New Water Quality Monitoring Site

As I’ve mentioned on my blog before, my mom and I are certified citizen science volunteers that collect water quality sampling each month. We have been doing this for over a year now, but recently we added a new site – Hacklebarney Creek. This site is an unassuming creek that flows under the road by the same name and eventually meanders its way down to the Satilla River. Just passing by in the car, it doesn’t look impressive, but it’s quite the hidden gem if you take a moment to stop and appreciate it.

Along Hacklebarney Creek are different types of plants and animals. If you stand at the area where it passes under the road on the right side, you can see large elephant ear plants and other luscious plant life. Buzzing around there are also dragonflies, mayflies, and butterflies. Beware: there are mosquitoes and ants as well. My mom and I know too well. If you go early, you can even catch the purple martins during parts of the year swooping down to catch bugs. For a place with the lowest dissolved oxygen levels I’ve ever seen, there is a little ecosystem there. When the water was completely still and hypoxic this summer (like 1mg/l in comparison to Jamestown Landing which is 3.5+) there was even a fish that surfaced!

We spend only a couple of minutes at this site every one or two weeks, but I’ve grown to like the place (minus the bugs, of course). Next time you’re in the area, take a moment to stop by and see the beauty that is Hacklebarney Creek.