At
the turn of the twentieth century, Limberlost property owners began to
drain the wet soils and cut down the forests in the interest
of produce, timber, and oil. To Gene Stratton-Porter, this was both an
unwelcome and unimaginable change to her precious swamp. Farmers used
a network of ceramic drainage tiles (like those shown at the right),
connected to concrete boxes (see photo to lower right), to drain the
field into the Loblolly Ditch, which you are now following on our trail.
Water is drained off fields in a similar way today, but plastic pipes
have
replaced
the
clay
tiles
of
the past.
Draining
water-logged land is necessary in places like the Loblolly
Marsh if the land is to be farmed. However, this process causes water
to leave the land much faster than nature intended it to do. This
rapid draining into streams causes soil
erosion and water
pollution.
Ken Brunswick and others living near the present site of the Loblolly Marsh began to realize the importance of the then-defunct wetland in the 1980s. The Limberlost Swamp Remembered group was formed. These people began to restore the marsh by removing the tiles that were installed 100 years before. This piece of land began to soak up water like a sponge and prevented the water from entering into the drainage ditches too quickly. Amazingly enough, the Loblolly Marsh coexists with a farm field to its east.
When
the picture to the left was taken,
the marsh was full of water but this farm field was still dry, thanks
in part to the wetland's ability to hold water so well.
In addition to holding water, wetlands like the Loblolly Marsh provide wildlife with a place to live and eat instead of feeding on active agriculture land. In the end, both farmers and wildlife benefit from the presence of a wetland in the area.
Links:
Audubon: Limberlost Swamp
The Loblolly Virtual Nature Trail was created as a part of the Our Land, Our Literature website.