SEARCH Travels With LD

Thursday, December 9, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM

Leasburg Dam, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 11, 2010
Leasburg Dam, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 11, 2010

Rio Grande River

As you can see last January there was some flow in the river. Now it's almost completely dry, with most of what is flowing diverted into the irrigation canal at the dam. My guess is the dam at the large Elephant Butte Reservoir is closed. I saw a recent picture on the web of the Rio Grande taken upstream near Taos where the river is flowing full tilt.

Night camp

Site 9 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM

Crayfish Chimney

Late one afternoon I sat upon my camera case beside the path where it wound through the darkest part of the woods, down near the pond, and watched a crayfish building his "chimney," the land entrance to his underwater tunnel. He had just started to work above the ground when I first arrived. He came up through the moist black earth, carrying a ball of it between his two enormous fighting claws. Using the claws as hands, he spread the soil around the hole to form the base of the chimney. He then backed down the hole and after several minutes came up with another armful.

more...