You're the Inspiration

[sabotlours]

I was going to call today's post just "Inspiration," but thought I would continue the whole "Song Titles by Chicago" theme started with the last post *chuckles* What am I inspired about? Well, I went on walkies yesterday but decided to head east instead of my usual west. I have hiked this way in the past several times, but it's a little more up-and-down with a few sandy places as well as a fairly steep climb up an arroyo. But it was that arroyo specifically that I wanted to see. I was curious to see how it was affected by the recent rains. To my surprise there had been quite a lot of geomorphic work done on the channel by the rains. I also looked more carefully at the channel than I had in the past. It appears that now that housing developments are dumping their stormwater into old channels, those channels are responding in a major way. I had never known how water from one channel got into the main arroyo. There's actually a small waterfall/rapids that flows over the mesa's edge. It might even be subsurface flow into the boulders that have eroded off the rim. Anyway...this all got the old scientific wheels turning. I am in a perfect position to initiate a study on the effects of urbanization on desert arroyos. I'm just sorry I didn't collect baseline data a few years ago, but the whole mesa development near me has only been going on for 10 years with most of the activity happening in the past 4. It just felt good to feel that scientific spark still inside me. Maybe I'll even approach the Park System to see if I can get some help especially with surveying equipment.

Comments

[allaboutweather.livejournal.com]

Go for it! It'll be interesting to see what you find!

[mondhasen.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll even approach the Park System to see if I can get some help especially with surveying equipment.

Observation starter pack!

Seriously, though, good to hear! Keep the wheels in motion :o)