Naknek river. Low tide brings in large areas of mud flats and high tide just isn't that high any more.
The ice will bring creatures of new kinds to watch. Walruses and seals may pop out onto the ice and the beluga whales should be returning. I wonder what other kinds of surprises the winter will bring.
No comments:
Post a Comment