Down Along the Cathance River

I recently drove up to Topsham, Maine to walk a portion of the trail along this unusual area. It was an overcast, fall day and I had the river all to myself. All looked beautiful until I noticed the white foam, as you can see in the right-most photograph in the top row of photos (although they look so, they are not taken in infrared and I used no filter). This is sometimes the result chemical discharge. As it turns out, however, this is not likely the case here because it is not near any discharge pipes nor did it have a soapy smell. Instead, “The foam that accumulates in the streams sometimes is caused by dissolved organic matter,” says Scott Bailey, a geologist up at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. “So you can think of it as kind of like tea. You steep some tea leaves in water you end up with a colored substance that’s got materials that have leached out of those tea leaves, and the same thing happens in our forests.” This is more common in the spring since there is more rain draining organic matter into the streams. However, this past summer and fall have seen above average rainfall in Maine. Read More.

According to its website, “The Cathance River is one of six rivers that converge to form Merrymeeting Bay, together draining 38% of Maine’s land area. The Bay is one of only four places in the world where large rivers with entirely separate watersheds come together to form an inland, freshwater, tidal delta.” Read More.

The only downside to the trip was two days later I discovered a tick embedded in my tricep muscle (I guess my post-hike tick check was not thorough enough), so off the doctor’s office for doxycycline.

Author: Stephen Fielding Images

I'm a retired medical sociologist from the University of Rochester. Climate change is one of the two great challenges facing humanity (the other is nuclear weapons). In writing about the impact of climate change I read reputable books and articles on the topic. So when I make statements about climate change you will see a link taking you to the scientific source(s) of the information I provide. As for my independently published photobooks, each has gone through several layers of editing and peer review for both readability and accuracy. This is not to say that everything I say is accurate. Even the New York Times makes mistakes. So, if you find something that is factually incorrect, let me know. I hope you find reading my blog a positive experience. If you do, please encourage your family and friends to have a look. You can find photos from my other photo work by clicking on the My SmugMug Gallery tab, above. Best wishes, -Steve View all posts by Stephen Fielding Images