Foxtail in Late Summer

Beauty is all around. Example, here are a few stands of foxtail grass reaching for the late summer sun along the nearby rising Indian Creek. The grasses are quite common around this portion of eastern Iowa. Generally at this time of year the grasses are yellow and brown from lack of moisture. Not this year.

Iceberg Right Ahead on Indian Creek

Ice breakup is such a bizarre scene but one that usually occurs during the end of winter on my section of Indian Creek.  Recent rain and warm temperatures help melt snow and fill creek beds. If winter is still present, the rise in water causes ice to break and float downstream. As the water recedes, the mini icebergs rest haphazardly.

Here's a wider view of the ice field. A few days later the frozen masses were all but gone. Fortunately none of these ice chunks struck any vessels, however someone should still stay on watch. The Carpathia is standing by...

Glass Study from Creek Bed Artifact to Light Play Artwork

Yesterday while searching for arrowheads at nearby Indian Creek in southeast Cedar Rapids, I found this item sticking out of the creek bed. It is a jug top consisting of thick, pressed, clear glass which has been pitted and worn smooth from the abrasive environment. My glass expert tells me that the top is probably around 100 years old or so based on the non-screw top. While the glass appears to have bubbles internally it is actually pitted from exposure to water, wind, temperature, and mostly, sand abrasion.

I cleaned the glass and set it up in my makeshift studio for close-up work. I selected the top photo for my Instagram account and posted last night.

This morning I took another post production look at the glass top and decided to eliminate the golden color that originally illuminated the century old artifact. Out with the yellow and in with the blue. I was tempted to remove the rusty pit on both images but decided to let it show the wear from decades of exposure. If you like one image over the other let me know with a comment.

Golden Indian Creek

A block away from 42N HQ is Indian Creek. The city of Cedar Rapids built a clay and dirt dike a year ago to help prevent the creek's annual flooding in the Sun Valley neighborhood. So far so good.

Late afternoon yesterday I re-visited the creek and shot a half dozen images of the cloud filtered sunlight on the fast moving water. Without any photo editing this image was the result. Quite spectacular I think - and it is only footsteps away.

Revisiting Coal Creek in the Black Forest

A couple of years ago I took some late afternoon photos of nearby Indian Creek at f/22. Photos looked so dark that I played with the name of the creek and location. That post received some interest from Germany. These photos are from a couple of days ago near sunset, ISO 200 and f/22 of the same spot on Indian Creek.

All three of these photos are in full un-retouched color and owe their dark inkiness to a tight aperture and slow ISO.

A few seconds later the sun passed into the tree line and the light changed fast. Maybe one day I can get to the Black Forest and take some real dark green imagery of the historic woods.

A Canada Bookin' in Flight

Sounds of geese honking turned my head. I saw two Canadas flying over the creek bed at a fast clip. My camera was set up for an f/22 exposure and 200 ISO, so it wasn't going to freeze the action. Since the light level was fading, I didn't have much hope for sharpness too. As I panned with the bird I hoped the photo would turn out well. I think the bird in flight image turned out rather interesting.

Power of Water

Last week at this time Indian Creek was on the rise. Inflatable dams were deployed in the neighborhood to ward off waters from the creek. As fast as it rose, the creek came back within its banks in a few days and now is tranquil.

After each flood episode it is always interesting to see the aftermath. This time the creek pushed tons of pebbles and sand out of the bed onto the surrounding plain and downstream. The creek's water pressure wanted to create a new channel. With each event like this, the surrounding park takes time to recover with new plant growth. Who knows what seeds were washed to this location? We will see in a few weeks as temperatures warm.

Spring 2013 Flood of Indian Creek Update

Nearby Indian Creek swelled this week from over 4 inches of rain in two days. On Thursday as the creek spilled out of its bank partially filling a greenway park, the city of Cedar Rapids deployed inflatable tiger dams to help prevent residential flooding. Fortunately the early afternoon crest of the swollen creek did not reach the road this time.

By Friday afternoon crews deflated the dams and travel was allowed to use the streets again. Today the tiger dams and related straps, tubes and sandbags were still evident. With rain in the forecast for the next several days, the city can take its time in packing these preventative materials away.

Tiger Dams Installed in Cedar Rapids for 2013 Spring Flood of Indian Creek

Orange tube Tiger Dams are being installed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa this morning. Along Indian Creek the dams are being placed, filled with water and tied down to prevent rising waters damaging local homes.

