Spring 1987

Photos from 20 years ago show clear blue waters in Mill Creek and sufficient water depth for sailboats at Birchwood Pier. Photos courtesy of Alan Schwitzer.

Mill Creek headwaters at low low tide

The upper tidal area of Mill Creek (shaded brown in the vicinity map to the left) has filled in with silt and sand. The blue lines locate the areas shown in the photos below.

There is no submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in this area after early summer when the Horned Pondweed dies off. During most of the tidal cycle boats cannot reach navigable water, and at high tides boats must churn through the shallow water, causing significant sediment re-suspension ("prop dredging").  Dredging this part of the creek would remove excess nutrients remaining from the sewage spill, reduce the amount of sediment stirred up by boats, and create water depths that allow the survival of perennial SAV species.