From Railroad to Rail Trail, from Swamp to Wetlands
When the New York-Harlem Line first built its tracks in the mid-nineteenth century, no one was concerned that the railroad was building through a swamp. In their view, the land was worthless: it couldn’t be farmed, it didn’t make for good homesites and people believed swamps had unhealthy water, animals and even air.
Now, views have changed. “Swamps” are known as “wetlands”, their environmental importance is widely discussed, and we are lucky to have easy access. Between Millerton and Boston Corners Road, visitors biking or strolling the Harlem Valley Rail Trail (HVRT) are reveling in the wetlands views and wildlife that surrounds them. But how did those extensive wetlands and others in the region come to be? Here are the two primary explanations:
Between 12,000 and 9,000 years ago, glaciers covering much of this region receded and as they did, they scoured the land, leaving depressions and damming waterways. The low areas often intersected with the water table and natural springs. When drainage was poor and waterfall abundant (we get approximately four feet each of rain and snow per year) the wetlands were continuously refreshed, creating a stable ecosystem for plants and wildlife that, in turn, stabilized the wetlands.
Beavers, the official animal of New York State, are some of those stabilizing animals, creating lodge homes that obstruct waterways and cause water to back up. The beavers’ effects are most obvious where dead trees and stumps are visible. Those mark once healthy woodlands where trees have died due to submerged roots.
The extensive wetlands in this region, by the way, sit on even more water: a large aquifer (underground water supply) made up of water-soaked, highly porous rock, sand, and gravel. The aquifer acts as a sponge, soaking up ground- and underground water to replenish any that is lost. Studies by Dutchess County have concluded that there is no evidence of aquifer depletion in this area. And that’s lucky because just as with household sponges, water in the “aquifer sponge” can be drawn out, providing many in this area with their drinking water via individual and town wells.