Dams were installed at this very location in 2009 but were ineffective due to their installation at the time.

We received over 4 inches of rain in two and a half days. The drought is over but at the expense of rising water and flooding rivers and streams. 

City crews have learned best practices since the 2009 flood.

While this is the second time tiger dams have been deployed at this site, the amount of effort for workers and equipment seem enormous. Another alternative to stop this flooding is being debated today.  

The Cedar Rapids city council is expected to discuss the flooding issue at this morning's meeting. Back on the agenda is the construction of a berm along Cottage Grove Parkway (parallel and to the right of the road above.) Flood money is already approved according to Councilwoman Ann Poe (who was on the scene this morning) but the go-ahead seems to be at the council level and with the Iowa DNR.

Calm Blue Water at Winter's 2/3 Mark

Last weekend nearby Indian Creek showed signs of melting and refreezing. That's a good sign that indicates Spring is less than a month away. In the melt water highlighted by a setting sun, the slow moving water turned just a tad shade of blue. Thanks to image processing that blue became a bit more enhanced. The end result is a cool scene in any season.

A Winter's Ride Near Indian Creek

Three days ago we received the season's third measurable snowfall. Not too much to complain about. A sure sign of Spring is non-Winter activities like this bike rider. While we expect another 3-5 inches of snow Tuesday midday, we know that warmer temperatures are just around the corner. Now if only this moisture could recharge subsoil depths rather than running off and thus ending the yearlong draught. However, the upside to this dilemma is the neighborhood snow melt will drain into nearby Indian Creek, then to the Cedar River, merging with the Iowa River at Columbus Junction, then finally joining the Mississippi River near Toolsboro, Iowa. Old Man River has been near historic low depths since last Fall forcing tow barges to operate only below St. Louis. Perhaps this melt will help.

Pink Ripples on Indian Creek

A late afternoon photo of local Indian Creek produced this non-Photoshoped pink tint on the rippling water. Maybe it was a lens abbreviation or some sort of algae bloom. When the photo was taken I did not see any pinkish flashes. Regardless of the cause the effect is striking and unexpected.

Aftermath of 8/27 Indian Creek Flood

Indian Creek in 42N country flash flooded after 7.07 inches of rain came down on August 27, 2009. Annually the creek floods (usually in late May or June but not always) despite flood control improvements up creek in northern Linn County, Iowa. The protection of the homes in the area above will require more structural improvements to the flood plain including a dike or series of berms plus more aggressive upstream flood controls.

On Saturday, August 29th the creek had receded to its banks and left clear indications of the force of the Thursday rising water. Typical of the any flood on this creek are flattened grasses, new sand bar deposits, and uprooted trees. This flash flood was no exception to the pattern. Know that.

Tiger Dams Fail on Indian Creek - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

After 7.07 inches of rain fell in a 36-hour period, 42N country's Indian Creek flooded southeast side neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This event occurred only 14 months after the historic 2008 flood of the Cedar River and Indian Creek in Cedar Rapids. Today's flash flood was significant for a couple of reasons. For the first time the city deployed Tiger Dams, a removable bladder-like series of tubes that fill with water, tether together and stack to form a barrier. These dams were assembled the day before as part of a training exercise (see video). The other reason this flood was significant was that the muddy colored waters crept a bit closer to the 42N command center than in years' previous.

Today's rainfall sent the creek rising much faster and higher than anticipated. The swollen creek circumvented the 200 feet run of the temporary dam and began to back fill behind the structure. City crews raced to the scene and positioned sandbags in an attempt to shore up the Tiger Dams. Due to several factors (water pressure, positioning, join strength, current velocity, debris and who knows what), the Tiger Dams failed around 7:30 pm. Upon their collapse water was sent up the streets and into homes. The crew quickly approached the sewer lines and began pumping to relieve the water pressure. When the first location failed the crew went a half block up the street to repeat the pressure fix. This time their actions were successful. Waters began to slowly recede around 9:10 pm and by morning the creek was near its banks again.

Local ABC-TV affiliate KCRG (Channel 9) arrived around 8 pm and interviewed the residents about the Tiger Dams' effectiveness. Station reporter and producer Alyson Hunt conducted the interview. Her report was actually the lead story for the 10 pm news. Know that.