Sea Kayak Trips Bulletin Board

Kayaks and Environmental Research-Wetlands

Posted By: W. Lee Chamberlain III
Date: Monday, 14 February 2000, at 8:37 p.m.

Many have scoffed at the value of our craft as to wetlands or as viable research vessels. For the last three years i have headed up a project on the Northern Neck of Virginia. To encourage both my students and visitors as to the intregal role of the research , I have incorporated into the the use of sea kayaks and creek boats. Our fleet, as some have called it is made up with a backbone of five primary kayaks. Each supports different aspects of the research. Wetlands and Wooded Wetlands present unique problems in obtaining samples. As one neighboring project told me they take samples from near shore using bridge overpasses and walks in the woods. However in the 92 square miles of my research project there are but few road accesses, many of the days are spent with larger boats , yet these craft cannot negotiate the mudflats and tidal limits of the guts. Often I will take the Pamlico Excel that I use for doing soundings and go over the flats and begine recording minimal and maximum depths within the project marsh lines. On other occassions the sit on top swing has proved itself as a viable animal rescue and research platform, as well as asisting in some river rescues. The sea lion is often my home for 5-8 day stretches and n shallow water is reluctant to gain any real speed but is quite accomodating as to providing carry for the equipment and lab kits I need. combined with sponson bags the craft is highly stable and allows standing in the cockpit to get a close up photo or take a smple of some of the vegetation. Last summer the project hosted a workshop on submerged aquatic vegetation and the kayaks were called to service as to offering portage into the back areas of the estuary. If you would like further info on these craft being applied to wetlands and estuary research please feel free to contact me either at the above email add or at the project routing mails offered on the epa website. Cat Point Creek Research Project on the EPA web River Corridors and Wetlands Restroation Partners program look us up under surf your watershed type in the 22572 zipcode and see the work we do .

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