12/18/2023 0 Comments Ephemeral pond in lamar valley![]() ![]() If there were freshwater jellyfish about that day, they were down in the depths and not interested in showing their shimmering pulses for two visitors from terra firma. At several locations we were able to get close to the water and when the wind was still you could see down a few feet into the clear water. According to a 1999 report, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has collected the peach blossom jellyfish in a few ponds within the Quinebaug, Shetucket and Thames River drainage areas.įrom the wooded parking area, we hiked down a short path to the pond and from there circumnavigated the water by a well-tended footpath that has probably been traversed by many anglers. The reservoir is not the only waterbody in the region where the peach blossom freshwater jellyfish has taken residence. It was constructed in 1900 and the long concrete dam has recently been refurbished. Despite its name, Baltic Reservoir is no longer a water supply to the village of Baltic, and the area is now used for passive recreation. The entire property is under the jurisdiction of the Sprague Water & Sewer Authority and the Sprague Conservation & Agriculture Commission. We met at Dick’s house and drove the short mile to the reservoir, a beautiful 25-acre pond surrounded by 250 acres of forest. I had never been to Baltic Reservoir before and was hoping to see the freshwater jellyfish. “In fact, upon reading about them, the organism is called the peach blossom jellyfish in China, where it was originally found, but is, according to the article I read online, found all over the world now.” I was not surprised when Dick said he researched freshwater jellyfish. He recently emailed me about freshwater jellyfish, so I ventured to his place to learn more.ĭick wrote “I strive to learn something every day, and my wish was fulfilled this past Saturday when while observing the clear, still waters of the Baltic Reservoir just down the street from me, I noticed what appeared to be small jellyfish, about the size of a penny, drifting about. They looked similar in shape to the saltwater moon jellies we see in late summer, but much, much smaller. They reminded me of a mountain laurel flower blossom, only transparent.” ![]() He is fortunate to have a variety of diverse habitats near his house, including a large beaver pond and acres of forestland. He lives in a beautiful part of The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor, and his encounters just outside his doorstep are always informative. Sometimes it’s a question, but more often it’s a recent discovery near his home. Like a ghost heart - a heart you can see right through, right into some other world where everything you ever lost has gone to hide.” From “The Thing About Jellyfish,” by Ali Benjaminįrom time to time my friend, Dick Waterman, will email me about something he has happened upon in the natural world. It’s their pulse, the way they contract swiftly, then release. “A jellyfish, if you watch it long enough, begins to look like a heart beating. ![]()
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